I played before with a Windows 8 VM and hated it. A month ago, I bought a new laptop that came with Windows 8. I decided to give it another try and so far:
1. The laptop came loaded with crapware, as usual. I wanted to try the 8.1 preview on a clean install, so I went with the 8.1 ISO. Unfortunately, the 8.1 ISO only installs with a MS temporary key and installs Windows 8 Pro. Well, I don't want to risk reinstalling everything a couple of months down the road when the preview ends and MS doesn't let me downgrade to Windows 8 Core with the OEM key.
2. The Windows 8.1 installer doesn't give you the option to create a local account, or so it seems. There was no option, just enter your MS account credentials, create a new MS account, or cancel the install. Just for giggles, I entered
abc@123.com as my E-mail and 12345 as my password. The installer gave me an invalid password error and
then offered me to create a local account instead.
3. I ended up installing Windows 8.0 instead. The install program automatically picked up the OEM key from the BIOS and installed the Core version. From there, I tried to upgrade to 8.1 preview using the Windows Store. I applied the normal updates and then the upgrade, but it kept failing over and over. I reinstalled Windows 8.0 from scratch again, and this time did the upgrade before applying any updates. This time it went through without a hassle.
4. I got 8.1 Core up and running with my OEM key. So far, so good. The new Start button just takes you to Metro. The thing that I miss the most about the Windows 7 Start menu was the search box. I was used to hitting the Windows key and typing away. The Metro screen interrupts my workflow and also has a tendency to prioritize Apps over programs when more than one choice exists. At least you now have the option of booting to the desktop.
5. Classic Shell to the rescue. My Win7 start button is back, along with its search box, and the active corners and charms are gone in the desktop. I have not been thrown into Metro against my will for over two weeks.
Life is good.
6. Coming from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 8 Core, I miss some of the security features, like having a classic login where the user has to enter both the username and password, and NTFS encryption. I wonder why MS treats security features as premium content. I also miss Aero; Windows 7 was much more visually appealing.
Conclusion: If it wasn't for Classic Shell, I'd be back on Windows 7 in a heartbeat. I do like a few apps, like the weather app and the news app and don't mind switching to Metro to use them, but it's good to be able to stay on the desktop 24/7 if I choose to. I don't see the need to downgrade to Windows 7 anymore, and yet, I don't see the need to upgrade from 7 to 8 either.
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