Windows 8 transformation pack for Windows XP Service Pack 3

Can I activate the Windows XP Tablet PC edition with the Windows XP professional key?

I wouldn’t think it would, (rant mode = on) but the bigger question is, what the HELL are you doing running Windows XP? In ANY edition? It’s a virus infection just waiting to happen. There’s no antivirus that’s up-to-date that could fix an infection of malware.If you are foolhardy enough to install it (or even if you’re brilliantly skilled enough to avoid getting malware on the computer), you can never ever let that computer get on the internet, nor can it come into contact (via a network) with any computer so connected. Nor can you transmit via USB thumb-drive or SD card any file from any computer that has had internet contact.I know there’s a small cadre of Quora readers who are still in love with Windows XP, and I can understand why. It was — and I emphasize, was — an excellent version of Windows. But it’s old and dead.So the only safe way to run Windows XP (or DOS, or Windows 95, or anything older than Windows 8.1) is in a Virtual Machine (VM) running on something like VMware Workstation Player or Oracle VirtualBox or KVM or the like. You clone the installation, then store it somewhere NOT on the computer’s internal hard drives (so, a USB thumb-drive or an SD card or an external Hard Drive).If the VM gets infected, just delete the file (preferably something called, for example, my_virtual_machine.vmdk or my_virtual_machine.vhd), download the cloned copy, start it up, and voila, you’re back in business (if you want hints/tips/tricks about setting up a VM, comment below).Otherwise, my advice is, just don’t do it; instead, look into Linux, which has some really lightweight distros (lubuntu, kubuntu, Antix Linux, peppermint Linux, just as examples) that can run on pretty much anything, and best of all, doesn’t use anti-virus software because it doesn’t need antivirus software.Mostly my opinion; it doesn’t answer the question very thoroughly, but to answer the question, that’s like asking exactly why swallowing razor blades is a really bad idea.What, you have to ask why? (it’s called “common-sense”, folks, the problem with which is that common-sense just isn’t very common).Thanks for the A2A. Rant-mode = off.

What is your least favorite version of Microsoft Windows?

What is your LEAST favorite version of Microsoft Windows?As you’d expect, Windows 1.0 was by far the worst, followed by Windows 2. The first version of Windows that was actually any good was Windows 3.0, which was quickly improved by Windows 3.11.Before Windows 3 came out in 1990, everybody had a better windowing system than Microsoft. That includes the Apple Macintosh (1984), the Atari ST and the Commodore Amiga (1985), the Acorn Archimedes, and utilities that ran on PCs such as Digital Research’s GEM and Quarterdeck’s Desqview.After that, all versions of Windows were pretty good if you ran them on the right hardware, with the right amount of memory, with the right drivers, and if you installed them correctly.If you didn’t have the required knowledge or technical expertise, of course, you could run into problems. This was a major failing with some versions of Windows, which were supposed to run on cheap hardware and be usable by complete idiots.Windows Me was fine if you did a clean installation and set it up correctly. It wasn’t very good if you did an in-place upgrade.Windows XP was fine after Microsoft released the second Service Pack, which involved rewriting huge chunks of it and fixing loads of security holes.Windows Vista was fine after Microsoft released the first Service Pack, if it was installed on sufficiently powerful hardware with good graphics drivers. Unlike XP, you didn’t need to nurse it to prevent it from crashing.Windows 8 was fine if you ran it on a touch-screen slate like a Surface Pro, which I did. If you didn’t have a touch screen, you needed to install a utility such as Classic Shell. However, it didn’t work well enough for most people, which is why Microsoft had to rush out a fix with Windows 8.1.The best versions for their time have been Windows 3, Windows 95, Windows NT4, Windows 2000, Windows 7 and Windows 10.Windows 10 is the best version of all time.I used to think that award would go to Windows 7. My advice to users was to install Windows 7 as soon as possible and use it for as long as possible. (It was foolish to stick to the inferior Windows XP.) After using Windows 10 for a year, I changed my mind, and my advice.

Is downgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 7 worth it?

Windows 10 and Windows 7 aren’t really all that different under the hood. Besides the UI, there are of course critical kernel-level differences between the former and the latter, but the rule of thumb that matters to end users is that if something runs on Windows 7, it will most likely run on Windows 10 as well. However, there do exist a few outliers that won’t work on Win10, and I suspect that’s why you want to downgrade.If you find that some programs aren’t running well (or at all) on Windows 10 but are fine on Windows 7, you could try the following things before going through with the downgrade:Getting the latest versions of your problem applications; the newest versions may be Win10-compatibleRunning the problem applications in compatibility modeUsing alternative applicationsTo specifically answer the question, I don’t think it’s worth it to downgrade unless you really need some program(s) to work, and there is no viable alternative. It isn’t worth it mainly because official mainstream support for Windows 7 ended in January 2015.What this means is that you will not be able to contact Microsoft for technical support regarding Windows 7, and you won’t receive any new non-security updates for Windows 7 because they aren’t making them anymore.

Why did Microsoft discontinue Aero Glass effects for Windows 8?

Microsoft wanted to unite Windows, Windows Phone 8, and the Xbox design with Metro Start Screen and apps.Now aero glass may look nice on Desktop, But i don't think it will work out well with metro apps and the UI of Xbox and Windows Phone.Also, Transparency Takes a toll on CPU and GPU clock cycles. Removing it, will make the system faster. Also Paul Thurrott, on his blog Supersite for Windows, argues that Microsoft is getting rid of Aero Glass to extend battery life.Aero, with all its glassy, translucent goodness, is bad for battery  life. Metro, meanwhile, which is flat, dull, not transparent, and only  full screen, is very good for battery life. It’s predictable,” he  writes.And battery life matters much more to the on-the-go tablet or laptop  user, not the always-plugged-in desktop user. Also Aero Glass have been there in both Vista and 7. It would have become way too much repetitive.If i remember correctly, the developer preview version of windows 8 HAD aero glass but with squared edges. They removed it completely in final release.So I would say It's because of three things. Uniformity between Metro UI and different Microsoft systems.Improving performance a little bit.Saving battery Life.To avoid skeuomorphism.Those are the reasons I think Microsoft might have. Microsoft itself never made any official statement about it.Also, i think removing transparency was good. Sure Aero looked cooler, but the flatter solid color window allow more attention on contents of windows rather than the Title bar itself. But still I think Aero glass should have been an option for those who wanted it. They just bluntly removed the whole source code of transparency!