Is Windows 8 the best OS ever?

I voted NO but it's probably one of the best (if we are talking about Microsoft Operating Systems).

I would say XP really did a good job, once it was at least in it's Service Pack 2 state, after a few unstable versions before it.

Windows 7 went back to greatness after the disaster that was ME and Vista, and Windows 8.1 (with Update 1) has now shown that Microsoft has continued a good trend with what basically is Windows 7, but faster with more features and also touch friendly.

If they nail Windows 9, I would probably say that they will have the best Windows OS so far.

depends on what you want to do. for gaming win7-8 are about the same. for programming nothing beats a linux OS, unless of course you're trying to program in directx (but why would you do that?). I'll say no though.

ahh windows 8. Love it!

Well, while I think Windows 8 is better than Windows 7 by a good amount, and is a very nice OS, it ain't the best OS ever. I personally would give that medal to GNU/Linux.

lolno

Windows 7 is.

Each operating system is used for different things and applications. In my opinion, Windows 8.1 (update 1) is most likely Microsoft's best OS. You can make an argument for xp (as it stood the test of time). And Windows 7 for bringing XP into the modern age but 8.1 is still a fantastic OS and it does work very well. It's difficult to find something that is terribly broken. It would be impossible to name one OS that is better then all others.

my SuperPi test XP the fastest out of Vista/win7/8

Fastest in what? Depends what you're talking about.

Apart from all the new features and better speeds? People are sticking with 7 cause it's a great OS and it's what they have on their PCs, simple. Not everyone just goes out and upgrades a whole OS because there is something new out there. The only reason I installed Win8 was because I built a brand new PC, otherwise I would probably still be on 7.

I like windows 8. its better than you think. it has fast and custom factory reset. but I prefer 7 don't kno how to use 8

best windows ever. i know a few people whose pcs boot faster on windows 8 than windows 7. there's one reason right there.

I went with 7 when I built my computer last summer. So far it's the best operating system I've used.

@FelipeInside: i swapped to 8 because my 7 was never legit, and i finally got a free copy of win8 from work ;) first legit OS on my personal rig since XP......

I got a windows 8 laptop several months ago, and the OS still pisses me off even having gotten used to it somewhat. Metro was clearly not meant for desktops and the lack of start menu can make it a pain in the ass to navigate sometimes. Thank goodness Microsoft is bringing that back for 8.2 and 9.

I haven't gained anything since upgrading from Windows 7 to 8.1. I've been on it for the last 6 months. And everything still doesn't show up in the search and I have to make sure EVERYTHING is running as admin so I don't run into problems.

The metro UI is still completely useless and annoying. I've said it over and over. It's a fucking chore to navigate with a mouse and keyboard. It's like using Android with a M+KB. Just why...

Oh, and here's my proof:

My main problems with Windows, are not all the fault of Windows itself, but rather it's wide spread popularity. Having 90% marketshare means it is the prime target for massive amounts of malware, viruses, and crapware that is always bundled with software on websites, like toolbars, and shit loads of other useless crap that only harms your PC. And Linux also made me love having a central place to download software (that is still better than an "App store" from apple and google), a repository that makes installing and removing software a snap. In windows, you have to google all the software you want, download it from some website that no doubt wants to install other crap on your computer, click the .exe, next>next>next...takes ages. Windows feels extremely old, and archaic compared to Linux, when it comes to software management, in my opinion.

nah, that would be OSX

Dos 3.1,learn your place mac peasant

Is this the "x years later" thread you get every now and then? You'll say the same about Windows 9.

Wasn't a smart ass reply, and if you kept reading my post instead of just quoting the first sentence you would have answered your own question.

I don't know how long you have been using PCs for, but Microsoft has always been awful at marketing. They create great software and features, but never really market it right or enough. They are copying Apple a bit now in that regard (Apple are kings at marketing), so they have gotten a bit better, but they still have a way to go.

Your last paragraph is a bit misguided. You don't judge a product based on how much you want to upgrade or not. You judge it based on it's strengths and weaknesses, it's features, it's failings etc. Wanting to upgrade or not is totally irrelevant since you are using Win7 which as you said (and so did I), is a great OS. Even if you did upgrade, you probably wouldn't benefit from the new features, that doesn't mean someone else won't either and also doesn't mean they aren't new features that are available. You are just judging the OS based on YOUR use, not looking at the big picture.

@AlexKidd5000 You can't have both. If Linux became popular as you want it to be, then it would change into "the prime target for massive amounts of malware, viruses, and crapware" as well. Look at Mac before it was so popular, you could never get a virus/spyware for it since no one bothered to make them. Apple even used it as a marketing tactic. Now that it's so popular there is malware for it. As for .exe and next next next, it's called custom installation. If you put Express you only have to click once, and if you're downloading from the App Store (which would be the repository), it's only one click.

I guess you didn't get my point. Ok, here is another view on it.

Let's say it the year 2009 roughly. You are using Windows XP and you love it. It has Service Pack 3, runs stable, fast and great for gaming. Windows 7 releases. It has a few new features etc etc but you see no reason to upgrade just yet until there are reviews or you are forced to when games require it. Does that make Windows 7 a BAD OS? Just because you didn't go out and upgrade does that mean it is not a great OS? (your words). (and be aware that Win7 offered much less than Win8 as an upgrade)

Just because Microsoft releases a new OS, with features that they needed to release about 5 years ago (MS is always late to the party), doesn't mean you are FORCED to upgrade. It also doesn't mean it's a cash grab. Windows 8 is there for anyone that needs it, but MS aren't "deactivating" Windows 7 for anyone. 7 has support till the year 2020. By then you will probably have had 2 new PCs anyway and needed to reinstall.

It ALSO doesn't mean it's a bad OS just because these new features don't interest YOU (keyword: YOU). Time for a car analogy: you drive your car and are happy with it. The same company brings out a new model but you see no reason to upgrade because you are happy with yours, does that mean the new model is a bad car? Summary: you are judging a new version of a product based on YOUR USES ONLY. Review a product based on what it offers, not just what YOU can get out of it, or else it's just a personal preference opinion.

Perhaps the repository for a Linux distro would get attacks, but they are monitored/scanned all the time for security threats, so I reckon that malware/virus attacks would be slim to none, it depends on how tight security is for a given repo. Ubuntu I can only imagine would be the least secure, because I don't really hold Ubuntu or it's repo in very high regard. And the fact that you automatically are not given root privileges by default, so that tightens security up a bit more. And the fact that there are so many distros with there own repositories. The greatest threat is probably from Flash and Java.

The "express" option is what you have to look out for most of the time, because it will install the crap you don't want.

I'm not saying that I want Linux to be just as popular as Windows, an 8 to 10% marketshare for Linux would be pretty sweet, it would be enough for Linux to be of greater consideration for game and software devs.