I'm looking at buying myself a new laptop as well, long story short, my work-supplied laptop is so locked down it's useless adn I can't put anything personal on it, so I was looking at a new personal machine.
From what I've read W8 is OK as long as you have a touch screen? Is that not the case?
Cheers
Dave
I don't have a touch screen.
There is an option when you first start the computer to interact with the windows 8 os via those tile thingies or go to a "desktop" i installed a freeware thing that just takes me to the desktop automatically, and for the most part has restored the 'start' menu and all that.
i wasn't all that excited about a touch screen. lots of what i do is type code or write things up, when i'm not typing nonsense on the internet.
i'm not much of an app user, gamer, anything like that. the touch screen didn't seem worth the extra expense, possible hassle, and missing out on the faster processing higher memory and storage of the "ultra" books that were lightweight but not touchscreen.
so far, no regrets, but it's early.
For me, I guess I don't need to go in and change settings or anything around a whole lot, so maybe the os doesn't matter to me once i have the programs i use often.
Still, with very few exceptions, I cannot tell the difference between windows 7 and the way i am using windows 8 right now. I'm sure they are there, but again, it's not that i'm so savvy(NOT), i think it's just that i don't need to do much with an os. what i do seems to work fine. printer drivers, saving things, installing things, all seem to work just like windows 7.