Windows Blue Is Officially Windows 8.1, Free For Existing Users 491
Several readers sent word that Microsoft has officially dubbed the upcoming revision to its flagship operating system "Windows 8.1," retiring the code-name "Windows Blue." They also said the update would be freely available to anybody with Windows 8. It will be available through the Windows Store. "Reller declined to provide an exact release date for Windows 8.1, but said that Microsoft is 'very sensitive to the timing of the holidays.' Ideally, Microsoft will be able to provide devices with Windows 8.1 pre-loaded in time for the holiday 2013 season, Reller said, but those who purchase a Windows 8 device later this year will be able to easily upgrade to 8.1."
Maybe I can Start loving Windows again (Score:5, Interesting)
Stop saddling me with your damn phone interface and we'll see.
So are they really fixing it this time? (Score:5, Interesting)
Running Windows 8 at home has been an exercise in asking "How did that get though testing?" questions.
I have observed a number of bugs in the current Windows 8 that cause me to seriously doubt Microsoft's Quality control processes. My running favorite issue is how the Parental controls are exceptionally easy to bypass (just a mouse click at the right time and my son has unlimited time despite how the system is configured.. ) Come on Microsoft... Windows 8 was mostly a GUI adjustment to that metro aka touch screen interface... No real kernel changes from Windows 7.. You need to test a bit better kids.
Windows 8 was not properly tested prior to release, I'm guessing because they rushed it to market. Hopefully 8.1 won't be as rushed and they will actually TEST some of this stuff a bit better this time.
Re:Wow... (Score:5, Interesting)
Showing something is better...
When I showed someone how to do it with win 8 they looked at me and said "how do I know I should do that?!"
They seemed to have forgot one of their early lessons with the 'start' button.
http://www.irintech.com/x1/co/3586/1347415399000
store only? (Score:3, Interesting)
Will there still be a stand alone MSI for those of us who have multiple PCs to update? Enterprise or not, updates of this nature need to be available to install on non connected PCs, and I would also like to be able to have it on my USB utility drive so I can upgrade customers/family who have Win 8 PCs.
What really happened (Score:3, Interesting)
Windows 8 was a classic marketing trick. Company has a brand new product. Company has an existing, highly successful, product. Company uses latest version of existing product to 'trojan horse' the new product into customers' lives. After promotion period is over, company once again restores familiar version of original product.
Only problem is that Microsoft has messed up this age old tactic in every way possible. The 'freebie', Metro, RT or whatever the marketing goons at MS fail to call it, was neither wanted nor valued by existing users of Windows. Unlike the free issue of a new magazine that arrives with the current issue of your current magazine subscription, Metro offered nothing useful to anyone. Metro was designed for touch tablets, but Windows 8 mostly sold for non-touch desktop and notebook systems.
You must know this. Originally, full blown Windows 8 was set to be released for ARM computer devices, but then Microsoft accepted an extraordinary pay-off from Intel to delay this inevitable move for another year+. The high managers of Microsoft cancelled the plans for Windows on ARM, instructed the teams to cripple the ARM version of Windows to Metro only, and switched to the 'trojan horse' promotion of Metro on proper Windows 8 installs. The end result was the biggest marketing disaster in Microsoft history, and Intel's pay-off does nothing to change this.
The irony is that ARM devices DO have full blown Windows 8 on them, which is activated by very minor hacks, but the perception of the ARM devices as Metro only, combined with obscenely high prices, meant the Metro ARM tablets didn't sell at all. No hardware base means no-one cares to develop Windows 8 code apps for ARM (which, by the way, is trivial using Microsoft's ARM tools).
Now, ordinary Windows 8 (known as 8.1 for a short periof, before reverting back to 8) will be returned to Windows 7 desktop functionality. Metro will be (to all intents and purposes) repositioned exclusively as a 'mobile' platform. Curiously, this will happen at the same time as Microsoft prepares to release a proper version of Windows 8 for ARM- but then ARM is about to become commonplace in notebook and desktop systems as the old x86 market dies.
Microsoft is correct in thinking that the traditional, multiple window interface of desktop computers is a poor match for mobile devices in their touch screen mode. However, touch screen devices are rapidly becoming 'hybrids', becoming notebooks when docked to a keyboard, and tablets when used without. It is natural that these two modes of use can switch between two interfaces, AT THE USERS DISCRETION.
Microsoft's biggest problem is that they still expect to make each user pay loads of money for Windows. This is rather like the old 2D SVGA graphics companies like Hercules expecting PC users to still pay loads of money for the 2D graphics hardware. Established computer tech, hardware or software, tends to lose all value across time. Your 2D hardware once cost you hundreds of dollars, but now costs just a few cents. The OS should, likewise, be effectively free. Microsoft should be making its money from 'services' by now.
MS knows that moving to tablets means finally accepting that an OS has minimal value. It also knows that with the growing performance of tablets, it cannot pretend the tablet OS is clearly inferior to the desktop OS. Windows has a choice. Become 'free' or become history. Google can deliver the coup de grace at any time now by authorising an official multi-window shell for Android, and give it the desktop functionality of Windows. Of course, there are already any number of unofficial shells for Android that allow people to use it in desktop mode, but app developers need a standard platform to really make a difference.
The age of the x86 is over. The unavoidable Intel tax ensures this fact. The fate of Microsoft is less certain. Intel CANNOT afford to give away its only good product, its x86 CPU. Microsoft CAN afford to give away Windows (in theory) and even do the same for offline OFFICE. The move to ARM does not have to destroy MS. Microsoft just needs to employ some high level managers that have a clue and a backbone for once. Obviously this cannot happen while the useless clown Ballmer is in charge.
Re:Too little, too late? (Score:3, Interesting)
I've never even seen Win 8, but I certainly have seen the stories and people saying how much they dislike it ...
It's funny, because other than these kinds of statements and initial reviews from online rags, I've only heard average to good things about Windows 8 (in comparison to XP or 7). That is, everyone I've talked to who's actually used it - y'know, the people whose opinion I value because they've actually got experience with what they're talking about - had two complaints:
1) "I didn't like the start screen at all." Well, then I got used to it. I also pinned the stuff I normally use on the desktop to the taskbar. These are people that have next to know computer skills. They got used to it very quickly, and stopped complaining.
2) "I miss the start menu". Then I pinned all my stuff to the taskbar and it didn't matter anymore. Because, y'know, most users don't need 2,557 shortcuts on a start menu, but when they do they simply hit "search" on the charms bar and get the same damn thing if they really needed it.
That's it. Otherwise, every single of them - from 20 years IT folks to grandmothers - say it's faster, and I have yet to hear anyone say they've gotten a blue screen (admittedly, I have... I also have heat issues due to overclocking).
Personally? I think Windows 8 is moderate step up from Windows 7 in speed, with a moderate step down in GUI.
When asked, I tell people that if they're buying a new machine to have no fear of Windows 8. If they're running a legit copy 7 or XP, I tell them to wait it out for Blue. If they're running a pirated copy, I told every single person I know to buy the damn thing for 20 buys at the time.
Now, since I don't know anyone that actually uses Slashdot since about 2009, perhaps the people I consult, work with in a professional relationship, or drink with in bars is different than the expectation here. However, given Slashdot's steady decline as of late (far more pronounced than Microsoft's), I'd have to say that you're likely in the minority, or will be within the next year.
* Posting anon for obvious reasons.
Re:Wow... (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't know how I'm comfortable with it either, but after using Windows 8 for half a year I am (not saying it necessarily takes six months to get comfortable, I just don't remember whether I was comfortable with it from the start (no pun intended) or not).
Both the start menu and start screen grab my attention, which is expected since I pressed winkey to bring them up in order to use them. Win+I and enter gives direct access to control panel. Harshly coloured jumbled mess is a bit of an exaggeration IMHO, all the icons on my start screen have a calm blue background.
I still haven't found any useful Metro apps though. I have tried Metro Skype every now and then, but it's very limited compared to the desktop version.
Re:Wow... (Score:5, Interesting)
I clicked it, thinking: "Surely this will let me set the image as the wallpaper", but I was given just two options: set as lockscreen (IT'S A LAPTOP!), and set as 'app tile'
I immediately closed the window since the option I wanted wasn't there--no wait, actually I didn't close it. There was no UI option to close this fullscreen picture. I alt-tabbed back to the desktop. I found the picture again, right clicked it, and went to the "open with" option. There were like 5 image viewers that came with Windows to choose from. I chose the old "Windows Photo Viewer" and set it as the default so this madness won't happen again.
Re:Wow... (Score:3, Interesting)
There is no apparent way to get to the control panel in windows 7. Someone had to teach you or you had to poke around.
This is 'It's not what I'm used to, whaaa' and nothing more.
Re:Wow... (Score:4, Interesting)
In Windows 7/Vista, the start menu shows you an input box--the closest element to the button, in fact--with "Search Programs and Files"
In Windows 8, the start menu shows you an entire screen's worth of distracting colors and movement, all contained within identical boxes.