Office 2013 also $70 and Office 365 5pc is $60. Part of drop zone sale. Seen at Big W Shepparton.
Windows 8.1 Retail $70 at Big W
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Stability, it's on par with win 7 in that they both don't crash very often.
But for a long time user of windows the usability of 8 is well below 7, and yes I can figure out the start screen (there is no start menu on win 8). If you're going to say i can't figure out something, then at least get that right.
It's just not intuitive. XP, Vista and 7 users would be better to wait for something more usable.
The worst aspect of Windows 8's pointless Fisher-Price UI is that it's dramatically blown out the number of steps required to do any number of run-of-the-mil tasks.
Want to see the actual processes list in Task Manager? Sorry, it's now hidden in another tab instead of being the first thing you see in task manager. Meanwhile, let us present you with some abstract, ambiguous names for some but not all of the currently running background processes and let you attempt to work out, what's what.
Opening an image from Windows Explorer? Allow me to take you a full screen Metro-skinned Image Viewer, that has totally obscured whatever you were doing before. To change this behaviour that never occurred on Windows 7, you need to change the default files associations for images, audio, video and PDFs. Easy.
The Windows Search bar has no "Desktop" integration. If you're in the "Desktop mode", even if you've disabled the Metro Start Screen and Charms, you have to jump into a pointless purple screen of interruption just to search for something. Unless you install Classic Shell. Another 3rd-party fix for something that was never broken in Windows 7.
There are a dozen other features that force you to pointlessly switch between the Metro and Desktop GUI, for no logical reason other than Microsoft disabling or removing the desktop equivalent. Vice versa, even mobile computing users on Windows 8 have to go into the desktop mode for basic things like Windows Explorer.
I can't remember having to Google for a solution to a seemingly impassible hurdle during the installing of an OS, when I ran into the “Sign in to your Microsoft account” screen when installing Windows 8, which at first glance for many users, would make it seem as if it's impossible to install Windows 8 without a Microsoft account (no doubt, this is strongly intentional).
The author of TweakGuides.com elaborates fairly well on how MS basically dupes computer-illiterates into using many of the online-only or anti-desktop features of Metro through deliberately deceitful UI choices. The concluding section on that page, which I wholeheartedly agree with, basically sums Microsoft's future ambitions with it's mobile-centric computing focus.
@Amar89: While I don't know anyone who actually likes Metro (although I do know some teenagers who actually use the Windows Store for apps), I think it's clear that Microsoft have been undoing a lot of their heavy-handed introduction of Metro.
Also those keeping watch on the Windows 10 technical preview feel that MS have been listening to feedback on UI issues. As long as I can make the operating system something I can live with, then I'm happy with the noticeable performance improvements in using it.
I still think Windows 10 looks pretty garish, but I'm used to tweaking every version of Windows that has come out (particularly Windows 98 and XP) and this will be no different.
@Amar89: Just put in a incorrect email and pass at installation and after a try or two it will allow you to set up a local account….. But I agree until you get used to the changes these cosmetic changes are a pain in the ass…..
@Forfiet: You don't need to put in a fake email address. When prompted to sign in to your Microsoft account hit Create a new account then hit Sign in without a Microsoft account.
@tantryl: touche….I believe i did that when I got my first win 8 system…. Did it this way after I wiped and installed an SSD on my desktop, don't feel inclined to use my microsoft account on everything…..
@bigjezza:
I know the start menu is 20 year oldWait till you see what we're doing about the " one wheel to each corner " Oxcart arrangement on cars….
they both don't crash very often
What a time to be alive! The best MS can do is software that fails 'not very often'. Luckily it's not air travel.
I went from XP to 8.1 and it took me about a month to get used to.
Changed the taskbar to not stack the buttons, added the bliss background and it's almost the same experience.
The start screen goes unused but that's about the only big difference I see in my personal use. Not sure what is so frustrating about itNot sure what is so frustrating about it
That it exists in the first place.
It's not an iterative operating system. It's Windows 7 SP2/3 being sold for a profit with the same marketing strategy that DLC packages are.
You were probably lucky you avoided Windows 8 :)
Before I knew how to remove Metro, Windows 8 was incredibly frustrating with the constant and unnecessary switching back and forth between Desktop and Metro.
8.1 fixed most of this, as well as third party software like StartIsBack (which was also available for Windows 8).
I also don't get the angst. Use Windows 8, use Windows 7. 99% of what I do is identical between the two, and Windows 8 has the advantage of those cool file copy dialogues and the new Task Manager
Classic Shell is worth a look.
Classic Shell is free software that improves your productivity, enhances the usability of Windows and empowers you to use the computer the way you like it. The main features are:
- Highly customizable start menu with multiple styles and skins
- Quick access to recent, frequently-used, or pinned programs
- Find programs, settings, files and documents
- Start button for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1
- Toolbar and status bar for Windows Explorer
- Caption and status bar for Internet Explorer
Classic Shell is decent, and was the first start menu replacement I tried. Personally I found the behaviour of the start menu a bit off, it felt more like a hack than a real start menu and I didn't enjoy using it.
I tried StartIsBack, and it immediately felt normal to me. Behaves like the Windows 7 start menu with a few enhancements. I would easily recommend it even over a free one like ClassicShell.
While it has less options overall, it has all the ones that I think are important.
yep happy to pay for the ease and reliability of startisback…
Classic Shell is indeed far from perfect, but it's basically the best free Metro-killer there is.
The plethora of confusing, clunky settings is difficult to get a grasp on and you can end up disabling much legitimately-needed Windows 8 stuff with it.
Also the supposedly "Windows 7-style" Start Menu is not actually anything like Window 7's and nor is the All Programs list. It all feels like a cheapened, Windows 7 knock-off than the real thing; a definite step down in quality.
Shepplyffffffffffff
One VLine ticket please.
I'm a techo, have been for over 20 years. I had W8.1 on my brand new Laptop and my 2 year old laptop (freshly rebuilt) both got very slow and laggy by the middle of the day. It was impossible to use and so I always needed to restart…quite often on the about the 3rd to 4th hour of work.
Got sick of this and replaced both with Win7 and these issues have disappeared ! Thanks for making my life so easy Windows !You need a newer laptop with better hardware and driver support :)
how can you be a 'techo' for 20 years and believe this is only because of Windows 8.1? lol
Just a tech consumer.
I can assure you that what's under the hood of Windows 8.1 is superior to Windows 7. I know many people have issues with the UI but the engine is rock solid. I don't dispute that you had a problem with slowness but it would not be related to the Windows 8.1 engine. The General consensus is Windows 8.1 is faster than Win 7.
Install classic shell start menu and 8.1 is just like windows 7 to the average user.
But man I seem to get a lot more annoyances from my windows 8.1 machines than i do from my windows 7 machines.
I'm hopeful windows 10 will iron out these quirks and give me something i can upgrade all my devices to without making me want to kill myself.
My advice. If you have windows 7, stick with it until you can get the free upgrade to 10. No point upgrading to 8.1 this late in the game.Having done a lot of installs recently of Windows 8.1 pro and normal, I would actually happily recommend it to people despite the imminent release of Windows 10 - but only if they get a $10 key from Reddit (as discussed above).
From what I've seen, Windows 8.1 makes a big difference to the performance of Windows 7 machines. After doing a few upgrades for people, I did it for myself for a noticeable speed boost - and this is from someone who loathed Windows 8.
Quick guide to remove some of the Metro annoyances:
- Install StartIsBack ($3) to replace the Start Menu (works much nicer than the Classic Shell start menu IMO, which never felt right to me);
- Use the options in StartIsBack to remove most of Metro;
- Switch to Metro and uninstall most of the apps;
- Set your defaults to the programs you want
After this you won't see Metro unless you choose to. There's only a few unnecessary things like the sidebar for Networks.
Thanks.
StartIsBack is really good & big improvement visually over Classic Shell.
This is the best deal back to 2 years ago.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/82957
Free upgrade to windows 8.1 to boot.
Heh. I bought three copies back then. So damn glad I did. Now I will have 3x copies of Windows 10 when it arrives.
I love you, Microsoft.
I installed windows 10 beta on 1 PC and 3 laptops. Looks and feels like 8.1 with a few extra bits.
Impressed ?? sure when the real version comes out it may impress me a little… but do I want to spend 2 days installing it then the AV and all my Apps, then configure it all… just to have no choice but to dump it after a year ?
Maybe I'm too busy , maybe just cheap, maybe I'm just happy with W7. Either way i tried it, got the t-shirt and not overly impressed yet …..but really hoping there may be more to it…Nah it's free to get for the first year. They don't make you buy it if you get it within that period.
I agree on the preview build not showing anything worth using, but who knows if the final build will be any different.
We can always try it out on a virtual system before committing to it. That's what I plan to do.Are you saying after a year you have to pay to continue using or? Like a MS office 365 subscription thingy?
Nah its sorta in beta (technical preview if you wish to be accurate)
Its a free upgrade from whatever version of windows 7 or 8 you have to the windows 10 version
After a year they will start charging people for the upgrade
Its because they don't like all the cross platforms(xp,vista,7,8,8.1) so they want a majority in windows 10
No I don't think they will do a subscription
@gagiman: So its more like a year preview and you have to option to take it or leave it eh? Hmm, rather purchase one if there is an offer on the day of release.
As I understand from the email from Microsoft. There's no need to pay for upgrade.
"We will offer a free upgrade to Windows 10 for qualified new or existing Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices that upgrade in the first year!** And even better: once a qualified Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it up to date for the supported lifetime of the device, keeping it more secure and introducing new features and functionality over time – for no additional charge. "People are really overcomplicating this "free Windows 10 for the first year".
It's not a subscription, it's a normal Windows licence.
They want people to upgrade, so they are offering it for a cost of $0, and this sale lasts for the first 12 months after the release Windows 10. After that point, anyone who wants to upgrade will have to pay.
@tramperleo: yeah tramperleo is right sorry if I implied it was a fee after the year was up.
From what I gather you don't get a CD-key for windows 10 for future use though. So once you change computers after this upgrade past this year you cant use the old key and then get an upgrade. If you understand what I mean
purchased WIN7 (or 8) key —-> WIN 10 free purchase this year
(1 year in future)
purchased WIN7 (or 8) key —-> costs money for upgrade
So I think it's only on the computer that you get the upgrade on NOT the dvd or key itself
@gagiman: I believe there will be a subscription version of Windows 10 available but it will be a separate product to the free offering. You can probably bundle Office 365 + Windows 10 Pro in a subscription (the free upgrade is only for Home users so won't be the Pro edition of Windows 10) which would be great value if you can use it on multiple computers like the Office 365 sub. Pay one yearly fee for Office & Windows on my Desktop & Laptop and get unlimited OneDrive storage =)
Also, for anyone with access to Dreamspark Premium (generally for IT/Engineering students only), you can get all Windows OS's for free (going back to Windows XP).
With the ms office, can i use it for small business?
Home & Student 2013 doesn't have Outlook; which I'm assuming you're going to want for a small business.
Home & Business 2013 is significantly more expensive upfront, but it's definitely cheaper over 3 or more years as opposed to Office 365. Unless your emails hosted on the Office 365 Cloud or you make extensive use of OneDrive, for a small business that isn't going to be upgrading at regular intervals, a standalone Home & Business license is a more sensible option.
For Office Home Premium 365 (which contains Outlook) It says on the back of the box 'for non-commercial use only'
might be questionable if you get audited. I doubt MS will see these as 'valid' keys and with no REAL proof of purchase, you could be up a creek without a paddle.
I just checked Big W Eastlands, they didn't have the discount on Office of any kind and no copies of Windows on the shelves. Is this something that will roll out soon nationwide?
Nice deal but no stock in northwestern Sydney (Top Ryde, North Ryde, Auburn)
Guys just download it illegally and Microsoft will reward youhttp://fossbytes.com/the-windows-upgrade-free-illegal-pirated-copies/
You just get a non-geniune copy of windows 10 officially, you know the one where you have a black screen and a popup everytime that says this copy of windows isnt genuine
yah, thats why ill be getting a properly cracked version of 10 rather than the free upgrade x.x. sure its not ethical, but for some reason I just have no issue with pirating windows… maybe because its near on a monopoly, theres no other real alternative, and please dont say Linux, I've tried it and yeah…
It's always fun when a bargain is so controversial & has so many comments downvoted.
well.. better get this for the Windows 10 upgrade that is free for the first year…
Before you buy this, it's worth noting that Microsoft will be upgrading both Win7 and Win8 users to Win10 later this year when it comes out - for free.
This will even apply to pirated copies of Win7/8; Microsoft is shaking up its strategy, it seems.
But the pirated copies remain counterfeit so don't go pirating thinking they become legal copies when you switch over!
I don't understand the logic behind this though. If the pirates obtained an illegal copy of Windows 7/8, they could do the same with Windows 10 if they wanted to. What's the point of announcing that they are giving them a free upgrade to 10 when they can get it by other means and end up with the same final product, a counterfeit copy of Windows? Is it a marketing thing?
Anyway, good deal for those who are not eligible for the student discount ($70 is the regular student price from the microsoft store)
I don't understand the logic behind this though.
If the pirates obtained an illegal copy of Windows 7/8, they could do the same with Windows 10 if they wanted to.I believe that's the point - it's ineffective for them to block counterfeit copies from upgrading, therefore they're allowing it. At least people get the official product this way.
This approach makes it easier to get everyone on Windows 10, as they want everyone a part of their new software ecosystem. Putting up certain barriers would hurt them in the long run IMO, create enmity, and would ultimately prove ineffective anyway.
I hope Windows 10 will be good because I'll probably be using it for 7+ years since Windows 11 will inevitably be bad due to Microsoft's "every other release" history.
To add more confusion, they're calling what ought to be "Win 9"— > Win 10 to get past that hurdle- lol…We all know it won't help them. Nothing helps MS when they want to do bone-headed things. They're dismissive even with their "supposed" beta releases— where they won't change anything of real consequence based on reports from their own testers.
MS doesn't grasp that for the majority of their users, the start button was EVERYTHING. That these same users ARE NOT GEEKS> nor do they "RIGHT-CLICK". I won't even get started on their need to re-name various settings/locations or making it a chore to boot to safe mode. MS's response to all of this? (profanity)-off & sucks to be you!
imho
PS- 10 looks exactly like 8, atm. Oh, and STILL no access to your program list unless you're able/willing to create your own, clunky shortcut for it.
Thanks Op. Bought Office 2013 from Forest Hill.
i bought 8 copies from office works they price matched l big w. From my supplier i can only get it for 120 dollars
hi can you possible upload a copy of your receipt so others can take advantage of the offer and price match at ow thanks
Wait, Windows is charging people to use their Win 8 operating system? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
No. They don't make money off your use of the operating system unless you have "Windows 8 with Bing" but they don't offer that version at retail, it's exclusively available to OEMs.
Which Version of Office 2013 is this?
Microsoft is silently preparing your PC for Windows 10
Latest optional update scans Windows 7 and 8.1 devices for availability
By Chris Merriman
Tue Apr 07 2015, 13:11
MICROSOFT is wasting no time in preparing for the arrival of its forthcoming bouncing baby operating system Windows 10.""If you are the sort of person who instinctively downloads every update possible, look for a new folder in your computer called GWX. It includes a service running constantly in the background, waiting to pounce as soon as the Windows 10 servers are live.""
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2402948/microsoft-i…
I have windows 8 on 3 machines now, complaints seems to be from some people who can't turn on the desktop features and disable metro features, and make use of the undercover enhancements. I hate generalisations without specifics.
Might get a copy, the nice thing about the retail version is you can install it as 32 or 64 bit. So I can spin it up on an old laptop I have that is 64 bit, but came with Win7 32 bit possibly due to driver support at the time. When win 10 comes out I will hopefully get a free upgrade to win 10 64 bit retail.
The OEM versions are tricky (preloaded on new machines), they store the key in the bios, and as much as Microsoft reactive over the phone if you change components e.g SSD it's a pain. Nice thing is you can reinstall with no bloatware (generic Windows from Microsoft free download) because it has the key in the bios, so license activates. Tried it on an acer E5 with the 5th gen I5, down to $550 with all the discounts from DSE, no bloatware after reinstall.
New lease of life for an old machine, my old T6500 intel core 2 duo if I can get Win 8 retail for $70.
I find the Windows 8 machines I have need less resources for same config as my win 7 machines.
MSY won't sell Windows for a new machine build for $70, they charge $110 for OEM not even retail pack.
Hope they are still $70 next week.
Wonder it they advertise drop zone, or they don't so people can't ask for price matches (office works looks for online ads or printed ad, won't accept photos LOL).
Thanks OP grabbed the last copy
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@ChickenTalon: Agreed. I hate having to touch colleague's laptops where I need to check or tweak VPN connection settings, needing to jump out of Metro due its available options for VPN connections being quite limited (or non-existent).
In my opinion, Windows XP was great. Since then, the newer the OS, the more dumbed down (or "user friendly"?) it's become.