>>> I’m thinking of updating from windows 7 to windows 8
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There is no need. W7 is good operating system.
My only complaint with Windows 7 is that it is impossible to set up a wired network without a router of some sort.
I needed to transfer huge amounts of data between two computers and wanted full use of the Gigabit NICs my machines had through a gigabit switch. They would not communicate until I also ran a patch cable from my switch to my wireless router. Not exactly my idea of a secure wired LAN.
I refuse to use Windows 8 on any of my machines. I tried it out on a customer’s computer. How that abomination ever got released on the market is a mystery.