
Maybe it was the nightmares I experienced from Vista and Me updates, or perhaps it was the knowledge that almost every smooth running version of Windows has been followed up with one jammed packed full of... “challenges”.
On the whole, I love a challenge. I thrive on them. I even invite them. That’s probably the reason I have eagerly volunteered to test new versions of Windows before Microsoft unleashes them on the public.
But this time, I said “NO!”
I thought Windows 7 was pretty good. The compatibility issues are pretty much a non-issue (except for Internet Explorer) and I am satisfied with the way my computer(s) are working. Frankly, I just didn’t have the enthusiasm I needed to take on another time-consuming learning experience from Microsoft.
So imagine my shock when Cheryl (my wife) asked, “Are you going to install Windows 8 this weekend?”
“You want me to install it?” I said. “You want to go through the nightmares we’re sure to have?”
“You’re going to do it eventually,” she said, “so you might as well do it now.” (What a trooper! Cheryl doesn’t give a hoot about operating systems. She just wants to be able to get things to work and not be forced to learn a new better way to do it every 6 months – something many Apple users say is the reason they converted.) Isn't that what we all want?
So this weekend, for the sake of my agents, the company, and my reputation, I bit the bullet and installed Windows 8 on our home computer.
Here’s what I wanted to learn:
Is the upgrade easy to perform?
Will I need to spend a lot of time “getting things to work properly?
Will everything work or will I need to wait months for fixes and updates?
Is the learning curve steep? (How much time will I waste trying to figure it out)
Is the upgrade necessary / worth the cost?
Most important: can I recommend the update to our agents?
The answer is: Yes, no, maybe, surprisingly more for me than for Cheryl, no/yes-right now, with a new computer: definitely yes.
And here’s something I didn’t expect. After using Windows 8 for just a couple of hours, my ipad and iphone sort of seem stale and behind the times.
More later. (who's go time to read it now?)
written by: Joe Thomas - broker co-owner Realty World ALL STARS