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My laptop died so I've just bought a new one but it's got Windows 8.

I don't like it.

I can't access my old email as it was a "POP" account, Windows 8 doesn't like that (I'm looking for ways to get round it). My brother tells me I won't be able to play DVD's without downloading something. It seems a backwards step to me. I can see how it would work on a tablet with touchscreen but it doesn't seem to suit a PC.

I'm not looking for advice, just wanted to moan

I tried it and didn't like it either Teaspoon. If I want a smartphone OS I'll buy a smartphone.

You cannot play DVDs because Win8 does not have Windows Media Centre, but you might be able to get it here: http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-575 ... -for-free/ or you could use one of the many stand-alone DVD players. VLC is by far the most popular and it is free: http://www.videolan.org/ or http://smplayer.sourceforge.net/ another freebie.

You can get pop mail, but you need something other than the inbuilt client or a workaround as here: http://blog.laptopmag.com/how-to-read-p ... -windows-8 it expalins it better than I can. Works if you have Outlook.com, Hotmail or GMail. The example is for Outlook but you can use Hotmail or Gmail at stage 9. on. I used a thing called Essential PIM http://www.essentialpim.com/get-epim free version. It has email, contacts, calendar and notes.

You can only access POP3 using a program from the desktop.

Winkey+D or clicking on the desktop icon works.

Download Windows Live Mail and install it.
Connect to your pop3.

I don't use the "Interface formally known as metro" at all........ I just change to the desktop and use it.

Windows 8, to me, is A much, much faster Windows7 with no start menu....... I'll take it for the speed.

Thanks WM and Suff for the tips.

I'm getting the email through Mozilla Thunderbird at the moment. I'll look into the DVD thing later. I'll get used to it but it was a bit of a change after Vista

My PC died 10 days ago and I've had to replace. I was advised to stick to Windows 7 ......

Windows 7 will be around for a good long time, probably longer than the realistic life of your new computer.

I went W8 for one and only one reason. Speed. I still use Windows7 virtual machines albeit in seamless desktop mode so I have Windows7 apps seamlessly working on my Windows 8 machine.

TheOstrich wrote:My PC died 10 days ago and I've had to replace......

I wondered where you had gone to?

I am sticking with Win7 as I do not need the things Suff uses any more. I have slimmed it down a bit to get some speed and that'll do me.

Reading this thread has confirmed my belief that Windows introduce new
models solely for the purpose of getting people to buy something new, not
because they're necessarily better. I'm now getting used to my Windows 7
but I still think that Windows XP was better.

That depends Aggers, I use XP, Windows7 and Windows8 on a daily basis. I can tell you that XP is significantly annoying to use now, no desktop peek on stacked icons, no new folder button on the explorer, file copy paste is torturous in comparison.

Windows8 is irritating in the whole "Interface that used to be called metro" issue, but actually it's so much faster and more responsive than W7 that I like it.

Microsoft had to move on from Windows XP. They introduced interface changes in the OS which drove a whole raft of hardware changes by the manufacturers which would have been much slower to appear. Machines you buy, off the shelf, today, are five times more powerful (overall), than they were in 2007 when Vista shipped. This hardware power is now being felt with Windows8 which requires less hardware to run. Gaining a much needed boost for the average user.

To be honest Microsoft does not have a lot of choice. Vista arrived (3 years late to the community), to users decrying that Microsoft was too slow, Look at Apple, Look at google, Look at Linux (None of whom have 1billion of any system shipped), they all claimed. Then Windows7 arrives and it's "too little too late". Then Windows8 arrives and it's "too soon and too much"

It's a farce but it is what it is. Microsoft, in the last 11 years has had to deal with the mobile revolution, web applications, pervasive web which reaches right into your home, touch driven devices as standard and a whole plethora of other changes.

They don't do so bad. But most people want change and "more". The rest of us either suffer or enjoy the ride. Depending on our own personal tastes...