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Windows Blue Is Officially Windows 8.1, Free For Existing Users
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."
So, then it is the unofficial return of the service packs.
I honestly wasn't expecting that. Toward the end of Vista's lifecycle, I think that they were offering 'buy this computer now, upgrade for free*(additional charges may apply) when 7 comes out' in order to avoid having a sales slump while people waited it out; but offering '8.1' as a free update, this soon after 8, is about as close to a concession speech as you could expect to see. (Especially in light of the rumored move to a 'release often cheaply or by subscription' model, which would have made a cheap, but nonzero, upgrade price a more natural option than it otherwise would have been)
The single biggest question is whether or not they will address feedback from the masses on two things that they have been repeatedly told were very bad ideas?
Restore the start menu (not just bounce you back to TIFNAM)
Boot directly to the desktop
If they don't address these two issues with an option to allow both the enterprise is going to continue their mass boycott of Windows 8 for years to come. Microsoft has been particularly stubborn on these points, even though they are dragging the PC industry down with them by being pig headed about things. Microsoft, can your arrogance be overcome?
Personally, I'm going to wait for Windows 8.1 for Workgroups...
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Big apple, new Yorik, undig it, something's unrotting in Edenmark.
Am I really the only one who sees the irony here?
Yes. Most of us saw the humor.
For those of us who have used Windows find 8 annoying because of the changes that were made that hamper our ability to use it as a desktop. For complete novices they don't have to change their behaviors, but Win 8 fails here because it provides you no clue on what to do. For example, how to make changes. You have to click on one of the corners to get "Settings". How in the world is anyone supposed to know that?
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
I'm counting among the people who gave Windows 8 a chance rather than going in hating it already. I ended up going back to Windows 7 (as I said), but I don't think 8 is the disaster that so many people claim it to be.
People treat it like a house with a cracked foundation and rotting trusses when it really just needs new siding and maybe a few non-structural walls moved.
Really, I find it interesting that all of the "IT folks" that I know have all disparaged the metro interface. Even the ones that like it, will voice support for the ones who dont, after all there was no reason to remove features.
Perhaps you don't actually have to work with any customers that know 0 about computers. I do. I have customers that could not tell you what version of windows they use. Hell when I try to use the start button to narrow it down, is it a blue circle or a green oval, they get confused. I do NOT need another interface to hold hands though. I do NOT want to waste the time teaching all of my users how to do something that they have been doing for 15 years.
I hate windows 8 not because I have to get used to it, but because I have to help every single one of my customers get used to it. That is the major issue. This issue would not have existed if they had left the option to boot to desktop, and left the windows orb in the corner. Now get off of your high horse please. Ohh and the reason you posted anon is obvious. You know you are wrong and are trying to avoid any negative moderation.
Hear, hear. I put up with those sorts of interfaces on my phone because of what it is. The interface inherently must be limited, or else it would not be usable on a tiny screen when operated by big, clumsy fingers.
When I'm on a computer, I have a nice, big screen, a mouse, and a keyboard. There's plenty of screen real estate to use for things like multiple windows with scroll bars and title bars, tabs, navigation controls galore, etc. There is no good reason to be stingy in terms of your user interface. If I wanted a limited UI, I would have bought a tablet in the first place.
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That's nice, but Windows 7 works just fine. So why would I pay to upgrade to Windows 8, then pay more to remove functionality I don't want from the software?
!#@%*)anks for hanging up the phone, dear.
If all you want is a start menu just install kubuntu or Mandriva and you'll have all the functionality of all the versions of Windows, with no lacking features whatever, plus features Windows never had. And your system will be faster and more responsive.
Windows? Ballmer blue it!
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