2013-02-25, 01:46
I see a lot of people doing new XBMC builds with Windows 8. Is Windows 8 better than Windows 7 for a XBMC platform? Does it make a difference? Does XBMC take advantage of any Windows 8 features?
2013-02-25, 10:15
not really, it's just that the Metro UI (or whatever they are calling it now) looks good on a big screen.
2013-02-25, 15:00
Well since I only use Windows 8 as a high end console/media center (with dual boot), the most noticeable thing is boot up time.
2013-02-25, 18:37
I put Windows 8 on my new build simply because I bought an upgrade to it for £15 when it came out which I wasn't using.
As others have stated boot time is much faster but that is the only thing I can recommend about it,
imho the Metro UI is an awful idea for any non touch screen device, but thanks to Start8 I have the machine running pretty much like Windows 7.
Even with Start8 though many useful features are hidden by MS, for example to carry out a system image backup I had to search for the term backup, then select Windows 7 file recovery to get to the option of carrying out a system image backup, very intuitive.......NOT!
Having had a few weeks to get used to it I'd say its not quite as bad as I first thought but other than the boot time not a patch on Windows 7.
As others have stated boot time is much faster but that is the only thing I can recommend about it,
imho the Metro UI is an awful idea for any non touch screen device, but thanks to Start8 I have the machine running pretty much like Windows 7.
Even with Start8 though many useful features are hidden by MS, for example to carry out a system image backup I had to search for the term backup, then select Windows 7 file recovery to get to the option of carrying out a system image backup, very intuitive.......NOT!
Having had a few weeks to get used to it I'd say its not quite as bad as I first thought but other than the boot time not a patch on Windows 7.
2013-02-25, 19:29
I hate Windows8......just bought a laptop with WindowsHate on it and can't figure out how to do the simplest things. Seems like every box (on Metro screen) i click pops up a screen telling me to create a Windows account, but I dont want one!. Click cancel and it sends me to a new screen telling me to retry.......click retry and it wants me to setup a Windows account!!!!!!!
Rant over.....................
Rant over.....................
2013-02-25, 20:00
Windows 8 is a bit of an improvement for HTPC use. I programmed my remote so that I can navigate the tiles, so for the most part when I boot into Windows I don't need the mouse or keyboard. It's relatively straightforward to open up XBMC or one of my games without dropping to the ugly desktop and using a wireless mouse, which I think ruins the living room experience. I've always been a little annoyed setting up the Executor add-ons in XBMC, so this is a big improvement for me.
On the other hand, most of the included Metro apps are fairly useless on an HTPC -- they're designed for touch input, and a clunky remote is too limited to make much use of them. I wouldn't want to check my e-mail using the included Mail app, and there are better XBMC add-ons for things like weather forecasts and sports scores. So the new start screen is cluttered with apps that I will literally never use. I also just absolutely HATE the way Windows 8 includes the legacy desktop, but reminds you of its legacy status at every turn -- launching desktop apps like games or XBMC isn't seamless, because it temporarily dumps you back on the desktop, and then the screen glitches a bit as it changes resolutions.
It's possible that third-party apps will be better, but the HTPC market is so small that most Metro apps will really be designed for tablet use. For instance, a Flipboard app designed with the living room TV in mind could be really cool, but if they develop for Windows at all it'll probably be a straight port of their iPad app, meaning it'll be optimized for touch.
My HTPC is booted into XBMCBuntu 90% of the time and I've just been rebooting into Windows 8 when I want to play a game. I can't see any reason to go with Windows 8 over XBMCBuntu unless you have a gaming HTPC. But if you're choosing between Windows 7 and Windows 8, then 8 is definitely better.
On the other hand, most of the included Metro apps are fairly useless on an HTPC -- they're designed for touch input, and a clunky remote is too limited to make much use of them. I wouldn't want to check my e-mail using the included Mail app, and there are better XBMC add-ons for things like weather forecasts and sports scores. So the new start screen is cluttered with apps that I will literally never use. I also just absolutely HATE the way Windows 8 includes the legacy desktop, but reminds you of its legacy status at every turn -- launching desktop apps like games or XBMC isn't seamless, because it temporarily dumps you back on the desktop, and then the screen glitches a bit as it changes resolutions.
It's possible that third-party apps will be better, but the HTPC market is so small that most Metro apps will really be designed for tablet use. For instance, a Flipboard app designed with the living room TV in mind could be really cool, but if they develop for Windows at all it'll probably be a straight port of their iPad app, meaning it'll be optimized for touch.
My HTPC is booted into XBMCBuntu 90% of the time and I've just been rebooting into Windows 8 when I want to play a game. I can't see any reason to go with Windows 8 over XBMCBuntu unless you have a gaming HTPC. But if you're choosing between Windows 7 and Windows 8, then 8 is definitely better.
2013-02-26, 00:46
Even with Windows 7 my HTPC boots in about 20 seconds. Albeit I have a brand new SSD for the C drive. If the only thing people can come up with is boot times, then I am for sure sticking with 7. I was wondering if xbmc would ever take advantage of the Direct X 11.1 features only available in Windows 8?
2013-02-26, 02:38
The other features in Windows 8 is the drive pooling. Its a pretty nice feature, I just setup up some old drives the other day.
My main issue with Win 8 is going back and forth between Metro and desktop is irritating.. I also don't like how the file browser works compared to other Windows OS.
My main issue with Win 8 is going back and forth between Metro and desktop is irritating.. I also don't like how the file browser works compared to other Windows OS.
2013-02-26, 10:10
I'm using win8 on my HTPC. The metro/modern ui just looks better on the big screen. I like that I can watch a movie or listen to some music, without the need to use my clunky keyboard and mouse. You're able to run XBMC and games directly from the tiles, only by using your remote. And then there is the fast boot times. I can only recommend win8 with a harmony remote and a couple of xbox-controllers for the gaming.
I would never use win8 on my other computers. It's only for touch screens or mediacenters.
I would never use win8 on my other computers. It's only for touch screens or mediacenters.
