Slashdot Mirror
Windows 8.1 RTM Trickling Out, With Start Menu and Boot-to-Desktop
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.'"
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?
"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.
If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
> It appears that Microsoft are responding to the needs of their customers.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
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.
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.
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.
> 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?
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
I do a lot of remote IT support, and it's a nightmare getting that damn thing to pop up in an RDP or logmein session.
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
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.