Well not to toss gasoline on the fire but Linux restricts the end user due to proprietary CODECS as well. Yes everyone knows where to download the CODECS, especially the DVIX one, but depending upon the country you live in it might be against the law.

The big thing for me with Windows 8 is potentially decent backup software. No need for third party. Previous iterations of Windows backup didn't cut the mustard. Also virtual machine with the pro version although not much use with DAWs.

I can't ask for any better right now with Win7 performance wise. CPU load may or may not be faster with Win 8 but I don't give a darn as I've never maxed out on Win 7. Recorded live today with 3 guitars (3 overloud virtual amps), a keyboard (soft synth and virtual amp) and vox (breverb). Plus four additional line ins for drum machines. Also running session drummer. I've got loads of additional plugins. One recording went on for two hours. CPU never went above 40%. Not one crash even with rough mixes later. This certainly would have been a different story with XP and Vista.

@OP
 
 I have win7x64 on my desktop Main daw. I have Win 8 Pro x64 on my new laptop (I installed it, it came with 7x64)
 
Ialso bought a Roland OCtacapture for the Laptop and Win 8.
 
Now, I am NOT talking about performance at all-Right now I am justy going back and forth to get a feel for 8 and see if it changes how I work or forces different moves on my part.
 
It has not. At the moment they are exactly the same to me (remember, I am talking my workflow here)
 
The performance part I will evaluate this weekend, but I believe and trust those I know here who say that it's more stable, quicker etc than 7.
 
BUT, the big but-I wish I had not rushed into installing the media center-I did like a dope and I regret it for my own reasons-mostly because I didn't need it :-(
I can uninstall it but I would also have to reinstall all my apps, so.................I live with my impatience.
I have a copy already for the desktop Dw and that will most likely happen this weekend also.
 
BTW-the suggestion of using Classic shell, By John and a few others makes the transition simple-as far as working in 8.

BTW if you don't like Win 8s metro interface you're probably haven't worked out how to use it efficiently. Just as effective as the start menu. Codecs smodecs, there's always a solution.... If you want a decent media player fork out for J River which is peanuts. Microsofts media player sucks in comparison.

CakeAlexS


BTW if you don't like Win 8s metro interface you're probably haven't worked out how to use it efficiently. Just as effective as the start menu. Codecs smodecs, there's always a solution.... If you want a decent media player fork out for J River which is peanuts. Microsofts media player sucks in comparison.

If your reponding to my post Alex-I don't use clouds. I don't use Twitter, never been to Facebook, don't have a smartphone-
Used to teach M$ apps-It's not a lack of knowledge-I plain don't need , want or like it :-) Just sayin...................

For me the start screen is an option. I fine it useful but only to a point. I fully get Frank's view and have no problem with it. In fact I support it because it works for him.  Oh I also know how to use the start screen. 

What I like is that we now have choice back. 


Also at the end of your other post Alex you say  "This certainly would have been a different story with XP and Vista." I did just fine when I was using Vista and just fine with XP. I did lots of recordings that went on and on. Recording is an interface issue. If you have a good interface you should be able to record without problems. This was true back in the win 98 days too.

I can not say much- I did not get to work with Win 8- waiting for some audio interface at NAMM- my old has no drivers for 8.
 
They just announced Surface Pro- this thing should be able to run Sonar, right?
 
Did you say- Virtual Machine is part of Win 8 now?
 
I put DVD in and- no kidding- it did not play. What about Windows Media Player? It plays music, but not DVD? Can you create CD with it?
 
By the way- what do you use to create CDs? I have beem using Naro. It is nice but has audio edditing plugins that Sonar finds and adds to its list, and then it crashes. This is why I am not sure if I will upgrade to latest version for Win 8. I do know- Sonar has some CD construction kit- is it any good?  
 
So I guess- I should go and download Media Center (if no one objects)?