My free windows 8 license is too expensive

[anaconda]

I have one free and legal windows 8 pro license (came with the machine)

To do something with it I decided to install it in virtualbox. Because, hey, you never know, maybe I will need it someday..

Now it just annoys the hell out of me.
The "free" windows 8 is coming to be quite expensive.. Atleast if I give ANY value to my own time.
I have already done 8+ hours of work to get it installed , activated and updated. And now I just might have done about HALF of the work.

I cant believe how incredibly bad it is!
Nothing is easy.
- 1 hout to download the install DVD from microsoft.
- 1,5 hours to install it. (pretty much what I expected so far)
- 0,5 hours to activate windows (refused to activate first)-
- 5+ hours trying to update that piece of s**t.

The updating continues. It is incredibly slow. I have a fast internet connection, but updates download (and install) super slowly. And I have to boot the virtualbox every now and then.
Haven't even been able to install windows 8.1 yet, because the machine needs to be updated first.
I assume it will sill take atleast 10 hours to get it updated !!!

Quite expensive "free" windows, if I give any value to my own time...
How is it that Ubuntu installs and updates so easily and quickly?

I already regret installing it and just want to forget this and newer go to windows land again.

PS. sorry for the rant. Just had to went myself a little, so that the smoke can get out from my head...

[RichardET]

I have one free and legal windows 8 pro license (came with the machine)

To do something with it I decided to install it in virtualbox. Because, hey, you never know, maybe I will need it someday..

Now it just annoys the hell out of me.
The "free" windows 8 is coming to be quite expensive.. Atleast if I give ANY value to my own time.
I have already done 8+ hours of work to get it installed , activated and updated. And now I just might have done about HALF of the work.

I cant believe how incredibly bad it is!
Nothing is easy.
- 1 hout to download the install DVD from microsoft.
- 1,5 hours to install it. (pretty much what I expected so far)
- 0,5 hours to activate windows (refused to activate first)-
- 5+ hours trying to update that piece of s**t.

The updating continues. It is incredibly slow. I have a fast internet connection, but updates download (and install) super slowly. And I have to boot the virtualbox every now and then.
Haven't even been able to install windows 8.1 yet, because the machine needs to be updated first.
I assume it will sill take atleast 10 hours to get it updated !!!

Quite expensive "free" windows, if I give any value to my own time...
How is it that Ubuntu installs and updates so easily and quickly?

I already regret installing it and just want to forget this and newer go to windows land again.

PS. sorry for the rant. Just had to went myself a little, so that the smoke can get out from my head...

I appreciate Ubuntu as well - it is the main OS on one of my Lenovo laptops - the B590. But Win. 8.1 is the main OS on my other two Lenovo's - the W530 and the V470, mainly for the convenience. The V470 is used by a family member who needs Windows, and the W530 has a NVIDIA km1000 video card which performs best with the Windows driver for it. But I can use VMware and still run Ubuntu on the W530!

[WogBoy]

Have you got to the bit where you download 257 updates about 300 gazilion meg, Then the 5 hours for it to install, only to find that update kbwhateverXXXX needed to be installed before kbwhocaresXXX and therefore 123 of the updates you just downloaded are trashed and need to be re downloaded and re installed again? Twice? Yes.
Then when all that is done and after the 1gazilionth reboot you find that there are more updates? Thats if your PC hasnt BSOD'ed
Been there done that.

[Warren Hill]

If I could convince my sat nav to update its maps without Windows I wouldn't have a Windows PC at home.

I still use Windows at work however but only because my IT manager insists I have to.

[PondPuppy]

Yes, well, there is the update and antivirus thing. I too must use Windows at work and as dual-boot at home (Win 7, not 8) and it's a stable and well-behaved OS. I also need Win for a few things -- Basecamp, Moodle, and .net programming, mostly. I have to use what works, as so many on the forum say. I've been frustrated by some Linux distros, too, but overall, Ubuntu and some of its sisters are about the easiest OS ever.

[pqwoerituytrueiwoq]

you think 5 hours is bad for updates, try i stared at ~4pm and got done around 4 am
my windows 7 exp, should also mention sp1 failed to install and un-installed itself, that took a hour alone
i had to disconnect the other 2 internal disk drives to get sp1 to install work

[RichardET]

I have had some of these issues in the past with Windows, but if you keep the system up to date, then usually updates are a breeze. Updates are not always such a breeze on Linux either, especially when it is a kernel change. Suddenly old applications no longer work, or drivers no longer work, etc. Then what do you do?

[monkeybrain20122]

Updates are not always such a breeze on Linux either, especially when it is a kernel change. Suddenly old applications no longer work, or drivers no longer work, etc. Then what do you do?

Actually that is the easiest. Just boot into the previous kernel and delete the new one. That's why you are advised to keep at least one previous kernel just in case

Edited: Admittedly Ubuntu does make the process difficult for new users by hiding the boot menu when it is the only OS, so you have to press shift at boot to see it. I don't understand the reason behind it, you don't hide useful info for the sake of looking good.

[RichardET]

yes thats a good tip

[jon43]

Windows 8 is a disaster. I know Windows 7 inside and out, and I couldn't even figure out how to shut down Windows 8 or get to the control panel to do anything useful. They basically took Windows 7, hid all the advanced controls deep within some menu, and removed the Start menu in favor of tiles so if you happen to have a touch-screen, it's easier to use.

I do think that some of what they are doing is because of the abuse of the license agreement that Windows 7 got. Being able to download it, install it, then run it for up to six months (by tweaking one thing in command prompt) without a license key was pretty bad.