Works great

I have Windows 8.1.  You will have no issues with MRH.  On that note Windows 8 is a very fast and stable operating system, though it does take some gettig used to.

-Kevin

get a touch screen

Everyone I know that has Win 8 without a touch screen hates it. I am still running XP and Win 7 boxes (the XP is my surf the internet, I don't care box). I hate having to work on Windows Server 2012 boxes through RDP, due to the odd places for things. Win 8 really is great for phones and tablets. I am thinking about getting a new Win 8 box and putting on Source forge's classic shell, so it looks like a real windows box

Time to switch to a Mac?

You don't sound thrilled to move to yet another problematic Windows system, and no one would blame you. So maybe it's time to make the move to a Mac. About 7 years ago I got disgusted with my big, powerful Dell laptop that perma-crashed twice, needing a new motherboard both times, amazingly while still under warranty. In desperation, I bought the cheapest Mac laptop and gave it a try. The sun came out, birds sang, and rainbows appeared. Easy, simple navigation, several great programs included for free, no antivirus software to slow it down, no nagging Adobe updaters. Nirvana. When asked, my Mac friends always used to say: "It just works". Seven years and 3 Macs later, I can confirm that they're right. 

Even if you have some specific Windows software you believe you MUST use (I had a few of those but quickly found better Mac substitutes), there's simple software that will allow you to do that on your Mac. 

Best of luck, whichever way you go.

Jan Twardowski, Gig Harbor WA

Watch the learning curve.

I went from an old XP system at home to a windows 8 without touch screen and hated it. It was a gift and a return so no documentation. It took me forever to figure out how to simply close a program/window when in win8 mode. Touch screen or not navigating the hidden tools is anouying as heck. The good news is you can run in desktop mode or better yet update to win8,1. Win8.1 shows more easily accessible navigation buttons than win8 and will be easier to learn for those coming from older systems. 

I had no issues running MRH on my win8 or win8.1 system.

re: Mac -- MRH works great

I should have mentioned in my Mac post that MRH downloads are one-click-simple with a Mac. You don't need any additional software like Adobe Reader, as the Mac has everything built in. 

Good luck!

Jan Twardowski

Works great in Ubuntu as

Works great in Ubuntu as well. if you have to learn a new operating system, why not learn a free, open source (and more secure) one?

Windoze 8?

VADE RETRO, SATAN!!!. Jose.

Ubuntu and Mac viruses

Microsoft Windows 8++

Microsoft seams to have learned their lesson AGAIN (Can we say ME,  Vista). They have announce the release of an "update" to make it look and run more like Windows 7 (Start returns with hopefully better keyboard and mouse support).

Win 8.1 over Mac everytime!

Win 8.1 is perfectly fine, if you cant adapt to the apps style system, then you can do everything as you do now in the desktop mode. There are a few differences but nothing difficult to master. If you can handle apps on phones and tablets then win8 mode is just as good. I went from XP to win 8.1 and now love it, I havent found anything I cant do yet!

Don't be fooled by the go for a Mac it works perfectly every time slogan, that is slowly being eroded away by the poor OS X.

(and no I don't need a war of words over Macs) Just google OS X issues! 

Hmmm!

I've been using MS Windows since V2.0 (yes, it did have problems, but then there were not that many programs to run on it - yet). Before trying to run MS Windows, because I am an engineer and computer programmer, I "read the book(s)" first. I run or use several versions of MS Windows and I don't crash except when some new software component under development has a bug or two. Yes, Win8 is a challenge - thanks to touch screen technology stretching the envelope - try Win V8.1 to overcome that difficulty. Yeah, bremner, that Win 2012 is a bit pesty 'til you get used to it.

Deskto[

Its really easy have windows 8 boot to the same desktop you are used to

Windows 8 -- The "New Coke" of operating systems

Why not Win 7?

Why not get a pc with Win 7?  Save yourself the aggravation.

Many companies still make comps with it.

Windows 8 works fine with mouse and keyboard

Windows 8 or 8.1 will provide all you need to access Model Railroad Hobbyist.

A lot of nonsense has appeared in this thread about needing to use a touchscreen with Windows 8 - every feature is accessible through mouse and keyboard, just as it was in all previous versions of Windows.

Get to the desktop by clicking on the Desktop tile on the Start Screen, and everything is as it was in Windows 7 - but with a lot of improved facilities. The only thing that is missing is the Start Menu, and all of its facilities are still accessible either from the All Apps view on the Start Screen, or by a right-click in the bottom left corner of the screen.

In Windows 8.1 you can set the computer up to boot straight to the Desktop if you prefer - see the simple instructions at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/use-the-desktop.

New users should get any simple guide to Windows 8, or get one online, such as http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/tutorial-using-windows-8 or http://www.laptopmag.com/windows-8.1-tutorials.aspx to get them over the initial unfamiliar Start Screen hurdle.

should work fine

I only have a win8.1 laptop

I only have a win8.1 laptop and agree that you dont need a touchscreen, mine has one and I find myself using it less and less as time goes by and I'm an android tablet and smartphone user and can handle the screen setup with ease. I do find that selecting lots of things such as tick boxes for emails is easier with the touchscreen and its quicker than using the mouse pad, but other wise its annoying when your your children come a long and bash and prod the screen going what you doing Dad, and it all goes haywire!

But its great for MRH! Although getting lumped with Nitro  pdf reader ## was annoying.

Regards

Dave

## left in to prove the point about stray childrens fingers and wasnt an expletive about nitro!

Ubuntu is as easy to install

Ubuntu is as easy to install as Windows. And Linux virii are very difficult to write or propagate.

Mac runs on a BSD kernel (sort of a flavor of Unix.)

Been a Microsoft user since MS-DOS 3.0

Browsers. ..

Browsers

I had always used IE, With more issues I finally listened to my son and started using firefox and I like it better. With IE I had to log in to this forum everyday but with firefox I have not logged in again since I installed it.

I moved to Ubuntu....

... a few years ago after a somewhat unfortunate experience with Micro$oft tech dept. And I am not coming back. Everything is easier and works better (and is free!). No #$%^ registrations ever. Firefox comes already with it, with thousands of apps. If any of you has an unused computer give it a try. Jose.

Windows 8.1 .... can use some help

If you really want Windows 8.1 to look like Windows used to, and to stay away as much as possible from the Metro (Tiles) interface, use the prior instructions to boot straight to the desktop and also buy (It's < $6) Start8 from Stardock ( http://www.stardock.com/products/start8/) as a replacement start menu.

You can use either Adobe PDF Reader or Foxit Pro for reading MRH on it without difficulty.

I have it without a touchscreen - while I recommend getting a touchscreen, gestures on the touchpad can do a decent job of replacing one.

I've also installed a wireless trackball because I like it's control capabilities.

  I heard something

Classic Shell

Home page: http://www.classicshell.net/

on SourceForge: http://sourceforge.net/projects/classicshell/?source=directory