Windows 8.1 RTM Trickling Out, With Start Menu and Boot-to-Desktop 496
poofmeisterp writes "It's about time. Windows 8.1 will be released to end users in October, and RTM is being released now: 'Windows 8.1, codenamed "Blue," is introducing a number of changes designed to make the new operating system more palatable to current Windows users. Windows 8.1 is adding a Start Button, a boot-straight-to-desktop option; the ability to unpin all Metro apps; built-in tutorials; an improved Windows Store and a host of other consumer- and business-focused features. Microsoft launched its one and only Windows 8.1 consumer preview test build in late June.'"
TPM (Score:3, Interesting)
Ahh... Windows 8.1. The one requiring a "Trusted Computing" TPM in the PC to get a Window certification.
Thanks Microsoft - I really want a hardware dongle in the machine to enforce DRM and ensure that I never really own the machine as I don't have the keys to it. Cheers.
P.S. How's that arrangement with the NSA coming BTW?
Re:Too little too late (Score:0, Interesting)
Why would I be pissed off by something I can easily change and fix myself with no particular trouble?
That'd be like being pissed off with Gnome or KDE or XFCE because they don't do things perfectly the way I want, when I can easily find a way to change it to how I would like it.
If you know, I don't sit on my ass and whine like a spoiled brat who can't take any initiative.
See this is what I don't understand about the crowd here, they apparently take it as given that this is a problem, but never take the time to consider that they can get Start8, Classic8 or any of a dozen other tools to fit their desires, which is more confusing when it's a crowd that it should be able to take proactive steps rather than sit on their asses and whine.
Missing feature enterprises waiting for.... (Score:4, Interesting)
"Boot straight to XP" mode.... with the memory and disk requirements of Windows 8; better thing would've been to bundle an XP inside of Windows 8; and provide an option to Boot Straight To XP mode; there's still metric tons worth software that will run only on XP; not even Vista nor 7.
People who truly need or want the Metro stuff can boot to that junk if they want to; and they'd probably get what they deserve.
That way MS can keep legacy code and legacy depending customers happy; and still provide them a path to run so-called modern apps which are a pain in the desktop.
Re:A step in the right direction! (Score:5, Interesting)
> It appears that Microsoft are responding to the needs of their customers.
Re:Too little too late (Score:5, Interesting)
I'd say that the point is more that Microsoft took an interface that worked fine, namely the Start Menu, and replaced it with something that, for the most part, did not work as well. Third-party tools to customize an interface should be niceties, not a cure for someone else's screw-up.
Re:Too little too late (Score:4, Interesting)
It is actually worse than that.
It's a third party program, not intended for corporate use, put on over 10k computers.
That is several dozen if not more different hardware configurations. The program is bound to malfunction on some of them.
This is on top of the fact you still have to somehow 'train' all those 10k+ people on how to use it too.
Re:Too little too late (Score:4, Interesting)
If you want to modify system settings windows key+x or right clicking the bottom left or start button if you are on 8.1 will give you a menu that blows away at 7 let you immediately access.
Someone clicking the start menu or using the windows key may have pinned favorites they access all the time. The start screen allows you to pin a lot more on it. And 8.1 gives you a small item size so you can fit even more.
The way I used to use the Vista/7 start menu was just pressing the windows key and then typing the name of the program I want. The start screen works the same way without you needing to bring up the search charm. Just press open the start screen and start typing.
Where I thing Microsoft messed up was forcing all of the metro apps on desktop users. The default PDF and image handlers are horrible. Thankfully the desktop version for the picture viewer is still included. A simple option to allow a user to use all of the new metro or fall back to the desktop mode of apps would have kept away a lot of confusion. Especially when the metro apps act as a walled garden and don't give you easy access to your files.
Re:Too little too late (Score:4, Interesting)
> Never used it, huh?
I don't intend to. The convertible on which we have Win8 has been a complete bust. As a touch interface 8 sucks, and going back to 7 makes the touch screen worthless. We'll be giving the device away, and looking into the Samsung Note for a touch device. My workstation is running 7, and will continue to do so. Why would I buy a new OS that has a bunch of stuff I don't want and then have to disable it? What REASON is there for me to upgrade?
I'll take what I can get (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Too little too late (Score:1, Interesting)
Yeah. I think people resort to typing program names as it's so clunky to find the programs using mouse in the Start Screen.
Give it a shot? I can open 5 applications or files before you can open one with a mouse. Type Windows Key and the name of something in a file you had open? Intellsense will autocomplete and it is open very fast. It is amazingly efficient and not clunky.
The mouse too me is too clunky too practical for real business use and its a real productivity killer. Especially for people like Admin assistants who get strange requests for pictures of that party back in 2011 and what was the last name with that guy we had a sales meeting last year etc? Instant search indexes tags from subjects and metadata in each file like emails, pictures, file names, etc.
After a week getting used to this it will feel natural. You can even open tasks and subjects of email in Outlook with this feature like my example with the admin assistant.
This was what Longhorn was supposed to be with WinFS and instant search is the only remaining legacy of that left in Windows 7 today. Windows 8 might not implement in a friendly way, but it is nice and to me an essential feature.
Stickers (Score:5, Interesting)
When you're not a computer geek or Microsoft employee, you don't necessarily touch computers every day, and trying to remember which hot corner to touch or where your application is, or how to get out of a full screen Metro app, is not something they're going to remember or even want to try to figure out.
Then put stickers on the four corners of the monitor: "<- Start Screen" at the bottom left, "<- Switch App" at the top left, and "-> Charms" at the top right. It'd be like the cardboard overlays on the F keys back in the DOS days.