
The new version of Windows – Windows 8 – is officially available to consumers as of today. There are some great additions to Windows 8, such as a “one-click” system reset, built-in support for ISO files (I know all of you consignment software users are just DYING for that feature!), and faster boot times.
One of the most controversial changes to Windows 8, is the lack of the Start button/menu:

Many feel that Microsoft are attempting to make a “bold” move and push consumers to something they don’t know they want yet – the touch/tablet interface. With no Start button, once you get to the traditional Desktop, you’re seemingly trapped. How to you launch a new program? How do you shut down the computer? There are invisible “hot spots” in the corner of the screen, which is where Microsoft anticipates YOU will be able to find quite intuitively. Checkout our post, Shutting Down Windows 8 | The Long and Winding Road… to see just how “intuitive” it is.
Windows 8’s UI is clearly more touch friendly and similar to Apple, Microsoft is attempting to unify their operating system across multiple devices – e.g. Windows Phone, Windows Surface, etc.

With many people still running Windows XP, which is now 11 years old and reaches its end of life in 2013, Windows 8 is not the version of Windows we recommend running out and buying.
Windows 7 is a huge leap above Windows XP in terms of security and for business systems – even personal systems – I can’t faithfully recommend Windows 8 just yet. Windows 7 is slated for end of life in 2020, so we have plenty of time.
Another big problem is consignment software compatibility. We’ve tested each of the major consignment programs on Windows 8 and we’ve found that Liberty’s database management system, MS SQL Server 2008 Express Edition, is not compatible with Windows 8:

So for anyone running Liberty, as of right now Liberty is not compatible with Windows 8.
The way it’s looking, it might not be a bad idea to skip every other version of Windows. 🙂 Windows ME – problem ridden. Windows XP – solid. Windows Vista – not as horrible as some think, but still not an OS I would recommend for my worst enemy. Windows 7 – fantastic improvement. Windows 8 – let’s see. Windows 9…
If anyone has any questions, let us know!