Technology Questions

[ChemLeg]

I'm usually good with technology - I deal with most, if not all, of the tech issues in the lab, including small-instruments and data backup / restore / cleaning.

 

One thing I noticed is that some of the stuff lost functionality when we shifted XP -> 7 (I demanded we keep an XP desktop, old laptop, and add 2 Win7 computers instead of just adding 3 Windows 7 computers - best decisions of my life, as the older stuff could not work on Win7). 

 

My concern is now even worse with Windows 8 - am I wrong to now start looking for a stable, solid computer while Windows 7 is still available, or should I embrace the torture that is WinH8? I had Vista, and I can say that the one laptop running Vista from 2007 is more stable, less grief-stricken than the new Windows 8 stuff that has been put out.

 

Even worse, I've noticed more and more higher-end laptops are switching to Solid-State Disks, which are failing at rates of over 7% - which may not sound like alot, but I have bad luck when it comes to computer failures exactly when I cannot afford them. 

And more and more of these high end laptops are lacking what used to be basic needs - DVD Drives are one of the biggest.

 

 

So, let's see if I can get a good feel from people who have bought any technology for Graduate School - did anyone upgrade to Windows 8, or Solid State Drives? Do grad-schools usually have noticeable discounts, or am I just fine with any discounts I'm getting through my undergrad institution?

(My Sony is unreliable, and I will be benching it in July or August).

 

(On a related note - before certain changes, is there any software I should try to get my hands on before policy changes take over? I have Acrobat Pro, and Photoshop, but anything else good that is traditionally expensive?)