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Windows 8 for free on a €80 netbook

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  • 02-07-2012 12:50am
    #1
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,130 ✭✭✭✭


    €80 second hand netbook, download W8 release preview and USB tool all you need is here

    Just done it here, working fine - enjoy a free, fully legal state of the art operating system :)


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    #2
    Big Lar
    Registered Users Posts: 1,425 ✭✭✭Big Lar


    unkel wrote: »
    €80 second hand netbook, download W8 release preview and USB tool all you need is here
    Just done it here, working fine - enjoy a free, fully legal state of the art operating system :)
    But must you buy the full OS then in Jan/Feb ?


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    #3
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,966 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    yes , but you could install windows 2008 server for 240 days each install after that
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948472


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    #4
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    State of the art OS, you must be kidding. This ones free


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    #5
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,130 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    State of the art OS, you must be kidding. This ones free

    You obviously have no experience with W8 then ;)

    W8 is as fast as anything, very stable (we're still talking pre-RTM here) and it works on low spec machines (installed today on a first gen netbook with a 8 GB drive - after disabling hibernation and swap it uses about 5.5GB of HD space)

    I've installed Ubuntu (and other Linux distros) at least once a year for many years going. Great and all that, but it's problem is that it isn't windows. Basic users couldn't handle switching between MS and Linux in work / school / home


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    #6
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    unkel wrote: »
    You obviously have no experience with W8 then ;)

    W8 is as fast as anything, very stable (we're still talking pre-RTM here) and it works on low spec machines (installed today on a first gen netbook with a 8 GB drive - after disabling hibernation and swap it uses about 5.5GB of HD space)

    I've installed Ubuntu (and other Linux distros) at least once a year for many years going. Great and all that, but it's problem is that it isn't windows. Basic users couldn't handle switching between MS and Linux in work / school / home

    I've tried it, it's pretty Meh to be honest. Nothing special that couldn't be offered in a service pack for Windows 7. Metro just doesn't work with a kb and m.

    You could also say the same about Windows 8, Metro is not very intuitive for a basic user switching from Windows XP/Vista/7 to Windows 8, most of it bears no resemblance to what's been seen before. It's now more clunky than most linux distro's.


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    #7
    Fysh
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 11,024 Mod ✭✭✭✭Fysh


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    I've tried it, it's pretty Meh to be honest. Nothing special that couldn't be offered in a service pack for Windows 7. Metro just doesn't work with a kb and m.

    You could also say the same about Windows 8, Metro is not very intuitive for a basic user switching from Windows XP/Vista/7 to Windows 8, most of it bears no resemblance to what's been seen before. It's now more clunky than most linux distro's.

    Well, to be fair we haven't actually seen the final release so you can't talk with any authority about what a basic user will or will not think about it. Don't let that stop you stating certainties about what amount to beta versions though.

    I like Fedora quite a lot myself, but if you're any kind of a Linux user you're going to have to go and check yourself before you whinge any more about Metro. I hate it too, but it's not like the Linux world is bereft of such problems - witness Suse & KDE4, Ubuntu and Unity, and Fedora with Gnome 3. All of them derided for being bloody stupid (though I'll grudgingly concede that Gnome 3 might not be bad for a media centre). So if a user can't handle Metro they're just as stuffed with the default UI on various Linux distros.

    Also, *slow clap* for the evangelising Linux in a thread about Windows in the Windows forum. Totally non-troll-like move there.


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    #8
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    Yeah, you're probably right, I've edited the last line my last post. It was the whole mention of Free. It's not free, it even stops working in 6 months.

    Everything else I've spoke of is true though, lots of Windows 8 users will be lost if Metro stays as it is with no start button. It's nothing special so far.


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    #9
    Fysh
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 11,024 Mod ✭✭✭✭Fysh


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    Everything else I've spoke of is true though, lots of Windows 8 users will be lost if Metro stays as it is with no start button. It's nothing special so far.

    I don't disagree, but I do have to say that Gnome 3 or Unity or KDE4 are just as bad if not worse. There seems to be a horrible paradigm shift going on in UI design over the last few years. If someone tinkers with XFCE I shall be a very unhappy chap though :(


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    #10
    GreenWolfe
    Registered Users Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭GreenWolfe


    Fysh wrote: »
    I don't disagree, but I do have to say that Gnome 3 or Unity or KDE4 are just as bad if not worse. There seems to be a horrible paradigm shift going on in UI design over the last few years. If someone tinkers with XFCE I shall be a very unhappy chap though :(

    If LXDE is tampered with I'll join the queue behind you!


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    #11
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,966 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    Fysh wrote: »
    I like Fedora quite a lot myself, but if you're any kind of a Linux user you're going to have to go and check yourself before you whinge any more about Metro. I hate it too, but it's not like the Linux world is bereft of such problems - witness Suse & KDE4, Ubuntu and Unity, and Fedora with Gnome 3. All of them derided for being bloody stupid
    One of my main gripes with windows is that they keep changing the UI, moving and renaming things

    Things like Netbook remix and unity are worse

    I can't recommend any version of ubuntu with unity to anyone simply because I won't support or use it myself. yes you can tweak the UI but it's likely to end in tears on one of the six month upgrades.


    Anyway we are going way off topic.

    in short there are lots of ways to get windows legit free , if you don't mind reinstalling regularly

    latest is windows server 2012 trial - note it's 64 bit, but if you use the VHD on a beefy machine reinstall time is very short
    http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/hh670538.aspx




    A reminder to peoples, read the charter re off topic advocacy

    Linux does the basics very well and is different to windows so better AND worse than it depending on circumstances.

    Huge problems with Linux
    the learning curve,
    many multifunction printer/scanners won't work with it - blame the printer manufacturer for witholding specifications.
    many games won't play,
    you can't run most windows programs on it - important if you have invested in them.
    and if specifically to ubuntu , the UI changes over the last two years have alienated many power users so a new user is less likely to get help


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    #12
    Odaise Gaelach
    Registered Users Posts: 1,235 ✭✭✭Odaise Gaelach


    unkel wrote: »
    €80 second hand netbook, download W8 release preview and USB tool all you need is here

    Just done it here, working fine - enjoy a free, fully legal state of the art operating system :)

    What's it like with regards to performance on your netbook?


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    #13
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    Fysh wrote: »
    There seems to be a horrible paradigm shift going on in UI design over the last few years.

    It's them damn touchscreens, why do all desktop OS GUI's have to be bastardised to suit touchscreens? Can we not have 2 different desktop managers on the different devices?


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    #14
    unkel
    Registered Users Posts: 65,130 ✭✭✭✭unkel


    Odaise Gaelach wrote: »
    What's it like with regards to performance on your netbook?

    Working great. I have it now on an even older netbook, 1GB RAM and 8GB HDD

    Yes the latter figure of 8GB is right. Note that you can not install Windows 7 on any PC with less than 20GB

    BTW on the former notebook I've had XP, Vista, W7 and Ubuntu installed too, but W8 is faster than any of them by a large margin

    And who's still talking about Metro? I don't like it and I don't use it :)


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