Having a new computer built for me????

Maybe this has been covered recently. If so lead me to it.

I want the best of the most important ingredients to play the most demanding adventure games now available and those to be released in the next year or two like Obduction. I know video card, processor and RAM are critical (what else is?). What Windows program? I need Windows Explorer to get around not tiles.

Cheers,

Mr. Bill

There are a couple of recent threads here about new computers. Meryl has one here..

New Computer

Be sure to get one with Windows 7 then, and not Windows 8.

I agree with Jenny.

Draclvr and Jenny100,
You guys have got me concerned if I'm forced to get a new computer (which probably is inevitable.) I'm still using WinXP.
The comments about Windows Explorer in Win7 vs Win8 made me use Google to search for Explorer in Win8. Far as I could tell, aside from a name change to File Explorer, it works about the same as any other Windows Explorer. Here are some typical comments.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/files-folders-windows-explorer
http://winsupersite.com/article/windows8/windows-8-feature-focus-file-explorer-144727

Why are you recommending Win7 over Win8? What is wrong with File Explorer in Win8?

Robert

Because Mr. Bill said he didn't want tiles.

Also Explorer in Windows 8 uses "the ribbon" interface instead of the older menu-type interface. You can find articles on the Internet about the differences, like ***this one***.

Since you're using XP, neither 7 nor 8 will have a taskbar that looks exactly like XP. But I didn't have much trouble with the Windows 7 Explorer while the Windows 8 Explorer continues to aggravate me (I don't like that ribbon interface).

Besides, File Explorer is only part of the problem.
In my experience, Windows 8 takes more mouse clicks to get things done. Getting a 3rd party utility that allows you to boot directly to the desktop and restores your Start Menu can help. Windows 8.1 may give the option of a Start button, but that Start button only takes you to the Start Screen (with all the great honkin' tiles) and there is no Start Menu. When doing a Search using the search box on the Start Screen, you have to click to search three separate sections -- Apps, Settings, and Files -- and what you think is an App may be considered a Setting by Microsoft.

Some games don't work in Windows 8 because it lacks some of the compatibility modes that are still in Windows 7. For example, Still Life has to have Compatibility Mode set to Windows NT to work on Windows 7. When you install the GOG version of Still Life on Windows 7, it automatically sets compatibility to NT during the install. But since Windows 8 has no compatibility mode setting for NT, the game won't work.

A lot depends on how much time it takes you to learn new ways of doing things, and whether it's worth your while to take the time. Going from XP to Windows 8 is a bigger jump than going from XP to Windows 7.

My response would be to simply put Jenny's response in quotes! All of the above are my reasons for recommending Windows 7. Especially for someone going from XP to a new OS.

Windows 8.1 does give you the option to boot directly to the desktop completely bypassing the tiled start screen now. The search is changed too eliminating the three options of Apps, Settings and Files. Now you can search on "everywhere" and "this computer."

However, some people upgrading to Windows 8.1 have had issues. I'm not one of them and I have grown to really appreciate everything Windows 8 has to offer. The three people whose laptops I've upgraded have not had any problems either. But others have and that's reason enough to be wary. But if you get a new computer with Windows 8.1, you shouldn't have any of those issues.

Windows 8 is just not everyone's cup of tea. As long as we have Windows 7, we have an operating system which is excellent in every way and much less of a learning curve. I just either built or had a new computer built for 3 people. I put Windows 7 on two of them and Windows 8 on one. It depended on the person getting the computer and their abilities and interests.

As with many things, if it ain't broke let's fix it.