When planning to create your own online office, you are not only required but are also bound to upgrade your computer and communication systems. One of which that you may consider is installing Windows 8 to your more-than-a-year-old PC. However, like building your first virtual office, you may somehow anticipate disappointments and hassles. This is because older PCs, even if they meet the technical requirements of Windows 8, may not welcome the latest Microsoft OS version.
Windows 8 Woes Continue
Some users complained having problems with the new OS running on their PCs, after going through some painful processes only to find out some capabilities disappearing. That happened even with PCs who run Windows 7 smoothly and which hardware specifications meet what Windows 8 basically requires.
Some people with newer PCs though, whose manufacturers have readied them for Windows 8, or are ready with software patches, shall surely have a better experience. It might be too late for you to learn that your PC is not ready for Windows 8, or cannot accommodate Windows 8, and what you have to do is take another time to reinstall its lost features.
On the other hand, most third-party subscription services like a RingCentral virtual office seem to work just fine, since systems like these will work as long as you can get your computer to connect to the Internet.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X301 Laptop and the HP TouchSmart 300
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Windows 8 has been installed on a Lenovo ThinkPad X301 laptop and an HP TouchSmart 300. The Lenovo ThinkPad laptop, cannot manage to scroll the Windows 8 Start Screen environment which looks like those in tablets. It cannot perform some gestures of Windows 8. Whereas the touch screen of HP TouchSmart 300 is not sensitive enough to perform the touch gestures of Windows 8. The software installed on the ThinkPad and TouchSmart have been wiped out, and that includes Microsoft and HP programs.
Though it is understandable that new OS versions cannot run on some PCs, what is difficult to accept is that the installer would not let you know; and it will be hard to know later on, after some attempts have been made to install, only to find out that you just cannot. It surely is a waste of both time and effort. This is a good lesson to learn, and the best thing to do is seek some information from the web, preferably the websites of the target PCs to make sure your PCs can run Windows 8, before you go through the bloody process, only to find out that it is useless.
Feedback from Lenovo and HP
A spokesman from Lenovo said that the X301 is already five years old and the company decided that it the device would not support Windows 8. Microsoft offers software for Upgrade Assistant which can warn users of upgrade troubles at http://bit.ly/SdUxFo.
While the information page of HP at http://bit.ly/SdTCVp said that the company has not tested the TouchSmart PC and for such reason, HP is not able to provide instructions regarding neither upgrades nor drivers for Windows 8. It warned that stability and some basic functionalities might be lost when you try to do the upgrade. An HP spokeswoman said that it is critical for any older PC, like the TouchSmart 300 which debuted in 2009, to simply work well with the extensive innovative Windows 8 features.
Windows 8 Basic Hardware Requirements
Windows 8 basic hardware requirements are 1 gigahertz processor or faster, at least 1 or 2 gigabyte memory (depending whether the PC is 32- or 64-bit), 16 or 20 gigabytes of free storage (ditto) and a graphics system which handles the graphics standard of Microsoft called DirectX 9 with the WDDM driver. Actual installation may take approximately two hours. If you include the time spent tweaking your PC and getting Windows 8 built-in apps, it may take longer than that.
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