I've been out of the loop for nearly two years due to a host of obligations.  However, I am done with much of that and I am getting back into my recording and music interests.

A while back, I updated to Sonar X1 but never really got into it because of aforementioned obligations.  Now that I am ready to get back into the swing of things, I am looking into upgrading to X2.  I figured, I am going to have to relearn what little I knew in the past.  So, if I am going to learn something, why not upgrade and learn the X2.

My recording computer has Windows XP.  It looks like X2 isn't supported by XP.  So, I am going to upgrade by operating system.  So, the question is, are there any major advantages to Windows 8 over Windows 7?  

I don't really have an interest in the touch screen capability for using Sonar.  I've got the V-Studio 700 and a mouse so I'm thinking that'll do just fine.

Windows 7 has been around longer and should be a solid foundation.  Is this a true assumption?

Thanks for any input.

8 is better.

My view is Windows 8 is a better OS then Windows 7, but just marginally. 

I like Windows 8 and past on Windows 7. I come from Vista. 

If you want two OSs in one Windows 8 is the one to get.

One thing to watch with Windows 8 is you'll need drivers for your hardware. If you don't have Windows 8 drivers, some of your hardware (like your audio interface) may not work.

Scott

--
Scott R. Garrigus - http://garrigus.com - SONAR X2 Power! - http://garrigus.com/?SonarX2Power
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar and Sony Sound Forge Power book series: http://garrigus.com/?PowerBooks
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar ProAudioTutor video tutorial series: http://garrigus.com/?ProAudioTutor
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Ya ... And XP was around forever ... Now Microsoft is coming out with new OS's too fast. 

I run vista on an AMD quad ... With X2A producer and so far ... No problems. That's my DAW

However, 

I think I would get windows 7. I run 7 on my junky lap top and 7 looks nicer then the big blue block things I see on windows 8. 

In 10 years from now we won't even need an OS to run programs. We will just look at a piece of glass and control the programs with our minds instead of a mouse. 


What the hell am I even talking about?! 

WTF! 

Hi,

When upgrading to Windows 8 it runs a program that looks at your workstation and it will come up with a list of items that may be problematic. Some of those problems may be solved by simply getting the latest manufacturers drivers but, like I found when I tried to update my older desktop workstation, some issues cannot be solved, and that may be because onechip set or other will not work with Windows 8, and that is basically that... new workstation!

So, you would need to run that first anyway.

I've only just done the upgrade (from Windows 7 on my laptop) myself and I am still messing around getting back to the point where I was with Windows 7 (I opted for a clean install). For that reason I cannot say for certain that my new OS is better or not. I will say, however, that despite all the bad press it has been getting, providing you are willing to embrace the new look and way of doing things, I think it is a great platform. I'm going the whole hog with Windows 8 and I'm not even bothering with any software that emulates older Windows features (Start menu for instance).

May reason for me changing was I was told that Windows 8 is less onerous on your CPU for one and manages background tasks better. Also, I decided that I wanted to stay up to date for a change, and I can see me sticking with Windows 8 and X2 for some time.

Oh, I don't have a touch screen either but I'm happy with that. You can see how Windows 8 and its applications would benefit touch screen tech, but I'm not upgrading my laptop for that. I may purchase an external touch screen monitor in the future though.


cheers

Last winter, I went from XP to Win8 so I could stay current with Sonar ... that was when the upgrade was still only $40. I noticed a bit of a performance improvement on my old machine and haven't had any real problems. But before you do anything, I suggest you download and run the upgrade assistant to see if there are any roadblocks to putting Win8 on your laptop, like synktrotron mentioned.

Upgrading is much easier IMHO than a fresh install. Trying to install a non W8 driver on W8 is pretty difficult. You can do it but there is a lot of faffing around. Most things just worked for me out the box. Quite impressed for a zero release. I didn't really notice any discernable performance improvements. I didn't find it worked well with dual monitors as some of the touch hot spots were on the edge of the screen which meant it was pretty easy to overshoot it. Frustrating experience.

In my opinion:

1. Windows 7 is a better OS than XP, and for me to say that is a lot, because I was a DIE-hard XP Pro fan.  Windows 7 is very stable, and more drivers seem to be available for Windows 7 than for Windows 8, although that will change with time.

2.  Windows 8 has some internal changes that some folks have lost their minds over, and some folks have gone to great lengths to install third-party software to recapture familiar methods of doing things, like keeping the old Start Menu, rather than the new user interface that comes with Windows 8.  That being said, as one person above posted (and this is my approach too), I have decided to go 'whole hog' with Windows 8, and have learned how to work with the changes in how things are done.  I have found that in Windows 8, with things set up the way I like, that I can fly through things now with greater speed than I could in Windows 7.  Those issues are largely a matter of personal preference.  The REAL thing to look for with Windows 8 is to make SURE that any software drivers that you need for any external devices EXIST and are STABLE (midi controllers and synths, as well as audio interfaces).  Do NOT assume that things will simply plug in and work.

So, do your homework on your gear that will be connecting to your computer for EITHER Windows 7 or Windows 8, and other than that, choose the one that you like the feel of.

A great many folks here in the forum are using Sonar on Windows 7, and a great many are also on Windows 8.  There are, however, a small number of folks who have upgraded to usually Windows 8, only THEN to find out that there are no drivers for their external gear.  (Those folks are weeping and gnashing their teeth and pretty much not happy campers).

One additional thing to tuck away in your brain somewhere is that a piece of freeware called DPC Latency Checker, which does a nice job of presenting a scrolling graph of detected system latency, does not report the proper times in Windows 8.  It works fine in Windows 7, but the kernal timing information has changed internally, and to the best of my knowledge DPC Latency Checker still does not post proper latency values.  There is, however, an alternative piece of freeware, called LatencyMon, that works fine in both Windows 7 and Windows 8, and it does a mighty fine job of posting similar (even more detailed) information on your system's performance and latency and such.  So, just remember this, and whenever you get a system with either OS on it, DO download and run one of these tools to give you an idea of whether or not your system in its state at the time of running the tool - can adequately handle audio streaming as done with programs such as Sonar.

The BEST of it all in your new adventures with operating systems and all that goes with it all.

Bob Bone

Generally speaking, Windows 7 drivers will work fine in Windows 8.

But I know one big exception to this is when the driver's installer program is written to only allow installation on a specific OS.