Comments on: Why I’m Done With Windows [Opinion]

By: Tina Sieber

Tina Sieber — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:22:34 +0000

Thanks for the decision help!

By: WarOfTheNerd

WarOfTheNerd — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 01:08:10 +0000

It is feasible to skip Windows 8, go read the documentation.. :)

Windows 7 has support for updates till 2020. Same as Server 2008 and Server 2008 R2.

Windows 8 has support until 2023, same as Server 2012.

Give Windows 8 a miss if:

* You play any older games and/or need full DirectMusic support.
(Like Quake 3 Arena, Unreal Tournament GOTY, Deus Ex or SiN)

* You need 24-bit, 16-bit or 8-bit colour modes specifically

* You play fullscreen DOS games
(with Vista/7 you could install the XP drivers and get fullscreen DOS)

* You use Windows XP Mode (not in Windows 8)

* You are opposed to requiring restrictive licenses to develop and run apps on Windows
(Metro requires a developer license to run any apps not in the store!)

* You use applications which require complex DRM schemes to work
(Windows 8 breaks a lot of older DRM like old StarForce versions)

* You need support for old-generation sound cards
(No more WDM-based Win98 drivers powering your new Win8)

By: Charles Angerstein

Charles Angerstein — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 13:45:31 +0000

The problem with switching from Microsoft is everyone else is just as bad, just in different ways mostly. I’ve just gone through exactly what you’re describing but in the end, at least for now, have opted to stay with Windows. You see, I was with Apple as they dumped OS9 in favor of OSX. It had no features and felt like I had taken a step back to 7.5. Apple was aggressively negative toward their customers, just like Microsoft and their products are all poorly made, over priced ponzi schemes designed to force you to funnel more and more money each year into the dirt bag company. That combined with their flagrant disregard for human rights makes Apple products not an option for me.
Then there’s Linux. I just spent weeks testing Linux distro after Linux distro. It’s unfortunate to have to say but they’re in the same place as the last time I checked. They’re an unpolished product and when held up to the competition they pale in comparison. Again, think Windows XP with less polish or the original OSX. It’s not usable unless your a kid who doesn’t ever put anything important on his computer and doesn’t mind that it constantly gets screwed up and requires large investments of time to fix.
So here I am, still using Microsoft’s products but for how much longer I don’t know because all I’m waiting for is something better than what we’ve got to choose from right now.

By: Dee

Dee — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 10:00:17 +0000

Why is the removal of support for Home Server and probably a PC based Media Server a problem? Because the two together provided a complete solution with some of the best Windows integration available in the market today.

Granted their are probably better DVR, media players, backup, streaming and remote access solutions in the market but I have a finite amount of time available to support my home network and peripherals, using one suppliers solutions makes it easier and less time consuming.

Windows 8 and an Xbox 720 may provide similar functionality to WhS and Media Centre eventually but at what cost? Mine is a home network, not a business and Microsoft are in danger of pricing themselves out of a market by removing these low cost solutions.

Maybe time to checkout the alternatives as it looks like MS do not have a consolidated solution today or in the near future at a reasonable ‘home level’ cost.

By: Black Mage

Black Mage — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:04:34 +0000

You’re actually boasting about running no virus protection in this day and age? What material is the bubble you live in made of? Oh yeah, your IP is? You seriously need to wake up and realize that EVERY system has vulnerabilities and can be compromised.

By: Herp Derpson

Herp Derpson — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:14:02 +0000

Just don’t upgrade and keep your current set-up. Nobody is forcing you to upgrade. If what you have works why change it?

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 03:10:01 +0000

Well, it’s nice to read an article with a real thought out opinion. I completely agree with you.
I have been using Playon alot more than Media Center due to the fact that I am always trying to add more Codecs in effort to get movies to play. (Flash) Media Center runs embarrasingly slow and doesn’t seem to take to well to Microsoft’s own firewall properties without some tweaking. I’m thinking this is weird because this is all MS products. I have the Xbox 360 and it’s hell to load up WMC. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to work at all. Frustrating! Not to mention that they want to charge for everything
Now, WMC should be Microsofts focus with a built in Cloud Storage rather than adding more SVR features to the Xbox 720.

By: Muo TechGuy

Muo TechGuy — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:20:56 +0000

They’ve promised to support devices at a fundamental level for quite some time yet, so I’d imagine you’re safe.

By: David Strouse

David Strouse — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:17:23 +0000

I too have been very happy with the functionality of WHS v1. It not only automatically backs up my Windows PCs it is a blog server and an email server with just a little tweeking. I am concerned the homeserver.com domain will go away when the support for WHS ends. There is no provision that I can see that would let me use a different domain. That feature is available in WHS 2011 but I would have to completely rebuild my server and purchase an add-on to get the same functionality as I have with WHS v1 drive extender.

Has anyone heard if the domain is going away?

By: Jacob

Jacob — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 22:36:03 +0000

I guess we will really have to wait and see. I was really getting excited about the Ceton ECHO and the possibilities of using that to stream all of the content on my PC including cable through that one device..

By: Junk

Junk — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:43:49 +0000

Hey Bruce,
Just ban Cid already. His comments offer nothing. He is a rude and boring little whiner.

…that is all

By: James Bruce

James Bruce — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 06:38:17 +0000

Because I resent using dead technology. And no, I wont be touching Windows 8; that is beyond a joke.

By: noone

noone — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 01:10:24 +0000

So let me get this strait, you have a perfectly good WHS2011 working reliably and all. But because they are discontinuing the homeserver line, it will no longer be good enough for you and must be replaced?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a bit pissed off about how they are going about the whole thing myself since I invested a lot of time and money into my home media setup. But if your happy with media center and home server as you claimed you were, then why would you replace them just to spite Microsoft? If you have a HTPC hooked up to the TV then its not like you will be seeing much of the underlying OS anyways. MC will still be MC. WHS will still reliably serve your media….

As a side note, have you considered using windows 8 as your server OS since it has storage spaces? Then you could run a Hyper-V VM of WHS2011 just for backups. You get all the functionality you have now plus storage spaces and who knows what else for only $40… just like your WHS2011 purchase.

By: Conrad E

Conrad E — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 20:57:23 +0000

Well, I can say that I’m finally in Media Center heaven with my WMC7, XBOX 360 extenders, and Server 2012 back end for file shares (with storage spaces and block level de-dupe!). I have WHS 2011 running on a HyperV VM for backup of my laptop/desktop/HTPC. Now that I have Server 2012 up and running and have fully replaced the functionality (and added to it!) I had with my WHS 2003/WHS 2011 setup, I’m happy.

Of course I’ll evaluate WMC8, when it’s available, but unless it offers at least the same functionality (mainly the extenders), I won’t be upgrading this setup to it.

I am still surprised with the decision to not offer an entry level (WHS level) version of Server 2012. I can only guess that they decided a trim level offering that many features, with that robust of an OS, would make it harder to justify the cost of the fully featured trim levels.

By: JRyan

JRyan — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 16:27:50 +0000

Cid,
You are wrong on pretty much all counts. You are confusing a nas with a small office/home server.
I guess anyone at a tech forum would laugh at you for suggestion the security updates are unimportant. Uhhm, why did MS push security updates to WHS over the past few years?