Would anybody use a "Windows 7.8" instead of the full Windows 8 Pro on their current computer?

Posted by dcxiii on August 16, 2012 05:33 pm 22

Hey everyone,

Just something that has been dawning on me as I've used each of the Windows 8 Dev, Consumer and Release Previews as my laptop's only OS for the past few months.

After a brief flurry after each new installation of the previews, I don't use any of the Metro Apps. Not a single one. Don't get me wrong, there are already some awesome apps in the nascent marketplace. I love the "Fit Ball" and "Armed" games, and the Wikipedia and StumbleUpon apps and have used them a few times when I have nothing better to do. But apart from a time when I loaded the store to find out which new apps were recently added, I simply don't use them.

So, with that the case, and since I seem to live only in the Desktop environment, I will tell you I absolutely love the way Windows 8 has iterated the Windows 7 desktop environment. I love the Metro "flattening" and un-Aero-ing of everything, and the new Office Apps, and the new lock screen and sign-in page, the fast boot and faster shutdown. Don't get me wrong, I love the live tiles on my Windows Phone and I am very impressed with it on the Surface devices in their preview, but on my current laptop, it is just clunky.

I'm using an Alienware M11XR3 with a standard trackpad and keyboard and I don't feel the start screen offers anything to it. Give it to me on a tablet and I'd be very happy, but not on this soon-to-be 'obsolete' machine without its touchscreen. Is there anyone who would love a "Windows 7.8" which is just the speed and desktop enhancement, with a bit of window dressing on the lockscreen and Metro-isation etc, just like Windows Phone 7.8, a stripped-down update. The complete opposite of the Windows RT, with no store of Metro apps to populate a start-screen, just the desktop. Microsoft could even charge us $10 for it.

So, would anyone take a Windows 7.8 update for their machine were Microsoft to offer it instead of the full Windows 8 when it comes out?

David