Almost 3 months on, Windows 8 is attracting individuals spanning over every age group. We have heard much about the new user interface, including that it is disappointing. At this point we feel that initial reactions with regards to its usability and user experience where the user interface is concerned has been extensively covered. Therefore, we decided to take on another perspective that can be a source of bad user experience. I am speaking about speed and performance. To obtain an unbiased view, together with my colleagues we conducted a number of speed and performance tests so as to compare Windows 8 with Windows 7.
For this purpose we have carried out windows 7 pro vs windows 8.1 free download such as boot up and shutdown times, file copying, browsing, gaming and similar synthetic benchmarks on two identically machines.
To ensure fairness, we also ensured that both versions of Windows were identically configured. Windows 8 Starts Up faster than Windows 7. Windows 8 took 18 seconds while windows 7 took 27 seconds. Calculated diff1erence is 8 seconds. A similar improvement is seen when measuring shutdown time. Windows 8 took 8 seconds versus the 12 seconds in windows 7. Calculated difference is 4 seconds. Windows 8 shows a marked improvement here as well. However we still thought 10 seconds was too long.
We then tested Windows 8 using our SSD and the exact same windows 7 pro vs windows 8.1 free download second window was repeated. While windows 7 took 13 seconds. Still, the performance was very similar on both operating systems, though the more mature Windows 7 was slightly faster. Even when comparing apples to apples, with both operating systems running ExcelWindows 8 is more efficient using the CPU cycles to its benefit on simulation.
Windows 8 features a new Explorer interface for transferring files, which provides more accurate data on transfer speeds and estimated time of completion. It also stacks multiple transfer windows together. The user interface is awesome, but on the performance side of things there is little difference when transferring multiple large files together or individually. Windows 8 and Windows 7 pro vs windows 8.1 free download 7 deliver similar performance in both situations.
When transferring thousands of smaller files we also found that Windows 7 and Windows 8 offer the same performance. As you can see, the desktop version of the IE10 browsers on Windows 8 delivered virtually the same performance as IE9 on Windows 7. Chrome works better in Windows 8 incomparison with Firefox runing on indentical Windows 8 computer.
Internet Explorer works very slow in all version of windows. Looking at the gaming performance for Battlefield 3, it can be observed that both operating systems provide similar performance with a very slight leading edge for Windows 7. The difference isn not significant however.
Similar to the previous 3DMark testthis relies on graphics drivers more than anything else. Microsoft seemed to hit full stride with Windows 7, developing a fast and efficient operating system. Thankfully it seems Windows 8 windows 7 pro vs windows 8.1 free download to build on that pattern as we found it to be on par windows 7 pro vs windows 8.1 free download and occasionally faster than Windows 7.
This will particularly benefit laptop and tablet users. At the end we concluded that Windows 8 is faster than Windows 7 in some aspects such as startup time, shut down time, wake up from sleep, multimedia performance, web browsers performance, transferring large file and Microsoft excel performance but it is slower in 3D graphic performance and high resolution gaming performance.
Battery life improved enough to be noticeable. Moreover Windows 8 is significantly more secure than Windows 7 and it is basically designed to take advantage of touch screens while Windows 7 is only for desktops. One last word of advice — if you are running Windows 7 on your current PC, then there is no urgency to upgrade the hardware just to run Windows 8…just yet!
Windows 7 pro vs windows 8.1 free download, on the other hand, you want to brush up on the basics of UX and Usability, then consider to take the online course on User Experience.
Good luck on your learning journey! Lead image: Depositphotos. You can contact him on twitter muhammadmobi and at muhammadmobi facebook. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website.
These cookies do not store any personal information. Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content. Windows 7 — Speed And Performance Testing. I am speaking about speed and performance Windows 8 vs. Windows 7 — The Experiments To obtain an unbiased view, together with my colleagues we conducted a number of speed and performance tests so as to compare Windows 8 with Windows 7.
Shutdown Time A similar improvement is seen when measuring shutdown time. Wake-up From Sleep Windows 8 shows a marked improvement here as well. Transferring Multiple Large Files Together Windows 8 features a windows 7 pro vs windows 8.1 free download Explorer interface for transferring files, which provides more accurate data on transfer speeds and estimated time of completion.
Transferring Multiple Smaller Files Together When transferring thousands of smaller files we also found that Windows 7 and Windows 8 offer the same performance. Windows 8 vs. Windows 7 — Conclusion Microsoft seemed to hit full stride with Windows 7, developing a fast and efficient operating system. Want to learn more? Get Started. Read more about us Become an Author at UsabilityGeek.
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