Not yet huesph, but I've seriously thought about it!
I will interested in the opinions...
How is the experience so far with it on your laptop?
I've heard the "tiles" layout is a bit different..

I don't use the tiles much. There are ways to avoid having to use the "Metro" interface, which was designed for touch screens. I find myself flipping between "Metro" and the classic desktop mode. There is a "[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.classics…"]Classic Windows Shell[/]="http://www.classics…"]Classic Windows Shell[/]" for Windows 8 that I like to use. It works well and gives you the start menu back and it's customizable. You can style it after Windows XP if you want to. I just go back to the Win 7 style start menu. The Apps are nice. You can install a lot of free apps. Two particularly that I like are N-Track Tuner which is a very nice and surprisingly accurate chromatic tuner and TuneIn Radio which gives you feeds to many stations from all over North America.

Things I don't like is that it is largely dependent on the cloud. There are a lot of live feeds which show up on the start screen: Email, News and the like. Of course you don't have to be online for Windows to work but seeing all those 404 errors makes me feel uneasy.

Otherwise, it's a pretty peppy OS. Much easier on the CPU.

hueseph, post: 398969 wrote: Things I don't like is that it is largely dependent on the cloud.

"The Cloud". A wondrous thing. Safe, secure access...fewer worries about hard drive crashes and lost data. All stored on huge banks at central locations for easy access. Bits and bytes floating around through the air with wireless devices, and into these huge databases. No longer relying on physically secured storage media, disconnected...but everything all in real time, to and from, at undisclosed distant locations.

I mean...what could possibly go wrong? Maybe they'll name the massive central one (the one connected to all others) "Syrinx"?

Kapt.Krunch

I've been reading mixed messages on it. A lot of people say they are seeing 10 to 30 percent increase in performance over 7. That's pretty impressive. Samplitude/Sequoia 12 are windows 8 ready now and engineers like it, so I'm thinking about it. But some drivers aren't ready and all it takes is one thing to reek havoc to mess everything up. My greatest fear.
Looks like this OS is going to be a good one but I'm thinking 6 months or more for me until I'm certain everyone is on par.

The upgrade price is right that's for sure....

I'm going to wait a bit for Win8. Audition 6 doesn't play perfectly with it sometimes and now that my daughter is 3 I don't have the time to mess with it. I am guessing applications that have issues with Win8 will likely be because of the graphics UI's. As to performance improvements, if the computer is already highly tweaked I wouldn't imagine one gains 30%. If one hasn't tweaked it is possible that one might see a huge improvement.

Kapt.Krunch, post: 398979 wrote: "The Cloud". A wondrous thing. Safe, secure access...fewer worries about hard drive crashes and lost data. All stored on huge banks at central locations for easy access. Bits and bytes floating around through the air with wireless devices, and into these huge databases. No longer relying on physically secured storage media, disconnected...but everything all in real time, to and from, at undisclosed distant locations.

I mean...what could possibly go wrong? Maybe they'll name the massive central one (the one connected to all others) "Syrinx"?

Kapt.Krunch

or "Hal"... ;)

I reading on the Samplitude Private Forums people are using Classic Shell with W8

It is so great to have both old and new menu options, especially since 8 hides certain setting on certain windows...confusing!

Ive got it on my laptop and like it alot! I specially like the fast navigation and shifting between programs is just one click on the mouse, thats nice. And having everything on a main startpage is just great! Quick access to internet, email, weather forecast, news and so on, and you are able to modify it exactly as you want it! I think its a huge step from win7 and a huge step ahead in computerusage, probably thanks to the smartphones and their one touch access.
Im not planning to run any sequencer on it but I installed wavelab 6 on it yesterday and that ran just fine. I guess it takes awhile for manufacturers to get win8 updates and drivers to work with it so I wouldnt be in any hurry of upgrading a daw computer yet though...like audiokid said, give it six months and then see what has happened.

m not planning to run any sequencer on it but I installed wavelab 6 on it yesterday and that ran just fine. I guess it takes awhile for manufacturers to get win8 updates and drivers to work with it so I wouldnt be in any hurry of upgrading a daw computer yet though...like audiokid said, give it six months and then see what has happened.

I've never been one to jump into a new format as many do. I like to give them time to catch up on the drivers, but to also work out the bugs.
Truth be told, I'm still using XP on one of my desktops. LOL

I never did mess with Windows Vista after hearing from my friends what a nightmare it was...

User double clicks program....

Vista: "are you sure you want to do this?

Click yes.

Vista: "So, you want to do this?"

click YES.

Windows: "are you really truly absolutely positive you want to do this?"

CLICK YES! You sonova....

Vista: "the program you have chosen is not responding. Please reboot your PC and try again."

;)

i still use xp and ptle 7 on my laptop at home. it works fine for what it is. my computer was pretty much designed w/ xp in mind, so i'm going to upgrade OS's when i get a new computer in a year or two. i'm still kinda waiting to see how many more cores there gonna stick into the processor section (guessing 16 is next), and what happens w/ thunderbolt. it took me quite a while to get this thing to work the way i wanted, i'm afraid to mess w/ it.

it seems like even when manufacture's catch up, it's on a like a public trial for a couple months till they work out the bugs, and get the user feedback. maybe it's cuz i;m not real into computer tweaking and the like, so i tend to wait till things are pretty tried and true.

The newer i7 chips with hyper threading give you a virtual 16 cores already. Even then, Pro Tools only wants you to use 12 of those cores for "efficiency". In other words the engine cannot think to spare some power for the OS. Only in Pro Tools do you have to assign power to the host computer.

Interesting, I was only aware of the "hexacore" 6 core i7's giving 12 virtual cores. My usual supplier does not seem to have any of the "octocores" as yet.

MrEase, post: 399405 wrote: Interesting, I was only aware of the "hexacore" 6 core i7's giving 12 virtual cores. My usual supplier does not seem to have any of the "octocores" as yet.

No. It's probably just me getting my info wrong.

Actually I just checked and in fact there is an 8 core i7 chip out there. It retails for $1500. Not cheap but plenty fast I'll bet. I settle for AMD chips. They'be been very stable for me and although not nearly as fast as the top Intel chip, they are also not nearly as expensive. Either for the chip or the motherboards.

the only real problem is, no chance of ever getting thunderbolt. USB 3 is going to have to do.

I had one issue with Windows 8. I took the plunge and everything seemed fine. Had to do some driver reinstalls but other than that all is good. There is a huge improvement in some things Video performance is much better. Pro Tools is even happier now.

My one issue though was a bit of a boggler. No one seemed to know how to fix it and there seem to be a few people with sound just suddenly not working. In my case, sound for any other application would quit completely after I had used a DAW. Any DAW. I was pulling my hair out for a while until I looked things over again.

hue wrote: I think, I may have finally figured this out.
Click on the speaker icon in the right hand corner of the desktop screen/ Click on Mixer.

Or, in the start screen, go to the menu by hovering over the right hand side of the screen, click on settings/control panel/sounds,

Once you've got your devices listed in the box select your default speakers/properties/advanced tab/deselect the boxes marked "allow applications to take exclusive control of device" and "give exclusive mode applications priority" and click apply.

Now this might seem counter productive: Click on restore defaults. This should restore your sound but in order to prevent this issue from happening again, deselect the boxes marked "allow applications to take exclusive control of device" and "give exclusive mode applications priority" AGAIN and click apply. This should prevent any other application from hijacking your sound.

I really, honestly hope this helps. Please share if it works for you.

I'm reading people are having issues until they reinstall ASIO and other drivers.

audiokid, post: 399600 wrote: I'm reading people are having issues until they reinstall ASIO and other drivers.

A reinstall did not do it for me. After doing a reinstall sound would be back......until I used my DAW again. Then it would disappear. It was a settings problem for sure. I've tried a few times now and so far so good. Sound is no longer disappearing after closing my DAW. In fact the sound never really disappeared per se. It's merely that by allowing programs to have exclusive control over the hardware, it prevented other programs from accessing the hardware. So simply disabling this feature fixed the issue.

Gotcha. Are you using asio4all by chance?

audiokid, post: 399648 wrote: Gotcha. Are you using asio4all by chance?

No. Just the standard ASIO driver with my interface. The feature that I disabled is actually pretty cool. From what I understand this is an implementation of the WASAPI mode for ASIO. Essentially, this mode gives exclusive access of your ASIO driver to your DAW. It also means you need a second set of speakers and a secondary soundcard if you want to use any sort of media player.

In prior versions of Windows, one could usually check a box in the ASIO preferences for most DAW's that said something to the effect "disable in background".

TheJackAttack, post: 399655 wrote: In prior versions of Windows, one could usually check a box in the ASIO preferences for most DAW's that said something to the effect "disable in background".

Unlike the feature in your DAW, this is a Windows feature which bypasses the Windows Mixer altogether giving exclusive and DIRECT access to the ASIO driver only to your DAW.

I find this very helpful, interesting and fascinating discussion. I just purchased a new HP Envy i 7, third-generation, quad core? DV 7-7292 NR with Windows 8. 39.95 for the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro before January 31 I think? And I better order that upgrade. I also find the operating system not as convenient since I am so used to XP. So I also purchased Windows 7 Pro. It was the same for me before I took the plunge into XP from 2000 Pro. I waited a couple of years until after service pack 1. Which as it turned out, was a good decision to make. So until everybody gets their ducks in a row and all of the peculiarities have been worked out and until I get comfortable with the new OS, I'm going Windows 7, I think, for a while yet? We all know it's stable, right? There's been no monumental issues with 7, right? I haven't really used 7 as yet, at all. And it will still be supported for the next seven years so... what's the rush? Is 8 really going to make that much of a difference on a desktop or a laptop machine? I really hate the idea of all of this cloud stuff. Sorry, it has its useful advantages of course. But I'm something of a more private person and I enjoy my privacy both personally and professionally. And where where the proper knowledge, you're always backing projects up. So what's to worry?

I get creeped out over constantly being connected. It's George Orwell's 1984 in real time, in real life. THX 1138 and all that! HAL 9000... just what we need. " Give me the ribbon microphone HAL". " Sorry Remy... I can't do that... Daisy... Daisy pick the right microphone do. I'm half crazy all for the love of glue. It won't be a horny Fellow that can't record Othello. And you'll sound sweet, upon the seat of a computer seat DAW for two...". "Damn it all Hal... I'm the producer!"

The nerve of some computers...
Mx. Remy Ann David

I believe the is a window 7 Gui that you can get. And something that will replace the Start button.

I've already downloaded a couple of those shells. And there's something about Windows 8 Pro that supposedly goes beyond the OEM supplied computer versions, regarding a more 7 like interface? Not sure about that? But for an extra 40 bucks before the 31st, sounds like it might be a good idea?

I was also informed that a dual boot of 7 & 8 doesn't seem to play well together on the same machine? But one from two separate drives supposedly no issues there? Which is probably what I'll do just to get used to 8 before I really dive into it? I imagine this new laptop won't bog down too much with 7? Of course most of my software is still 32-bit but that's OK. I am eyeing that new version 11 or 12 of Sony Vegas? I'm currently using nine. Along with I believe ProTools 10 HD or some kind of enhanced version that I'm getting from Fabrice Dupont, in April. Part of that Neve deal. But that too is 32-bit. And I'm not spending any money for someone else is new 64-bit audio program. Not yet. Heck, I'm still using Adobe Audition 1.5 even though I have version 3. I actually like 1.5 better for my purposes. That's my go to software. Of course it does not handle ASIO but there does. I've tried ASIO 4 All. Not quite sure what to think about that yet? I'm not all that enthralled by it. Though I do think it has a purpose. I really don't do much overdubbing through the computer. I really don't find software as convenient as dedicated equipment is. In fact I'm rather intimidated by it. They always work when it doesn't matter and they let you down when it's important. My nervous system can't handle that. And I like instant gratification when I push a button. Don't want to wait for any slow working fast computer. But then again, I'm not your average bedroom control room. So my purposes and situations are unique.

I'm not unique but I'm not average.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Windows Classic shell is the only shell I will touch. There are others which are just sketchy. If you do decide to get Win 8, wait for us bedroom.......er......living room hacks to test drive for a while. And just to clarify, Pro Tools 10 although 32 bit does seem to have 64 bit architecture. (Yeah that sounds smart). At any rate, with Complete Production Tool Kit you can access more than the 3 Gigs of ram if you have it available. Strange that they can't make 32 bit plugins work in 64 bit PT11 though.

Strange that they can't make 32 bit plugins work in 64 bit PT11 though.

Sonar tried an implementation of this, called "bit bridge"... and it worked... kinda.

While all my basic plugs worked, I wasn't able to get BFD to work and play well with it, and a few of my Native Instrument soft synths weren't crazy about it either... but this could be the limitations of the plugs/synths themselves, and not necessarily that of Sonar's original intention.

But yeah, you'd think that PT would have some kind of prog or app available to make this happen.

-d.

I use bitbridge all the time with Sonar. It works well so far. I have had the very odd freeze but not often. Still more stable than many Pro Tools sessions I've done. Usually restarting the session fixes it. Of course it also helps if you save on a fairly regular basis.

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.classics…"]Here's a link to Classic Shell if anyone feels daring. [/]="http://www.classics…"]Here's a link to Classic Shell if anyone feels daring. [/]It's been about a week on my desktop and flawless so far. Some improvements in speed even. Boot up is noticeably quicker even with an SSD for my system drive. Pro Tools has worked exceptionally well and even lets me use my UAD plugins.

In Windows 7 I would get constant DAE errors (You're running out of CPU power blah blah blah) that with a CPU reading of 20% or less with under 40 audio tracks.

Thanks for that link. I hadn't found that one yet?

Strangely enough, this new HP Envy DV 7-7292 NR, does not want to boot from the CD? And the bios is unclear? I was able to select something under legacy blah blah as opposed to EFI? But everything keeps crashing midway through the load? I'm not impressed. HP technical support (in India) can offer no help and no suggestions. Great technical support. No wonder HP was thinking about getting rid of their consumer computer division?

Sidetrack enough onto the desktop and sort of getting used to the tile startup menu Ugh. This is a clunky operating system. It might be more capable but the getting there is not straightforward. So children can use it? Big deal. And while smut is the biggest moneymaker on the Internet, how about somebody coming up with a sensible operating system, designed for professional adults that don't have to be computer scientists? Or maybe that was Windows 2000? Remember? When we were young and beautiful still? Because we still had our hair?

I got the desktop set up with what I need. But having to fly around to get the what do they call it? Mosquitoes on the right side of the screen to get to the settings, to get to the turnoff. It's idiotic. So I've got to check out that shell. Thank you so very much.

Don't know what's with the CD bootup problem? If selected in the bios as the first boot item. But unless you set this legacy something or other how would one even recover with the emergency recovery optical media since it has to boot from the optical media and nothing wants to boot from the optical drive on this DV 7-7292? I think 8 is another Vista? And my new HP, may have been a mistake? A 1000+ dollar mistake. But I will acclimate as I have in the past. I just cannot stand the child oriented single button, point like an instant who hasn't learned how to talk yet designed, operating system? It's like it was never even designed for any kind of business applications? It's just there to entertain each other with. To shop and to chat. There is really no indicator from Microsoft as to how this 8 relates to anything in the business world that's not from your home base living room, bedroom?

I'm done now.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Did you buy the download version? If you use the upgrade assistant, there should be a link on your desktop to install windows from your hard drive. If you choose to boot from media you have to burn the ISO to DVD via whatever software. I'm sorry if you know this already. I'm not trying to be condescending. I just want to cover the bases. I can't see why it would not boot from the disc unless the disk does not clearly have a boot sector which would imply that the ISO is on the disc but not burned as an image. I'm pretty sure Windows has an iso burner built in. If not there are free burning software out there. [[url=http://[/URL]="http://cdburnerxp.s…"]CDburnerXP[/]="http://cdburnerxp.s…"]CDburnerXP[/] Windows 8 is much more stable than Vista IMHO. Much faster than 7 so far.

As far as the tiles are concerned, I use them almost never. When I boot my system, It directs me to desktop mode straight away. Tiles are pretty but I want accessibility first.

Thanks that I didn't download. This is an actual retail version, purchased in the store. Nothing boots from the CD/DVD. It's moronic. I've never run into this ever before. It has something to do with legacy vs. EFI? And the default settings in the bios, while they indicate booting from the optical drive, no bootable disks boot from the optical drive. Not even Windows XP Pro as it has done for every one of my computers since 2003. And the Indian HP technical help are completely incompetent. Heaven help you if you can obtain an American? There is a 13 story huge HP building only a couple of miles from here, in the technology corridor, of Northern Virginia outside of DC. And nobody can comprehensively answer my questions as to how and what should be set in the bios? I didn't get discs to boot by selecting this legacy selection. But that gives you like 10 choices of different types of protocol that will be used to access the optical disc. I've gotten close but no cigar. And I find this extremely infuriating. This is progress? I'm getting sick and tired of Microsoft's idiocy. Essentially they only make a single product. Who only makes a single product today? Well maybe plenty? But for someone who has been able to design, build, install and configure their own desktop machines since 1996, why has the complexity of this one then ramped up to this extent?

This is almost like audio stuff? It's only better if you deem it better and it is better, for you. And they haven't made anything better. They've made it more complicated with less useful information supplied, than ever before. And what is there about putting the word Pro, into an operating system when it's designed for children? Are they really that much out of their minds? There must be some kind of environmental pollution in Seattle? It's affecting their brains if they have any? I mean if I wanted this kind of complexity out of an operating system I would have gone UNIX. A good operating system. A scientific operating system. Designed for those that want to get down to business and not games, chatting, Facebook and Twitter with dozens of stupid computer games you are not given an option not to install. Who the hell needs games on an operating system where business is involved? What? You don't have enough to keep you busy at work? So if you don't have any games, you end up chatting online? That's not work either. It could be an enhancement to accomplishing work if you need online assistance. And I find that professionally, unprofessional, overall. Games. Games in an operating system are not appropriate for business applications. So why bloat the operating system with that which you do not need? Why should you have to uninstall something you didn't want to install to begin with? And I find this offensive, professionally. I don't like people assuming that everybody wants to play computer games. I don't play games. Certainly not when I'm working. Let's see, tired of editing audio or video, mixing etc., play games. Play with yourself. You always win.

I bought fresh batteries.
Mx. Remy Ann David

If you put the DVD in the drive while Windows is running, it should prompt you to install.

Oh yeah, no problem that way. But I'm trying to do a fresh install onto a blank new primary hard drive. I guess I could load or tried to load Windows 7 over top of Windows 8 but then I would also lose Windows 8, would I not? Or should partition the drive in half?

Nevertheless, if the hard drive was to crash, you would want to boot from the emergency optical discs that you created or purchased. Even though the bios has been set to first boot from the optical drive. And a bootable disc has been installed in the drive before switching on the power to the computer. And this blasted DV 7 keeps displaying the error message that there is no operating system on the hard drive and that I should install one. Great right, that's what I'm trying to do. And so I delve deeper into the bios and find some folderol of settings to EFI (? WTF that is?) Or legacy. It recognizes the optical drive and attempts to boot from the disc when I have chosen legacy. But it wants to know what legacy of which there are like eight or 10 selections. Some of which work somewhat others not at all. So it's a bizarre piece of stuff and no one at technical support at HP has been able to answer why it won't boot from the optical disc? And I've never run up against this since I have been building up my home computers starting in the mid-1990s. And installing and configuring other folks business computers and operating systems. I mean I'm not a computer scientist nor a coder but I know my way around most bios'. This is like bazaar with choices for which there are no help menus for normalized free technical support under the warranty. So this is very frustrating. I might have to pay someone to tell me what key I need to push if I can find them? HP just says to put the optical disc in and turn on the computer. Well yeah but it doesn't work that way. It only works when you select one of these legacy options deep in the bios? And then it doesn't work right. It just starts like it. Says hello it's going to load Windows... and then Big Blue screen. And that's the farthest I've gotten.

Though the thought of having a dual boot on one machine would be fine? Which I might be able to partition the current system drive? I don't necessarily want to lose 8? I'd like to learn it better. Though I could order the emergency replacement CD/DVDs from HP should I need to reinstall it. But then it has to boot from the optical drive. And I'm back to go. And it ain't. So far I'm not liking this high-end HP as much as my previous high-end HP from 2006. WTF?

I'm not enthralled by it as I was the last one.
Me again

Doesn't it give you the option of which drive to install to?

Is the BIOS up to date?

Ok. Try this. On boot up, repeatedly press F8. That should get you into advanced boot options without having to go into BIOS. This should allow you to boot from DVD.

ugh utterly irresponsible, Microsoft will tell you its the computer manufacturers fault, the cpu manufacturer will tell you it's Microsofts' fault. I wish i could help, but i ask an obvious question, have you asked to speak/correspond, w/ a tech, higher up than than the phone answerer problem solver? like a manager or whatever? the people w/ the broken engish are used to calls from people trying to find the power button on their cpu. maybe you could fish your way thru the hierarchy to someone who's not looking up your problem on a database (to no avail), while your on the phone? if worse comes to worse, what's your return policy? maybe you should bring the whole thing back. best wishes remy.

RemyRAD, post: 399998 wrote:

Though I could order the emergency replacement CD/DVDs from HP should I need to reinstall it. But then it has to boot from the optical drive. And I'm back to go. And it ain't. So far I'm not liking this high-end HP as much as my previous high-end HP from 2006. WTF?

I'm not enthralled by it as I was the last one.
Me again

SCREW HP! I'll never buy another HP product, ever again. About 4-5 years back, I bought a budget HP consumer computer package (computer, mouse, keyboard 17" flatscreen, freakin' Vista (ugh!)) on sale for about $350 for the express purpose of internet, Word, etc. Light-duty, everyday stuff. 2GB RAM, AMD Athlon, etc.

Immediately noticed how pokey that thing was, and system monitoring stuff reports "low memory". Tweaked and tweaked. Stuck a video card in, and disabled onboard video and all sounds, etc. Still "low memory". HP "help" was absolutely no help (and a condescending bunch of a-ho's anyway).

Kept looking at HP's site for updates, etc., all peripheral and Windows updates, and kept all that up, hoping something would help. Exactly one year and 8 days after purchase, HP posted a BIOS update for this exact model on their website. Claimed it solved "memory problems" of some sort. "A-HA! Maybe this is it?" Downloaded, printed out instructions, and followed their directions to a "T". (I've updated and flashed thousands of motherboards and peripherals at a previous job, so it was nothing I was concerned about. I KNEW to be careful, though.)

Started the process, got halfway through...and it just sat there. "Uh-oh...THIS isn't good", I thought. I know better than to interrupt an update, or try to restart...but there it sat. For a couple of hours.

"Well...I did back up the old one...maybe I can get it to revert, somehow?" Took the plunge, and turned the damned thing off. Set it up to try to flash it back, but when I powered it up....nothing...nada...zilch. NOTHING on the screen...not even a flashing cursor. "PISS!!!!" Futzed about for a couple of days. Nothing.

Finally, I reconfigured my finely-tuned audio computer to connect to the internet (had all that off) and started looking for solutions. Tried more stuff. Nothing.

Contacted HP "Customer Service" (actually "Customer Disservice"), and explained my situation. Told them I downloaded it from THEIR website, and followed THEIR instructions, and it killed my motherboard. (Actually, I WAS trying to be nice...at first.) After a few runarounds in barely-understandable English by a guy named 'Paul" (yeah, right), told "Paul" that apparently a lot of other people have experienced the exact same problem with the exact same system and the exact same update, according to posts on the web. What could they do for me?

"You may send the computer in, and we will fix it."

"OK...under warranty? It's only a couple weeks out, and YOUR flawed update that killed it wasn't offered until JUST after my warranty ran out, as a lot of other people have obviously experienced according to all the posts on the web."

"No sir...we cannot cover under warranty. It is out of warranty. Charge will be $600, plus shipping."

"The F#$^ you say?!" I paid about half that for THE WHOLE FREAKIN' SYSTEM! WHY would I pay $600 to fix a $350 computer?!"

"I am sorry sir. That is policy. It is out of warranty."

"Yeah...YOUR f@#&in' update KILLED IT! The one that wasn't offered until AFTER the warranty expired!"

"I am sorry sir. That is policy. We cannot know if you did update incorrectly."

"Listen, Hadji..I've done THOUSANDS of BIOS updates, I followed YOUR instructions and it KILLED IT! How about you just send me a new motherboard, no charge? I'll fix it myself. That's what I do for a living. I fix computers!"

"I am sorry sir. We cannot send you another motherboard".

"OK, how much for me to BUY one from you?"

"I'm sorry sir. Those are no longer available."

"WHAT?! The computer is a only a YEAR OLD! Besides...how were YOU going to fix it if the motherboard is toast, and you have no motherboards?!"

"I am sorry sir. We cannot send you a new motherboard, but you can send it in, and we will repair."

"You know what? Go F%$& yourself, and I hope Hewlett-Packard crashes and all you worthless m^%*#$-f^#*#$s lose your f%^(^$N jobs!. In fact, I hope all of INDIA crashes and ALL of you lose your damn jobs. A$$holes! I'll NEVER buy another HP product as long as I live!"

Then I hung up. Well...yeah, he got me a bit riled up. Wouldn't you be?

Anyway, I finally just ordered a closely similar $59 ASUS board to the one that was in it, knowing I'd still have a fight..and I did.

The proprietary HP "recovery partition" image did not want to reinstall Vista AT ALL, because it saw a different motherboard. I figured I might have some hardware issues, because it wanted to see the exact same peripherals and components as on the image, but I didn't figure on those a-ho's at HP locking you out of even STARTING a reinstall of "their Vista" if you used a different motherboard.

Luckily, I am resourceful enough to have found/figured out workarounds to fool those a-ho's, and got it to install. After that, I removed everything HP on the thing that I could safely do, and scoured the registry to get rid of the rest. Right now, it doesn't know it was birthed by that filthy slutty whore, Hewlett-Packard. I even went so far as to remove any logos and stuff, so it isn't embarrassed and shamed! Mostly, though, I just wanted to see if I could outwit them, and get it to reinstall.

Plus, THIS motherboard runs much faster...even with that horrible Vista OS AND the onboard video.

This ain't the first time I've been dissatisfied with them. Their printers are expensive-ink guzzling pieces of crap, also.

Screw HP. Would serve them right to curl up and die. NEVER again.

Kapt.Krunch

I went through the same thing the other day with them on the phone multiple times. I asked for supervisors. They would talk to their supervisors asked him the wrong questions and give me the wrong answers. They would never put me through. They left me on hold for 20 minutes. I haven't called back again.

Things were not like this with my previous HP high-end laptop back in 2006. Albeit it had Windows XP " Media Center Edition ". And no decent professional audio or video software will run on that operating system. Stupid me for thinking it had something to do with media production? Thankfully, I had Windows XP Pro that I had installed on my other desktop machines. So while I lost some of their cute hot key enhancements and other stupid crap, my older machine whose USB sockets have virtually all broken and failed, still seems to run faster booting up then this new screaming fast machine. Virtually identical to my earlier machine, without FireWire, without a PCMCIA slot. And because I've liked my last one so much because it was so quick and responsive, reliable and solid, I purchased a new version of virtually the same thing. $1000. And my upgrades with an additional internal hard drive. Another 150+ dollars. Windows 7, another $150. Up to $1300 now. And I'm running Windows 8 with an additional internal hard drive. Can't return 7. Can't return the computer at this point because now been 30 days since the stuff has hit the fan. So I'm stuck with it. Better make the best of it? Not sure how one is supposed to install the emergency backup CDs when it has to boot from the CD and it won't. Not correctly. Certainly not with the bios set to the factory default, indicating in the bios that the CD/DVD is the first boot item in the list. Go figure?

Just a couple of miles away from me here in the Northern Virginia technology corridor, is a very large building with a huge HP on the front. I've got a good mind to walk in there with this computer. It's probably their defense contractor division. And they should know how to make the thing boot from the CD? Otherwise I might just get arrested? Maybe I should walk in with my largest camcorder on my shoulder? I'm sure that would be a big hit.

Talking to the people at Micro Center is sort of like talking to the people on the phone at HP. They all came from the same place where they don't eat cows. And they don't know how to press the hold button properly either. I think one of those technical support people I was talking to an India was 18? And you'd think an 18-year-old designed to help people buy the company should be able to tell you what that legacy setting is in the bios? And why that is the only setting I can get the computer to boot from the Windows XP Pro or Windows 7 CD/DVD factory installation disc. And they told me that they could not provide technical support because it was provided with Windows 8. I said forget the Windows 7 and XP. Let's just say it crashed due to a virus. So I put in a bootable antivirus CD that the computer must boot from and it doesn't, it won't can't get it to do so. Nothing but error messages about not having an operating system and I should install an operating system. That's a real big help from the computer LOL. Even worse from the support on the phone. Exactly as you described. They got my money. I get screwed again. Just like the DA-88's except $14,000 less.

So now all I want to do is clone that system drive from the 5400 RPM 1 TB thingy to a 120 GB SSD. But we'll see what happens with that? Micro Center actually has a dedicated hard disk cloner. It's around 60 bucks. And there's a 30 day return policy. So if they want to screw me I'm going to screw them. They've been no help either. Not impressed. Been shopping there since they opened years ago. Obviously there merges a backup CDs designed to reload everything and create a computer like you just bought it off the shelf, won't work because it won't boot properly from the CD drive. Which means I'll use the cloner to make it a secondary safety backup on another disk drive which will cost another 60+ dollars. And I'm virtually out of cash without any business or any jobs coming in. I thought I was in a have some work during the entire inauguration as I had been contacted? Nothing. Again. Certainly everybody heard all of the audio faux pas. Probably because they didn't have me? And Beyoncé wasn't lip syncing for gods sake. Due to the huge delays on the Mall, she probably couldn't follow her cute track with the band playing live? And she sang it well. We all know when people are lip syncing. She wasn't. And you think anybody from NBC called me and asked me if I thought she was lip syncing? No of course not. They all knew what was going on or, they're dead don't know it?

And if that's not bad enough here's something else you'll all enjoy. NBC, DC, is one of the original flagship stations of the NBC television network. The local station, WRC Channel 4 recently did a 6 million Dollar upgrade. Of course all new top-of-the-line stuff. When they go into the news opener, it starts out with a very loud DC offset like Snap! And do a good home entertainment system, ya come up out of your chair with it. It's been going on now for the past 1 1/2 years. None of the other local stations that are not owned and operated by a finest networks don't have that problem LOL. I called them the other day because I had had enough of that nasty snap. Well they have no engineering managers anymore. All gone. I got the managing supervisor. He knew me. I told him about the problem. I told him it's likely an easy fix. That was a couple of weeks ago. Nothing has changed. It's asinine.

So it actually seems that most everything is going that way? I don't want to get out of audio or broadcasting but I can't take this kind of incompetent stupid nonsense coming from everyone. No one gives a damn. I remember if you brought your fader up slightly late, your job is on the line. Now that's all they do. Nonaudio people are running audio because anybody can do it. It's easy. You just turn it up and down or turn it on and off. What's an equalizer? Compress what? I don't want to limit anything I can do? Great. I'm so glad when I brought to the table for NBC-TV DC. You can see how good it's getting without me and ya can certainly hear it also maybe. When Sylvia turns it up with the count 1234. Just what everybody needs. A nice smooth fade up in the middle of the newscasters sentence. The promos make them look so competent. Smiling faces, happy people, lovely equipment and your distinguished news anchors.

So today I'm watching their 4.2 channel. I slowly Veronica Johnson the pretty weather gal. She's doing a special piece. She's doing the shooting even though she's not an engineer. She's doing the editing even though she's not an engineer. She's stuck in some nice stereo background music for her narrative... and where she was only being heard out of the right channel. Great audio. And this is a postproduction piece she was able to edit at her desk on the same computer she is surfing the Internet with. Does anybody hear a problem with that? Didn't think so? They can't hear anything over there anymore obviously. There aren't any audio guys there anymore. Only people running sound. We did audio. They don't know the difference.

And this is why I go off here sometimes about professionalism and not the equipment being used. Those people don't know how to play with the equipment. People here play with the equipment too much. Everybody likes extremes. If you've got it you're going to play with it as much as possible. Unless you're working at WRC the flagship station of NBC television in Washington DC. So when newbies, enthusiast, entry-level beginner's here come up with lousy recordings it's not from a lack of trying. But what I find disappointing is the total drive through mindset of those that think being a competent engineer has to do with reading specifications and magazine advertisements and listening with your eyes. So, I'm just a hard-nosed, practical, competent, think on my feet, flying by the seat of my pants, spontaneous, trained, highly talented, engineer. I practice what I do. Not what I use. You have to practice that also. But that's a separate thing. And so, I don't want to just know how to use something. I also want to know what makes it tick? How the hell else are you going to be good with anything if you can't completely understand it?

I'll work with and like state-of-the-art stuff. Especially if somebody else pays for it. And since I only want to work on the best, I have to work for those people. Don't you see? When you do it yourself, in today's economy, I guess for the 47% LOL? It's only a McDonald's budget. And how can one create a fine culinary masterpiece out of one quarter pounder's? But does that make it bad? No. It makes it rock 'n roll. So how does rock and roll relate to audio purity when most of it is based upon distortion and mindless loudness levels? It doesn't. It only matters if people like it and want to screw to it. And they've been doing that since the Ampex 200. Well maybe the 300? Les Paul and Mary Ford didn't use the 200. It was the 300 with 350 electronics. And though I know it? That machine can still make fabulous recordings today. Do ya think any of this stuff we're using today will be around to use in 2063? That 300 will still be working.

This site is helping me make my mind up to retire early. I really wanted to do this until I was at least 70. Not sure about that anymore? I mean Billy Joel is still playing with the same bunch of guys he started with in 1972. Who else is singing at the inauguration? James Taylor. And how about those other rockers in their 70s? Why shouldn't I still be working? My hearing is better than all y'all's. Obviously no one else's is? And of course you can have the best sound with the cheapest equipment IF you know how to use it. But nobody wants to practice at anything. It's supposed to come naturally without effort. Well it ain't that way. But you can make it that way if ya keep lowering the bar and the expectations. And then everybody tells me my engineering sounds like it's from the 1970s. Well what a wonderful complement I take that as. Yes I do. Because myself along with others like Donny, Boswell, Dave and all the rest, we are the end of an era. The Golden age era of real engineers doing real engineering. And I feel very fortunate to have had such an incredible, exciting, gratifying, spectacular, career. But I really believe it's over? At least for myself. What I do doesn't fit anymore. People are still singing opera. People are still playing violins. There are people that are still the engineers that recorded all that we look up to. And I'm the last.

Oh my?
Mx. Remy Ann David

Remy: You appear to be suffering from 'secure boot.' This is a Microsoft feature that uses the UEFI layer to insure that only your copy of Windows 8 can boot the machine. This actually is considered to be a good thing in the corporate IT community as it protects stolen machines from someone who might boot the machine from a CD drive to get around passwords to steal data from the machine. Unfortunately it has some really bad collateral consequences for others as you have already noticed. Microsoft will tell you that this is done, "To give you the best possible computing experience." What that means in English is that they don't want you to be able to buy a machine and install Linux on it. They consider Linux to be a bad and dangerous computing experience.

http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/secure-boot-vs-restricted-boot/statement

One problem that I have with it is that you can't use a cloner disc to do a backup. I don't backup anything here. I just clone my hard drives in their entirety. That necessitates booting from an optical drive or usb drive. That won't work with secure boot.

The only proper ways to get around this are either to turn off secure boot or get a key to it. It is HIGHLY unlikely that you will be able to get a key from Microsoft. You may be able to turn it off, but I can't help you.

Some intrepid hackers claim to have gotten around secure boot. Google it if you want to try.

PS: If you think channel 4 sounds bad, don't even try channel 9 local news. They installed some kind of compressor & the first word of every sentence is loud until it grabbs the rest and squishes it.....maybe a Shure level-loc?!?!?

PPS: Clicks due to DC offset??? Yes! Remember the old 'Radio Central' studios on the 5th. floor in New York. A click every time a switch was activated. They simply needed static drain resistors on the relay contacts. That shouldn't be happening anymore. In those days it was quite common for people to switch between transformer isolated devices that could float around anywhere in reference to ground. Today almost everything is referenced so there shouldn't be any clicks unless something is really wrong.

Well, I suppose I should be glad that my motherboard doesn't support Secure Boot. Then again, it's a nice security if it works as described.