If you have only used 8 in a VM then I can understand many of your problems. For some reason it just doesn't play well with VMs. Never has; I couldn't even get the early Betas to install on VirtualBox.

I never use Windows in VMs. Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD work just fine, but Windows is always a disappointing experience in a VM.

Sometimes is, sometimes isn't. It takes a while to find out.

Glad to see MHC has a choice of system. I've just checked with PC World for new desktops and I can have W8 or W8. No sale, then.

There's loads of guff about the great touchscreen experience but (1) we're touchtyped for 40+ years and (2) most of our activity involves typing. Touch keyboards drive us scatty, and touchscreens are not for us.

Our old machines on XP are still running perfectly with relatives. Why can't MS (and FF, and TB ...) leave well alone?

If your old machines are still running perfectly well, why did you get rid of them?

I wanted something faster (Flight Sim addict) and XP had been replaced by W7. And when I get something new, my better half gets one too. Otherwise I don't get any dinner

Now you know why Microsoft don't leave well enough alone. If they did you would still be using FS200, or even earlier versions, rather than the gorgeous FS X.

It's called progress.

Fair enough, I progressed to a faster machine and the OS that came with it. I take your point re FSX, 26 yrs of the real thing, now fly the sim!

Eventually W9 may be better for desktops, but I can't see much progress in W8's smeary fingermarked screen especially as we use Pshop quite often.

So, looks like Win7 ... maybe with a cheap Win8 upgrade.

Should I go for 32 bit or 64 ? The primary apps it will be used with are the MS Office packages, plus VISIO along with Photoshop Elements and SilkyPix

In reply to a post by AEP:

Most browsers nowadays supports some sort of Top Sites grid of frequently visited sites. This is what I use most, followed by favourites, and then direct typing of (part of) the URL.

I either type the whole URL in, or type in enough so that the browser can find the site from my bookmarks or i just look though my bookmarks.

since i don't allow the browser to save any history, I can't look though the history.

that is the way I do it.

Get Windows 8, don't mess about.