[Q] Win 8.1 Tablet and Office H&S question - Windows 8 General

I'm considering the purchase of the HP Omni 10 (Windows 8.1 Tablet) which comes with Office 2013 Home and Student. I have 2 questions regarding this:
1. Can Office be uninstalled (to regain storage space) from the tablet? I read in another article that it is built into the ROM (!?!)
2. If Office is not activated, can it be installed on a different computer and activated there? (Provided it was not activated and was uninstalled from the tablet)
I'm asking because I don't foresee using Office on a tablet since I do all my Office related work on my work laptop (which already has Office), and would prefer to give the license to my brother so he could install it on his PC instead since he actually needs it.
Thanks!

Wayno-san said:
I'm considering the purchase of the HP Omni 10 (Windows 8.1 Tablet) which comes with Office 2013 Home and Student. I have 2 questions regarding this:
1. Can Office be uninstalled (to regain storage space) from the tablet? I read in another article that it is built into the ROM (!?!)
2. If Office is not activated, can it be installed on a different computer and activated there? (Provided it was not activated and was uninstalled from the tablet)
I'm asking because I don't foresee using Office on a tablet since I do all my Office related work on my work laptop (which already has Office), and would prefer to give the license to my brother so he could install it on his PC instead since he actually needs it.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Modern PC's do not have ROM. Your looking back many decades for a home computer with genuine ROM (even the BIOS is usually EEPROM or flash). It is installed in the C drive as normal software and can be uninstalled as with any other copy of office.
2) Not sure. Technically it is against the EULA as you are only licensed to use it on that machine only, not others, but it may function on another machine.

Yes I was in a similar situation. Uninstalled office, installed office 365 on my machine, And sold my office code for $94 on eBay. Sweet deal!
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the response guys. Good to know that it can be removed if not needed. My main concern with the tablet is the 2GB of shared RAM. I have the same amount of (non-shared) RAM on an old PC with Windows 7 and it seems to access the swap file a lot. Is Windows 8 more efficient in that regard or should I expect similar performance? I haven't come across an Intel Atom tablet with more than 2GB of RAM though so I guess it's sufficient?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Wayno-san said:
Thanks for the response guys. Good to know that it can be removed if not needed. My main concern with the tablet is the 2GB of shared RAM. I have the same amount of (non-shared) RAM on an old PC with Windows 7 and it seems to access the swap file a lot. Is Windows 8 more efficient in that regard or should I expect similar performance? I haven't come across an Intel Atom tablet with more than 2GB of RAM though so I guess it's sufficient?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows 8 does utilise resources more effectively than 7 did, but chances are if your activity caused 2gb of RAM usage before, it will still be around that mark on windows 8. Expect similar performance in regards to memory usage.

Actually, I disagree with you here 6677; one of the most important optimizations that Win8 introduced is page combining (memory de-duplication). What happens is that a background task in the kernel finds identical pages (the smallest mappable allocation of memory) - within a given process, or across processes - and combines them into a single page, freeing the others (when you write to a combined page, it copies the contents to a new page and writes there instead, so the other duplicates aren't affected; this technique is called Copy On Write or CoW). As a result, RAM utilization of Win8, both just from the OS and from whenever similar applications are run, is significantly (~20% I think) lower. It's a very good choice for a low-RAM system.

So far however it's managing the memory it's doing a decent job. Utilization is typically around 70 to 80% range. I also realized that my older Desktop system is running Win 7 x64 whereas this is Win8 x32, which perhaps has a lower RAM requirement...

Wayno-san said:
So far however it's managing the memory it's doing a decent job. Utilization is typically around 70 to 80% range. I also realized that my older Desktop system is running Win 7 x64 whereas this is Win8 x32, which perhaps has a lower RAM requirement...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
64 bit software does need more ram yeah, how much more depends on the exact application and also the architecture.

Related

[Q] Installing Windows 8 non-partitioned on primary machine

How stupid is it to upgrade to Windows 8 on your main laptop? I use it for photoshop and microsoft office.
I don't have enough space to partition the drive, but I really want windows 8. I just am worried about regretting it.
I have installed it on my main machine, no problems, runs everything I install, I have Photoshop Element 9 and it runs well. Download the Consumer Preview Setup Program, run it first to see if you'll run into problems, you can either continue to install from Setup Program, this will download and install in a accordance with how you wish to install, or you can download .iso, burn to DVD, just cancer Setup Program and install from DVD, I did it that way. Jim
its always best to install a beta OS on either a different partition or second drive. to make it so you can get another partition you have to shrink the space of the current one.
I can say that Photoshop works fine, i don't use MS Office so can't help you there. A second partition or a virtual machine would be your best bet if your unsure though.
I agree. I set up a partition to test all the programs I currently run. They all passed with flying colors (sorry, no PS or MSOffice ).
Once I was satisfied, I deleted the partition, installed 8 on my primary, and now I'm 100% windows 8 on my PC. Loving it!
guys, c'mon, its a beta! Betas expire!
There may be a way to upgrade to purchased W8 without losing everything, then again there may not, we'll have to wait and see. There's definitely not going to be a way to easily "step back down" to windows 7 or older.
Obviously you can backup files and reinstall some programs, but you have to think about this realistically
Im not sure but is the consumer preview out yet?
Bcoz ive been using the developer's pre on my laptop dual booting alongside win 7 ofc...Since its really buggy.....(I.E: While gaming or using a program accidentally clicking on the bottom left side of your screen(clicking the startup button)will bring u back to desktop.
Might aswell wait for the betas coz it feels like it more in an alpha mode right now!
Developer preview was alpha, consumer preview is the beta & much less buggy & out now.
As for upgrading later to full release, it doesn't take much to back up your documents if you have too.
The consumer preview comes in a couple of different flavours, iso & installer. The installer allows you to upgrade windows seven keeping your documents and programs that are known to be compatible. However, that option didn't work for me when I tried it. It would point to Microsoft making an effort to make migration to windows 8 in the future a lot less painful.
deamoniac7 said:
Im not sure but is the consumer preview out yet?
Bcoz ive been using the developer's pre on my laptop dual booting alongside win 7 ofc...Since its really buggy.....(I.E: While gaming or using a program accidentally clicking on the bottom left side of your screen(clicking the startup button)will bring u back to desktop.
Might aswell wait for the betas coz it feels like it more in an alpha mode right now!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's not a bug, that's by design.
and that holds true for the consumer preview as well, which is out now, has been for a while.
How many of you installed it like This:
http://www.hyper-v.nu/archives/hvre...oot-from-vhd-with-windows-8-consumer-preview/
or http://www.hanselman.com/blog/Guide...s8DeveloperPreviewOffAVHDVirtualHardDisk.aspx
When you are done, Just delete the VHD drive I have it running on 2 machines and everything is working fine.
Pumpiron579 said:
How many of you installed it like This:
http://www.hyper-v.nu/archives/hvre...oot-from-vhd-with-windows-8-consumer-preview/
or http://www.hanselman.com/blog/Guide...s8DeveloperPreviewOffAVHDVirtualHardDisk.aspx
When you are done, Just delete the VHD drive I have it running on 2 machines and everything is working fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would have suggested this too. Safest way to test w8. Gives you access to your main harddrive too. Just make sure ur main partition is ntfs. To make following the tutorial easy.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using Tapatalk 2 Beta-4

Actually using Windows 8 on a desktop or non touch laptop

First off this is in no way trolling or bashing; but I have installed Windows 8 on both on one of my laptops and PC but I just noticed that I really don't use them that much. It seems that it just doesn't catch my attention and is too much of a bother to try to use the mouse and keyboard to navigate in between the Metro UI and desktop. Now I'm perrty sure that it is awesome on a touch device but I have not tried it yet.
How many people on here actually use Windows 8 on a non touch device on a daily basis? With out getting bored with it?
I am using Windows8 as my second system for daily use. I have installed it on a small partition, so I have Windows 7 and 8 in my pc.
I do not find it to be boring or difficult to use. It is true the first times you are a bit messed, but once you get used to Metro gestures it is easy and really quick to use Windows.
I am not sure how you are trying to navigate between Metro and Desktop or how are you using Windows. But you do not need to access Desktop to open programs. Once you install any program it appears in Metro, just click in the tile and you go directly to Desktop with the program launched. It is that easy.
I hope this can be helpful to you
i've also been using win 8 on my notebook and my desktop since the first preview. haven't had any issues navigating. of course its a little confusing using it for the first time, but after about a day its simple.
Haven't gotten bored of it either. for being previews, they run pretty darn smooth.
i tried using it on my laptop but i got rid of it in favor of ubuntu 11.10
it felt like trying to use android on my laptop(just overly confusing and a pain to use the GUI)
i do however believe windows 8 will kill off the laptop/netbook and all other tablets successfully, just take a x64 based tablet like the acer w500 or an arm based tablet like the transformer prime and put windows 8 on them, you will get a tablet when you are playing, and laptop when you're working
I use (and have used) Windows 8 on my non touch NetBook since Developers preview and love it it's also my primary operating system.
Sent from my LG-LS670 using XDA
I've actually been using it for a while and really find it akward to use on a regular desktop. I am waiting to try and possibly buy it on tablet. I have however tried the Transformer Prime running android and I have to say I was impressed by it; hope Windows 8 is as good on a tablet because I am not an andorid or ipad person.
sinister1 said:
I've actually been using it for a while and really find it akward to use on a regular desktop. I am waiting to try and possibly buy it on tablet. I have however tried the Transformer Prime running android and I have to say I was impressed by it; hope Windows 8 is as good on a tablet because I am not an andorid or ipad person.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should buy any windows 7 tab and put windows 8 on it, my plan was to get the Acer w500 tablet and install windows 8 on it. I actually got rid of my android tablet so I can use windows 8, don't get me wrong android is nice on my phone but on a tablet its kind of useless.
There won't be Windows 8 for ARM at stores for buying, it will be installed in tablets only. Keep this in minde
Well, there is a good reason that you aren't using the Metro UI. It was designed specifically for tablets and it adds absolutely nothing to a regular PC. There are not too hard to see that anything except the most basic tasks requires more actions to complete compared to the regular desktop.
Microsoft needs to wake up and realize that they can't have the same UI for touch and mouse.
droidjosh said:
i've also been using win 8 on my notebook and my desktop since the first preview. haven't had any issues navigating. of course its a little confusing using it for the first time, but after about a day its simple.
Haven't gotten bored of it either. for being previews, they run pretty darn smooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto here. I have been using it as my daily OS since the consumer preview to give it a good test and have updated to the release preview. Once you get used to it it just comes naturally. I also have a Samsung Slate 7 I bought to try it on and am using it daily so I have been using both the touch and nontouch enabled. The skydrive integration and the synching of favorites etc is working fantastic.
I've been playing around with Win8 on my own desktop for a while. It's not too hard to get used to, but I've always had a question - what's the point?
Sir. Haxalot said:
Well, there is a good reason that you aren't using the Metro UI. It was designed specifically for tablets and it adds absolutely nothing to a regular PC. There are not too hard to see that anything except the most basic tasks requires more actions to complete compared to the regular desktop.
Microsoft needs to wake up and realize that they can't have the same UI for touch and mouse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong, it brings realtime notifications to the start menu AND the desktop experience as well as reducing the time it takes to find applications in existing start menu program groups. But you strike me as one of those people who took a look at it and said "It's for tablets, will not use" and then never learned how to use it.
Not only that, but you need to wake up and realize that they are the developers, They CAN have the same UI for both mouse and touch and the current implementation as seen in Release Preview works very well for that purpose.
Sent from my LG-LS670 using XDA
I'm using it on my primary PC (dual screen, quad core, 4GB RAM, Geforce GTX460) on a daily basis. I use it with Photoshop/Illustrator/Chrome/Word/Wordpress, as well as various news readers.
It took a few hours to get through the learning curve (back during the Consumer Preview, not since Release Preview--that was easy to adapt to) but I'm confident that I'm actually MORE productive now, and am able to stay on top of things better thanks to deeply integrated features like the People Hub and so on.
Obviously, there's still some ground to cover--the OS is still essentially beta, after all--but all in all I believe it's the most impressive consumer OS I've ever used.
On the other side of things, I'm also beta testing the server in a simple file server role with a dozen users. Nobody's using it as a primary storage device yet, but I have a handful of titles setup to monitor services, alerts, etc, and I really like it. This is likely to make for a GREAT server OS once the major vendors apply themselves to creating Live Tiles that present pertinent information to an administrator upon login .
Microsoft is in a distant lead when it comes to advanced OS design compared to, for example, Apple
sinister1 said:
First off this is in no way trolling or bashing; but I have installed Windows 8 on both on one of my laptops and PC but I just noticed that I really don't use them that much. It seems that it just doesn't catch my attention and is too much of a bother to try to use the mouse and keyboard to navigate in between the Metro UI and desktop. Now I'm perrty sure that it is awesome on a touch device but I have not tried it yet.
How many people on here actually use Windows 8 on a non touch device on a daily basis? With out getting bored with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The more I use it the more I can foresee MS sales decline. Yes I have gotten use to some features and so on but I honestly don't see this in a corporate or business environment. But to be fair I haven't tested it on a touch device but non the less this has no business on a non-touch device at all. I don't get it; MS sees the reviews that people post on line and also see that the sales of Windows Phone are moving at a snail's pace and they force a touch screen OS to non touch devices
I've been using windows 8 for some time now, on desktop with no touch (only mouse and keyboard) and i can safely say that everyone who says metro is bad for mouse is smoking good grass and i would like some too...
the extra gestures are only required when you want to shut down your PC only. That's it. the only instance in which you have to do more actions than you would on a regular windows 7.
other than that, the advantages are so blatant it's a wonder nobody mentions them
this is the fastest, most efficient operating system i have ever seen. Does windows 7 load for you in 4 seconds? because that's how long it takes for windows 8 to load on my desktop: 4 seconds. and it is not a state of the ark i7 machine, but an old generation core 2 duo.
The resource management is also oustanding. tasks are launched and executed almost like in a real time system (i sometimes forget windows 8 is not a real time system).
And if you get used to using your keyboard, you will save many of the "unnecessary" mouse gestures.
yes, it takes a few moments to get used to it, but once you've configured everything properly, windows 8 is miles ahead of any other system.

[Q] Newbie questions about W8

Hello everyone,
I hope with your knowledge of the system you will be able to help me with some of my questions.
I would like to make sure that I know what I am doing before swapping to a new system.
Here we go than...
1. I am currently using Netflix and Hulu services via VPN (and Windows 7 + Chrome), will I be able to use them with Windows 8 without any problems?
2. I understand that there is no option to side load apps for the Modern Interface other than from MS Store... is there any way to go round it? Reason for this question is connected to Q1. If I would want to use Netflix/Hulu app instead of browser will I be able to get it? (I suspect that there will be a market geolocalization thing... as it is with WP. In iOS or Android it is not a big problem though...
3. I got my original Windows Vista HP (32b) in my desk, purchased as an OEM... should I install it on my PC before buying an upgrade to WIn 8 Pro? What other options than "upgrade W8Pro" will there be for ppl. to purchase new system...
4. If I get a tablet/hybrid to replace iPad with more versatile device (x86 architecture) will I have to get 2 browsers...2 mail clients, etc... in order to be able to work in both modes desktop/modern? Considering that such a device will have limited disk space it seems like a problem. As far as I know modern interface is not really an interface but it is more like a second separate and quite independent system. This means that if I open Word/browser/mail in one mode and move on to continue to work in second I will have to start those app again and data between them will not be synchronised? Yes?
Like... all those program started in Modern Interface will no be visible and accessible on my task bar in desktop mode...
5. Along with changing system on my desktop and getting replacement for my iPAd I am thinking about swapping my phone. I use Lumia 710 and as much as I like the general feel of WP I hate that it is even more "closed" than iOS. Will I loose or gain functionality if I'll get Android device instead of WP8?
1, yes not a prob at all its the same as windows 7
2, I am 99% sure this will be hacked soon but you could also go for Enterprise edition or get a dev license (if you can get an edu email then you don't even need to pay)
3, not to sure myself sorry I have software assurance and so didn't look this up.
4, Windows 8 has a built in mail app (can be removed), you shouldn't think of it as 2 interfaces but more that you have some metro apps some x86 apps the desktop and the modern interface are as one. This whole hula balu about 2 diff interfaces is rubbish. Also the main browser is the one used in metro so you don't download a second one you just set it as your main one and you have both interfaces.
5, depends on what you mean by functionality, both os's have there strong and weak points it really Is down to how you use it and whatyou want from the phone.
lumpaywk said:
2, I am 99% sure this will be hacked soon but you could also go for Enterprise edition or get a dev license (if you can get an edu email then you don't even need to pay)
4, Windows 8 has a built in mail app (can be removed), you shouldn't think of it as 2 interfaces but more that you have some metro apps some x86 apps the desktop and the modern interface are as one. This whole hula balu about 2 diff interfaces is rubbish. Also the main browser is the one used in metro so you don't download a second one you just set it as your main one and you have both interfaces.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
thanks for your answer.
2. Can you give me more details about it? What is Enterprise edition and about this edu e-mail address...How does it all work...
4. Can I start desktop apps in Metro (can they be pinned?) or vice versa? IE10 is default in Metro - if I use default Metro mail app... can I change default browser to Chrome (btw: how does it work in Win8...as in Win7? Or are there any differences).
IE10... does it sync between devices like Chrome?
I install enterprise edition but I get no sound it may be the drivers but I am not sure realtek has drivers for windows 8 yet
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium
galtom said:
Hi,
thanks for your answer.
2. Can you give me more details about it? What is Enterprise edition and about this edu e-mail address...How does it all work...
4. Can I start desktop apps in Metro (can they be pinned?) or vice versa? IE10 is default in Metro - if I use default Metro mail app... can I change default browser to Chrome (btw: how does it work in Win8...as in Win7? Or are there any differences).
IE10... does it sync between devices like Chrome?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2. As with other versions of Windows you get multiple versions depending on your needs budget etc. Windows 8 come in Windows RT (ARM version (does not support old style x86 software, this is for cheap tablets etc and will only be sold preinstalled)), Windows 8 (basic version), Windows 8 Pro and then Windows 8 Enterprise. Enterprise has a few extra features for big business and own of them is the ability to side load metro apps meaning a company can write custom metro software.
The thing with the edu email is that .edu is for educational institutions schools university's etc. So that MS can get students using its products they let you have a dev license free for the time your in study. All you need to do is find someone who has an email from a school college etc and sign up with there email. I used my dads he is a lecturer. With a dev license you can unlock a couple of devices.
4. There is no 2 separate things here metro and desktop are NOT 2 diff working spaces. Try to think of the start screen as the same thing as the start menu from the old windows except instead of just a list it fills the screen. You can put any app software etc on this screen the same as you could before with the start menu. Older software does have ugly icon squares but there is a thread here with software to make your own metro style icons. The one thing to note though is that you can only open metro apps on 1 monitor ie you cant pin your mail app to one screen and then open cut the rope on another. This is not true for the desktop. Metro apps also open in there own sandbox environment, this means they can not interact with anything outside of themselves, they can share info etc but they cant change anything and so on.
lumpaywk said:
2. As with other versions of Windows you get multiple versions depending on your needs budget etc. [...]
4. There is no 2 separate things here metro and desktop are NOT 2 diff working spaces. [...].
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2. Ok.. I guess I'll have to wait and see what is out there and for how much.
Are you sure that with dev licence I will be able to use US Store/UK Store/etc... as I please?
4. Do I read you correctly (I do work with 2 screens) that I will not be able to have Chrome (I believe it does not support Metro yet) on both screens (to get data and to write in the second). One would thought that I should be able to have any combination of software/apps I want on both screens - Metro x Metro; Desktop x Metro; Metro x Desktop; Desktop x Desktop.
Truly strange and quite disturbing...
New questions :
Are there apps for Metro from Hulu, Netflix, BBC (iPlayer)?
Will they be OK to use with VPN tunnelling or I will have to use browser any way...
Will Hulu work on tablet/hybrid with x86 Windows 8 or will it say I am using mobile device (as it is with iOS/Android) and will not work in its Free version.
galtom said:
2. Ok.. I guess I'll have to wait and see what is out there and for how much.
Are you sure that with dev licence I will be able to use US Store/UK Store/etc... as I please?
4. Do I read you correctly (I do work with 2 screens) that I will not be able to have Chrome (I believe it does not support Metro yet) on both screens (to get data and to write in the second). One would thought that I should be able to have any combination of software/apps I want on both screens - Metro x Metro; Desktop x Metro; Metro x Desktop; Desktop x Desktop.
Truly strange and quite disturbing...
New questions :
Are there apps for Metro from Hulu, Netflix, BBC (iPlayer)?
Will they be OK to use with VPN tunnelling or I will have to use browser any way...
Will Hulu work on tablet/hybrid with x86 Windows 8 or will it say I am using mobile device (as it is with iOS/Android) and will not work in its Free version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chrome does now support Metro you just have to have it set as your default browser. The 2 screens is only Metro style apps so yes you cant have 2 metro style chromes but you can still open as many desktop/old style chromes as you want just as you did in windows 7. With dual screen one screen will always display its half of the desktop the metro start screen only goes onto 1 monitor. It is that one monitor that metro apps will run. It is a huge blunder in my opinion but what can you do.
If you are running a desktop pc esp with multi monitors then you wont notice to much diff in looks and feel. You will notice a huge jump in speed though but a loss of transparent windows . It is also worth putting a start link on the taskbar as sometimes getting the corner between screens is tricky (well not tricky but faster if you have a bigger target), just google "show start.exe".
As for the marketplace from diff country that I don't think would be possible I thought you where talking about side loading apps. You may be able to with the use of vpn but I cant confirm this.
Ok, thanks for the info.
I guess the best would be to simply try Win8 before I buy it.
3 (new) questions than:
What is the latest ver. of Win 8 I should download?
I do not own any VM software - is there (an easy) way to test Win* under Win7 (I dont mind that system will not be as fast, etc... but I would be able to see how it works...)
If I would have to make a proper install of Win8 on my PC... how hard will it be to go back to my current Win7?
As I keep 90% of ma data either in the cloud or on a on a different partitions on my drives formatting C: is not a problem... but I have read that once Win 8 is installed Win7 does not want to format this drive and install itself on it.... true?
galtom said:
Ok, thanks for the info.
I guess the best would be to simply try Win8 before I buy it.
3 (new) questions than:
What is the latest ver. of Win 8 I should download?
I do not own any VM software - is there (an easy) way to test Win* under Win7 (I dont mind that system will not be as fast, etc... but I would be able to see how it works...)
If I would have to make a proper install of Win8 on my PC... how hard will it be to go back to my current Win7?
As I keep 90% of ma data either in the cloud or on a on a different partitions on my drives formatting C: is not a problem... but I have read that once Win 8 is installed Win7 does not want to format this drive and install itself on it.... true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your best bet is to use a diff hard drive that way you can dual boot into windows 7 and windows 8 then when your done unplug the hard drive test you can boot into 7 still then format. This is the best way though I have heard of issues going back I have never had any, you boot to a disk then format the drive when you install 7 so I don't see how it could be, maybe they are trying to keep there files etc ie downgrade instead of a new install.
you can get a 90 day trial of rtm (the final build as it will be sold) here http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/jj554510.aspx But note you will need to uninstall it and reinstall if you want to keep using windows 8 after the 90 days.
Last thing,
I plan to install Win8 (today) on my external 160GB disk.
It will be connected to my PC via e-Sata... any advice before I proceed?
I dont want to put it on disk where is my current Win7 as I need it daily to work... so this should work... right? (motherboard is old; Abit Ab9Pro)
If this hasn't already been answered, I use tor for Netflix and it doesn't work will on windows 8. I can load the home but then it goes back to the UK version. It works fine on 7.
X10man
Sent from my U20i using xda premium
x10man said:
If this hasn't already been answered, I use tor for Netflix and it doesn't work will on windows 8. I can load the home but then it goes back to the UK version. It works fine on 7.
X10man
Sent from my U20i using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I got bit confused...
Where do you use it (UK or USA)?
You try to access Netflix via VPN and Metro app or browser?
I'm in the UK and I use tor to access the US version with desktop chrome and proxy switchy to act as a Tor button.
X10man
Sent from my U20i using xda premium
Perhaps it is a TOR (and selected exit node) problem...
Try this 3h trial of VPN (free) and see if it is working - http://www.hideipvpn.com/freetrial/
Do you use Chrome under desktop or Modern UI mode?
Can you recommend a good (free) set of video codecs? I cant play mkv at the moment

Question before installing Windows 8?

1. If Im running windows 7 64bit, can I upgrade to a windows 8 64bit right from windows 7 without having to format hard drive?
2. If so, can I create a restore point in windows 7 in case I want to go back once windows 8 is installed?
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
For question 1, yes, this is what I did.
For question 2 I don't know.
SysAdmNj said:
1. If Im running windows 7 64bit, can I upgrade to a windows 8 64bit right from windows 7 without having to format hard drive?
2. If so, can I create a restore point in windows 7 in case I want to go back once windows 8 is installed?
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes you can. the installer will give you options on what you want to keep
no. you must create a restore image on an external hard drive if you want to return back to windows 7
In-place upgrades are possible and are technically a supported scenario, but they are a *terrible* idea. They are, at best, going to save you a bit of time reinstalling apps (even though the install process itself takes vastly longer when doing an in-place upgrade, so I'm not sure it's a net positive even there). At worst, you'll end up with an unbootable system due to an unexpected driver incompatibility or something silly like that, lose all your data, and need to reformat and do a clean install anyhow. The usual result is somewhere in between; your system will be less stable than it should be, will take longer to boot up, some programs won't work after the upgrade and will need to be reinstalled anyhow, and at some point in the near-ish future (six months to two years) your systme will develop odd misbehaviors that will require you to effectively reinstall WIndows anyhow (that's what the refresh and reset operations in Win8 basically do, with or without preserving your files, respectively).
Also, if you opt for a clean install, you'll know you have a backup of all your data. That's pretty valuable. You can (and should; the bit about the upgrade failing and you losing access to your data was not a joke) make such a backup anyhow, of course.
As for being able to revert to Win7, the only way that'll happen is if you back up the whole system drive. Restore points don't work between major versions; if you do an in-place upgrade, you won't be able to downgrade it again short of restoring a backup or wiping the system and instally Win7 cleanly.
I did it
SysAdmNj said:
1. If Im running windows 7 64bit, can I upgrade to a windows 8 64bit right from windows 7 without having to format hard drive?
2. If so, can I create a restore point in windows 7 in case I want to go back once windows 8 is installed?
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
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Click to collapse
After doing an in place Upgrade on my box i hope my story will help you.
I simply couldn't resist the offer MS made 'til 28 Feb 2013 so i downloaded Windows 8 64 Bit to my Laptop and after the Upgrade Assistant gave me a green light and promised except for the ATI drivers everything should work out i started the upgrade. After roughly 4 h the Upgrade process was done and windows 8 ready. Even the mentioned ATI driver was not a big problem because after the initial upgrade windows 8 asked if i would care to update it and did so.
Windows 8 is creating a Backup of your current installation so there is a restore point you can use. I did not try it out and after 2 weeks i deleted the restore Point.
So far so good. The installation wasn't that complicated. Unfortunately after that i could no longer install any Program or update. The reason behind it was that the upgrade process is exchanging something in the users Registry and after that the security checks simply denied me access to the file System. Even booting in recovery mode did not help (just like my Android GBook tablet at the moment ) . Only way to cope this was to create a new User with Admin Rights as a replacement. Doing so one of my document Folders got lost in transition. I still have no Idea what happened but after moving a Folder from MyDocuments user old to MyDocouments user new the Move process suddenly died and the files where gone. I did have a Backup so luckily it was just annoying but still gave me a rough time figuring out what happened.
You will probably be bothered to reinstall some applications (MS Apps will work) and the new interface is something to get used to for a Lot of Developers.
My System turned quiet a bit slower because of the ever running index service etc. Indexing is even denying write access to newly created files quite regularly and you will have to wait for it to finish before file operations are possible. You definitively have to tune system services if you want a system that is not slowing you down.
My final advice after 2 Month using Win8?
Don't do an in place upgrade it if you don't have to. Windows 7 was working perfectly for me. After 15 years of IT Support under my belly (even thou most of it doing Back-office Servers) Win7 felt like an OS that wasn't in the way and did a great Job. Windows 8 will get in your way via slowing down your Box and making steps that were natural in win7 more cumbersome.
Especially System settings are more or less hidden (because the average "dummy" user needs to be protected from it :silly: ) and are hard to find. Turning every entry in your Start menu into an Metro Icon does not Help either. It's just messing up your start screen. Be Prepared to switch between metro and "normal Desktop" quite often if you are still using "older" programs. Even if you don't want to your Program will decide for you .
I think a fresh install helps in that category because it might make it easier to "switch your mind" to the new environment. It will also be a chance to clean your System of old and rarely used programs.
If you still want your Upgrade make sure your Backups are up to date and Working!
Hope this is helping you out.
Cheers
Lanman99
Thanks for enlightening us on the new screw-ups and mishaps of Win8 upgrades. The availability of the downgrade restore point is a new and welcome change, but the rest sounds about right for an upgrade.
Four hours to upgrade (when a clean install takes 15 minutes): check
Permissions messed up afterward: check
Performace actually decreased (even though a clean install of Win8 performs better than a clean install of Win7 on the same hardware): check
Data loss (your Documents folder): check
As for your points re: Win8 itself: first of all, if your only experience with it is based on that abomination of an in-place upgraded system, assume everything you "know" about the OS from that experience is wrong. I've been running Win8 for ~1.5 years now (counting betas) and have never had the problem with indexing service (which runs low-priority and doesn't take system resources that you're trying to use for anything else), data loss from library or folder movement, or any of the other problems you mention. I did try an upgrade install during the betas, but the result was trash - a bunch of features didn't work afterward, and the performance was worse than it should be - and the response when I reported the issues was "do a clean install". Upgrade installs are only *technically* supported; even MS thinks they're a bad idea.
Judging on OS based on an upgrade install is like judging a car model based on taking that car's interior and body, but replacing the engine, transmission, suspension, electronics, wheels, brakes, lights, and wipers with random junk you pulled out of a wrecking yard (without checking the original model) and beat into shape with a hammer and a hacksaw. Sure, it *looks* like it's easier (cheaper than making the needed money to buy the actual model) than buying a new car, and if you're really careful and moderately lucky, it will actually run pretty well and not strand you in the middle of nowhere or burst into flame or something awkward like that. It's going to be a complete pain in the ass to maintain though, you'll end up having spent a ton of time hacking it together in the first place and then keeping it running until you quickly pass the point where it would have been easier to just get the new car, and in the meantime it will never perform as well as it "should" have. Putting a bunch of junk car parts in a BMW body does not mean you're driving a BMW.
By the way, those problems that I didn't have? That even includes the "switching back and forth" thing, because I found it was a lot better to just not use Metro at all. I treat the Start screen the same way I treat the Start menu on older NT6.x versions: an irrelevant graphical thing that pops up for the half second where I type the name of a program I want, in between when I hit the Windows key and when I hit Enter. I pinned my most-used apps to the taskbar. My typical admin stuff is on the Win+X (or right-click the Start button - yes, there is one, it's just hidden until you hover over it) menu. Outlook is a better mail client than Mail, and better scheduling tool than Calendar. Pidgin is better than Messenger. If for some reason I want to log into Facebook, I have this thing called a "web browser" (which runs in a window, with all its features instead of a crippled subset of them, thank you very much).
Metro Skype is good enough I do use it sometimes, although I snap it to one edge of my (very wide) screen so it doesn't get in the way; I've considered going back to desktop Skype anyhow. Desktop SkyDrive is much better than the Metro one. Same for desktop OneNote vs. the Metro version. The only Metro apps I actually use much are games, and frankly I don't use Metro games that often on my main (desktop) Win8 box; why would I, when I could play Eve Online or Civilization / Alpha Centauri instead?
I only had the problem of a few games and visual studio needing a reinstall on my upgraded system. Not one of the other issues mentioned.
Oh, also had an issue where before the update it said my GPU drivers wouldn't work post upgrade, they did and as soon as I upgraded I was able to obtain native windows 8 drivers anyway. My integrated GPU was fine.
GoodDayToDie said:
Thanks for enlightening us on the new screw-ups and mishaps of Win8 upgrades. The availability of the downgrade restore point is a new and welcome change, but the rest sounds about right for an upgrade....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Abomination is probably a bit harsh (i'm still working on that monster )
Don't get me wrong. I don't wan't to bash windows 8 for the sake of it. I just don't see a urgent reason to advise SysAdmNj to upgrade. Especially not an in-place upgrade. And i definitely agree that a clean install is the first choice to move to any new OS.
BUT surprisingly i pulled the same stunt growing from Vista to win7 on my Dell Studio 17 which went great. I had 1 issue with the on-board camera but other than that my notebook was running better, faster and more stable afterward and that was the primary reason why i tried it again with win7 to win8 on my lenovo. Still i got it working and at least it gave me valuable support experience and it's a dirty job but somebody...
Reason to try Metro is also based on my Idea to stay ahead of my Users. I think Metrostyle systems will be heading in our direction if we want it or not. It is to tempting for the marketing branches of our major OS vendors so i keep tinkering with it.
That "Back and Forth" simply lies in the program designs. It will just take me some time to get used to it, sorry but i'm old ).
Some of my apps (namely Hotmail which became Outlook) are seamlessly integrated and as you already mentioned much better than before most others are still written for WinXP/Vista/7 and will bring you back to familiar havens. Internet is done by a heavily customized FF portable, so carefree covered.
My main critique boils down to System settings Metro style. A lot of settings, tools and tweaks which grew into supporters hands look castrated to fit the average users need. That really is annoying. It looks i have to brush up on system scripting skills to support my colleagues. Thought i could get away with less typing these days :crying:.
...and yes switching a self patched '74 Beetle engine in a 2013 Beamer won't make a Racing machine but it looks funny trying to get away with it .
Right click the start icon on the desktop and there is a control panel link. Just the same as win7
SixSixSevenSeven said:
Right click the start icon on the desktop and there is a control panel link. Just the same as win7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes if you are on your desktop. Starting up Metro won't give you that. You have to switch to your Desktop first. Or activate "All Apps" and sidescroll to Systemsettings. Besides it is not integrated which leads you again to your Desktop.
So System Settings = getting around Metro. The Settings Metro offers are still limited. Which IMHO is not a good way to do it. Yes it sounds nitpicking but if MS decides to get completely rid of our beloved Desktop, Metro is all you get.
But as i said, maybe just getting old...
On the metro start screen if you start typing it automatically fires up search. Type control and usually control panel is right there in front of you. Very quick and metro based.
But I agree, we could do with a native metro control panel.
SixSixSevenSeven said:
On the metro start screen if you start typing it automatically fires up search. Type control and usually control panel is right there in front of you. Very quick and metro based.
But I agree, we could do with a native metro control panel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In windows 8.2, there is supposed to be the Pc settings with more options like power options in it. This will not get rid of the desktop control panel though
Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
Maybe I should have created a poll. Should I stay on windows 7 or upgrade?
I dont know now. I'm not crazy about windows 8. I'm fine on windows 7. Thing is most laptops come with windows 8 so I thought I might as well start familiarizing myself more. Although to be honest I think even if I was to buy a new laptop with windows 8, I would just clone that image and just restore a windows 7 image with all my apps etc. That or just change the hdd with mines
But thanks for all the insights.
Win8 does perform better, and has some cool new features (built-in ISO mounting, for example, is long overdue). If you do what I do, and mostly treat it as Win7 that has one more slot on the Taskbar than normal, it's a great OS. There are some things that mildly bug me, like the removal of window border transparency, but that's hardly a big deal.
The Win+X menu (or right-click on Start) can be done from anywhere; you don't have to be on the Desktop already. Selecting the Control Panel from that menu will open up the Desktop-mode Control Panel whether you're in the Desktop, the Start screen, or some Metro app.
I actually prefer the lack of border transparency and the flat colours etc, guess that's just personal preference though.
If you have a spare box--techies should always have a spare box--pop Win8 onto it to play around. If you're happy with Win7, I'd stick with that for your production box(es).
It's OK to skip Win8 (and 8.1). It's a transition rev, and biz won't migrate to it. There'll be more changes when Win9 rolls out next year, so even if you're set on sticking with Win, you can save half the work by jumping on Win9 then, because sure as heck you won't stay with 8.x when 9 is out.
Basically, if it's fun, then do it. If it's work, then don't.
There hasn't even been so much as a hint from Microsoft that there will be a windows 9 any time soon. I think we're in for a few more years of updates yet, windows 8 can still be "fixed".
Microsft stated - over a year ago, I think - that Windows was moving to an annual, smaller-releases cycle. Win8 and WP8 were the first OSed released after that announcement, with "Blue" for Windows and Windows Phone expected later this year (about one year after the W*8 releases). WP9-related job postings, referencing that OS by name/number, have already been posted on LinkedIn as well.

Lenovo Yoga Book; Windows 10 version vs. Android version?

As a 15 year old; music, reading & learning, art/designing/detailing, photo editing, gaming, and YouTube passionate, which would be better for me: Lenovo Yoga Book's Android version or Windows 10 version? Also, will the Android version get Updates later? i.e., it's in Marshmallow, will it update it's version later? Thank you in advance for replying!
No security updates since October 2016. Still on version 6.0.1.
I see no longevity in this device. I feel like I've wasted $500 on a product that was a quick sell for lenovo and then it gets pushed back onto it's legacy line and we never hear from them again regarding updates. I'm hugely disappointed in my purchase and in Lenovo.
There are apps on the marketplace that require Android 7 and we're stuck on 6.0. What does that tell you? Not one developer has stepped forward to create ROMS or even a 100% legitimate unlock and root process. I wish I had kept my Pixel C and returned this.
Hey,
unlike Skullpuck, I have Windows version and I am quite happy with the device. Now don't get me wrong, he/she makes some valid points; I agree with them and that is why I chose Windows version. Nowadays for android device is indeed necessary to have community around it, to support it because developer usually end its support after about 1 year. IMHO, this isn't really the case with Windows. You do not have to worry about root, unlocking, updates to OS, custom ROMS... etc. and none of these, and more, issues really applies to Windows.
I am definitely not praising Microsoft here, in my opinion they made Windows 10 a mess, but for this device, and what it is designed to be, the Windows version of Yoga might be better - IMHO of course.
If you are interested, here is my opinion on the device as an artist tool.
I've also got the Windows version and I really love it for drawing (mainly using Mischief) and pixel art (using Pyxel edit). After two obsoleted Android tablets I picked the Windows Yoga to avoid being stuck on an outdated OS version and to get access to more robust software. So far I don't regret the choice.
I did choose the Android version because it has better performance, batterylife last longer, apps like Netflix run smoother. the android version has more options to finetune the halo keyboard and realpen. plus you can take notes on paper with your device off and still your notes get digitized. drawing with Artrage and Artflow is amazing. Artrage is included, the full version. I don't mind the delay in a security patch. Windows is every single day less secure than Android even if you run those memory and processingtime eating security suits who are up-to-date. plus you can play some pretty amazing games with good framerates etc. on the Android Book. I play NFS titles and Pro Pinball Timeshock on the highest settings. I was in the position to test the both Yoga Book versions and for me Android was the winner. The halo keyboard types nice as well, I took a short time to get used to and now I type blind just as on any other keyboard.
Martend said:
I did choose the Android version because it has better performance, batterylife last longer, apps like Netflix run smoother. the android version has more options to finetune the halo keyboard and realpen. plus you can take notes on paper with your device off and still your notes get digitized. drawing with Artrage and Artflow is amazing. Artrage is included, the full version. I don't mind the delay in a security patch. Windows is every single day less secure than Android even if you run those memory and processingtime eating security suits who are up-to-date. plus you can play some pretty amazing games with good framerates etc. on the Android Book. I play NFS titles and Pro Pinball Timeshock on the highest settings. I was in the position to test the both Yoga Book versions and for me Android was the winner. The halo keyboard types nice as well, I took a short time to get used to and now I type blind just as on any other keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree. Tested both versions and android works better in my opinion. Running windows wiht some backgroud processes drained my battery life a lot. Waking up from standy not always worked for me, many times I had to force off the device with long pressing the power button. Some workarounds are available with the advice install some older drivers, disabling update xx and so on. I wanted a device running out of the box without waiting for lenovo shipping new updates (of course is the same thing with android updates but working better out of the box). Windows updates are out frequently and is quite right, but the problems are related most on buggy drivers. I experienced the same thing mentioned by @Martend and I follow his arguments.
While both version has the same hardware, we are going to talk about the OS load weight. Definitely Android is much more lighter than windows 10, you'll have smoother experience with it, load of app to choose especially games and entertainment app. The downside about Android is until now it has limited capability for multi-tasking compared to windows, also if you need to use it for light work using desktop PC application, there are limited choice for Android. Also in Android, the OS update will depend so much to the device manufacturer support, unless you are familiar and able to load a custom ROM, still it will depend to the community behind it. In my personal experience, lenovo developer support is so terrible at this factor. I've been using a number of lenovo device ranged from Smartphone, Tablet and Laptop, Lenovo always leave their software update support early, leaving the device obsolete or bugged only after a couple of year or less. While this also happen to windows version, but it will only affect to the driver update, while windows update still going to your device came from the microsoft.
So for me, Windows version is much more fit my need. I really hope the device has more usage years longer because it less depend to the lenovo support.
So which one to pick??
. I am planning to buy YB WIN. But
1. If both Android and win versions have same configuration, can't we format and switch Windows to Android??
2. Can windows version run Microsoft office tools at its best, like excel macros, mail merge etc easily
3. Do they both(win and android) have sim slot with 4g connectivity
Can some one help
Amit2017 said:
So which one to pick??
. I am planning to buy YB WIN. But
1. If both Android and win versions have same configuration, can't we format and switch Windows to Android??
2. Can windows version run Microsoft office tools at its best, like excel macros, mail merge etc easily
3. Do they both(win and android) have sim slot with 4g connectivity
Can some one help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey.
for your questions:
1. Doing "format and switch" would not have any point in my opinion, but dual boot is theoretically possible (and therefore "format and switch" as well) and there are threads here that discuss this thou at this moment it has not been done.
2. Yes, thou creating presentations might stagger a bit (depending on the content) - I specifically use OpenOffice.
3. Yes, but there are also WiFi only variants so be sure to read product description before buying.
Amit2017 said:
So which one to pick??
. I am planning to buy YB WIN. But
1. If both Android and win versions have same configuration, can't we format and switch Windows to Android??
2. Can windows version run Microsoft office tools at its best, like excel macros, mail merge etc easily
3. Do they both(win and android) have sim slot with 4g connectivity
Can some one help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. The hardware is identical, but boot config is so different. In windows ver, OS loaded via UEFI (BIOS is the former name) while Android depend on what it's called bootloader. This UEFI and Bootloader is cannot easily modified because its hardwrited on ROM.
2. my office suite works great. all function work normally. but don't expect like working on high performance laptop. it's actually like working with netbook
3. if you need one with LTE sim capability you should inquiry the YB1-X91L for windows version and YB1-X90L for android. While the wifi only version is ended with F, YB1-X91F and YB1-X90F

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