Windows 8 is in release. Will the new offering from Redmond:
a) convince current Windows users to upgrade?
b) convince current MAC users to switch?
c) be a better OS for my VO business?
Windows 7 was perhaps Microsoft’s most robust and stable OS ever. Those who never upgraded from XP or Vista missed plenty.
With Windows 8, Ballmer and the boys at Microsoft headquarters looked to the future. They wanted an OS that would operate much the same on laptops, desktops, phones, and tablets…even go so far as to develop and manufacture for the first time their own tablet to run Win8. It abandons the “start” button, and just…looks different on the screen.
There is much to like about Windows8, but what about my computing needs as a voice actor?
Will Win8:
1) handle audio better?
2) boot-up faster?
3) be more stable?
4) require a steep learning curve?
5) handle my legacy software?
6) be worth the cost to upgrade?
Disclaimer: I”m an unabashed Microsoft fan from my head to my toes, and yes, I’ll buy Win8 as soon as I can…probably encased in a brand new desktop, but only ’cause it’s time for me. My old box is about 7 years old…and showing signs.
There are pros and cons to the new OS, and from what I hear, it’s different enough from any other Windows OS. So yes, it will require some learning and re-orientation. But what new software doesn’t? Early users say you can resurrect the old interface if you want.
Boot-up times was a HUGE issue for Win8 developers. Their standard quote is: “Win8 will boot up in 8 seconds.” WooHoo!
As for handling of audio, this may be the best news yet: A quote from one Win 8 evaluation I read: “…Windows 8 promises to be better than Windows 7 at audio performance metrics across the board…”
I’ve done a lot of research on Win 8, and rather than repackaging it for you, I’ve compiled the following list of expert reviews from most of the top sites. They paint a mostly positive picture with some important caveats, and ask a lot of the right questions.
Happy reading!
Windows 8, The Office Review – PC World
Windows 8 Changes are More Than Skin Deep
Windows 8: Do the Pros Outweigh the Cons?
Installing Windows 8: the Pain, the Poetry, the Pleasure
CourVO
