Our computer died with windows 7. We now just bought one with windows 8. It sucks horrid !!! If this is Microsoft's idea of better... they are idiots. Got a couple questions... Windows 7 had quite a few programs that came with it. Word pad, calculator and etc... Enough things that the kids could do reports. Windows 8 doesn't seem to have anything or I can't find it. Do you have to buy everything extra now to make this thing function?? Britney needs to write up a report for school. If there are no programs on Windows 8, which ones should a guy get with kids and school in mind?? Thanks !! Tim
Suggest you download Open Office by Oracle. It's free. It can read Word, Excel files, etc. It's a fullly functioning program like Microsoft Office.
Thanks. I'll check that out. The more I play with it, the better it is getting. I downloaded a free trial Microsoft office to try as that is what Britney is using in school. Also found some apps for note pad and a calculator. While I still hate it... I am hating it less. Still think XP and Windows 7 were the most user friendly for what I needed. The good old days. LOL
I have yet to hear anything good about windows 8. I have never used it myself, just hear from various people that its terrible.
Here is the open office link I use it all the time and it works great. http://download.cnet.com/OpenOffice-org/3000-18483_4-10263109.html
I got a new laptop from my Microsoft son for Xmas. It's Touch Screen with Windows 8. IT IS A NEW Learning curve. He gave it to me while I was in Seattle for Xmas. He walked me through some basics of Windows 8. Then one day I went to the Microsoft store to sit in on a 30 minute class for windows 8. A side benny of the class was they gave me a printed manual. Windows 8 does not have tutorials like all previous product. The guy who was in charge said it's suppose to be intuitive. Yeah, right.... good luck with that. I can see a person who's used to XP like I was given this without my sons help... just wanting to shoot himself. But now that I've been playing a little with it...I'm having fun. My only problem is when I walk in and sit at my Desk top, still windows XP. I keep wanting to scrool on the screen and all sorts of neat little thingys. LOL Therefore, I'm caught in the twilight zone. LOL I miss some things like Windows Explore and the ease as I remember it to move files around. It's different.... but I'll live.... at least for a few more times. My son installed a couple programs like Office 2010 he had to make it more like I was used to.
MSFT offers (significant) educational discounts or even free versions- My daughters college gave them a free version of Office-worth calling/asking about. Other options: The Oracle free office product was also mentioned; Sun used to also have a similar free offering - I've lost track if its still available or not Star Office (I think); google has some products too.
Windows 8 isn't horrible, it's just a dramatic departure from what we're "used to". Which means you need to learn all over again. Fun, I know. Look at getting something like this here - http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/ It will make your Win8 look and feel more like Win7. As for Office replacements, Google Docs/Google Drive is one of the better ones out there IMO. Very easy to use and all web-based so you don't have to worry about backing anything up. Office365 is another nice product from Microsoft, but does cost a monthly fee- around $7/mo. It does however give you access to genuine MS Office products, which I still maintain are far and away the best compared to some of the free alternatives.
I also recently got a windows 8 computer and I installed start8 and it helped tons. Windows 8 is definitely different but when you get used to it I dont mind the change. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
