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Windows RT 8.1 Update Pulled From Windows Store
UnknowingFool writes "After reports of update problems including bricking of some devices, Microsoft has pulled the 8.1 update for RT from their store while they investigate. 'Microsoft is investigating a situation affecting a limited number of users updating their Windows RT devices to Windows RT 8.1. As a result, we have temporarily removed the Windows RT 8.1 update from the Windows Store. We are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience. We will provide updates as they become available.' While update problems are not new to software, could this be a consequence of Microsoft not releasing 8.1 RTM to developers? Developers may have experienced problems earlier and alerted Microsoft before it went live."
Serves them right. Microsoft should have learn already that the way to release stuff is to put a BETA label in it, like Google does with everything else. Service unavailable? BETA! Unexpected error? BETA! Lost all your data? BETA!
Beta is a blanket term for "we can charge for this but if it breaks it's not our fault".
Come on, MS. You're lagging behind.
There is also a widespread issue with updating to 8.1 failing with a 0xC1900101 - 0x40017 error on PCs.
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How about this? No one wants to use an RT, even to test it. Sure it gets tested by QA people, but no one wants to use it all day every day, trying to get useful work done. So an update is sent out the door with little to no real world testing.
RT is clearly a brand of dog food no dog wants to eat.
I come here for the love
Except, unfortunately for you, it's still a Surface Pro.
Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
Ordinary users can't revive the dead tablet, even if it only fails to load the touchscreen drivers. Tablet becomes the photo frame, showing the log in screen. Unless other drivers failed as well, or tablet is asking to navigate to skydrive to get the bitlocker key, but you don't have any other computer. Besides, the on-screen keyboard doesn't function, so you can't enter it.
Yes, you can get over some problems with Windows 8 tablet if you have USB hub, flash drive, ISO image of Windows 8, USB keyboard and mouse... But I am talking about ordinary users, not geeks.
Upgraded my laptop the day the update became available in the store...have only noticed two odd things so far:
VLC is dead. Crashes immediately, then gives error about failing to send an error report. Yay. Uninstalling and reinstalling made no difference. Double yay.
Pictures used for wallpaper, screensaver, login screens, etc changed after reboot. Bizarre, but easily fixed.
I should note that I had to google how to change some of these back to original settings, as not all of these are changed from control panel. and the actual
setting I was looking for is hiding behind a GUI element that doesn't look clickable. That annoyed me more than anything else.
My Surface Pro (not RT) update went swimmingly.
Its faster than it was before. Oddly, I now have two voice recorder apps. ? But everything I previously had on the machine works perfectly.
Apparently the update inadvertently exposed the previously hidden voice recorder app placed there by the NSA. Oops!
I have. It reminded me a lot of my first generation iPad when I got it. Potential maybe, but stifled by lack of non-basic apps that people want to use. Apple got through that stage by being the only serious players in the market. MS is going up against two deeply-entrenched and not-deeply-retarded adversaries, I don't see it working out as smoothly.
The preceding comment is my own, and in no way construes an opinon of the Emperor of Mankind.
Faster? Cite a reference maybe?
He's talking about the Pro. Which has a Core I5 w/ Intel HD 4000.
In simple terms, it's faster. If you want to get detailed, it's much faster.
I just gave you a reference.
My Surface Pro is Faster than MY 10 Inch Android Tablet. (Acer A700.)
It might not be faster than yours.
Boots faster. Sub 6 seconds from power off to login ready.
Loads Google Chrome Faster. Switches apps faster.
Runs Vmware.
Runs Linux and FreeBSD inside of VMware virtual machines.
My day job still requires windows. It runs all my compilers, linker and debugger, etc.
Go try one out at a nearby Mall or something, instead of beating me up.
I was a doubter too. Played with one at the Microsoft Keosk for 15 minutes. They even let me install software (Visual Studio).
I ran some tests, and slapped down my credit card. I never even looked at the RT units.
You can dis this machine just because its windows (if that't your game), But as a Windows machine, its a pretty sweet package.
Its a full 64bit WinTel machine.
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
The update went fine for me as well. My machine got bricked but it's a massive improvement over having to use Windows 8.
OK, if you've been reading /. more than a few weeks you know I'm not a Microsoft fan. I'm not their defender generally. But Ivy Bridge wasn't available when the Surface Pro was being designed or launched. This one specific thing is not their fault.
They get no pass from me on the horrid UI, the update debacle on their own device, the marketing that will stand for all time as how not to do it, not doing a wide beta and all that. But I cannot blame them for not including components that were not available. We expect ridiculously swift time to market, but it is unfair to demand time travel.
Help stamp out iliturcy.