In summary, Windows 8.1 is what Windows 8 should have been. All of these improvements are on top of the many great desktop features, security improvements, and all-around battery life and performance optimizations that appeared in Windows 8.
If you’re still using Windows 7 and are happy with it, there’s probably no reason to race out and buy a copy of Windows 8.1 at the rather high price of $120. But, if you’re using Windows 8, it’s a big upgrade no matter what you’re doing.
If you buy a new PC and it comes with Windows 8.1, you’re getting a much more flexible and comfortable experience. If you’re holding off on buying a new computer because you don’t want Windows 8, give Windows 8.1 a try — yes, it’s different, but Microsoft has compromised on the desktop while making a lot of improvements to the new interface. You just might find that Windows 8.1 is now a worthwhile upgrade, even if you only want to use the desktop.
>> Let the Microsoft bashing begin.
Okay... will Microsoft be *doing* the bashing, or receiving it? :-)
But seriously, I have Win8 on a little ASUS sub-laptop with a touch screen (not my main PC, just a travel companion), and it’s a love-hate relationship. I’m hoping 8.1 fixes the stuff I hate so I can stop hatin’ on 8.
Access PC Settings Easily from Your Desktop in Windows 8 and 8.1
I am sticking with Win7 and IE9.
When I put a new hard drive in my Win7 laptop a few weeks ago, Windows auto-updated and replaced IE9 with IE10. I thought I had auto-update turned off.
Anyway, I use an old tabbed IE-based browser for FR. This browser has some editing and productivity add-ons that are no longer available and which have no comparable modern equivalents. These add-on features are more important/valuable to me than and IE upgrade.
Well, IE10 killed the add-ons. They would work with 9, so I uninstalled 10. Windows defaulted to restoring 9. I am somewhat happy again.
From XP to Win7, I lost several programs that have no modern equivalents. I managed to tweak and trick a few others into working under Win7. I doubt any of them would work under Win8.1. I have a dead Minolta b/w laser printer — dead because no one developed a Win7 64-bit driver for it. I am tired of Windows upgrades that won’t support older peripherals.
The only thing worse than a Win/IE upgrade is Firefox’s rapid release insanity.
Newer is NOT always better. Many times it is WORSE. When they think they fixed what they broke the last time, they end up breaking something else.
Microsoft’s motto: Change simply for the sake of change with total disregard toward actual improvement simply so that we can make even more billions. ;-)
Three words: It. Still. Sucks.
Not bashing, Win 7 and XP Pro are the high-water marks for M$, is all.
All I need to know about Windows 8.1 is the version number. MS never really gets it right until Service Pack #2, so I am still going to be waiting.
Linux, the ultimate Windows Upgrade.
I bought a laptop about a year ago and it had Windows 8. I never figured out how to use it. I just hit the window that let me use Internet Explorer. Anyway a couple of days ago when I turned on the laptop a bunch of those little windows were missing right in the middle of the whole thing. I have no idea what happened to them. Any clues?
It’s Windows. All you need to know.
I recently upgraded my computers from XP to Win8 and then to Win8.1 and have to confess that I like it quite a bit. It certainly is speedier, has a fresher look and makes finding things easier. I highly recommend the Start8 third-party addon, $5, which makes the desktop experience just like XP.
Is this an upgrade like when Windows Media Player dropped DVD playback?
There’s only one thing anybody needs to know about Windows 8.1: it’s lipstick on a pig and the deckchairs have been rearranged a tad. (OK, technically that’s two things.)
But seriously, if you are a business person or use your PC(s) for anything besides texting, twittering, facebooking, or looking up the latest cat videos, under no circumstance should you consider using Windows 8.xxxxxxx; instead, stick with Windows 7.
So, if you have suffered through Windows 8, will they upgrade you to 8.1 for FREE as an apology?
I need a machine that still supports the printers, scanners, cameras, and video cards that I already have, not something that requires more weeks of downloading updates, drivers, and fixes for a "new and better" operating system simply to do the work I need to get done.
I am beyond tired of friends, relatives, and previous customers calling and emailing begging for help for programs that used to work quite well at one point but over time as more and more system upgrades and enhancements continued to roll out became less and less responsive until this latest release makes it pretty much mandatory that the "newest" version of all software they need must also be purchased. Now I simply insist on doing a dual-install on their new machine and install Linux and Wine as the fastest solution to run the more critical programs they need.
Sometimes they have to drop back to a previous version of their programs, but a little tradeoff is not a bad thing.
As far as compatability... sometimes they just are too unwilling to switch over to Linux so I simply tell them to inform others that they need to agree on common formats for file compatabilities. Keep it simple, and insist on using rtf, html, jpg, gif, and even previous-version doc formats if necessary. Not everyone is running MS Office 2014 (yes, there is a beta out there), and some not even Office 2008.
If someone just HAS to show you some piechart or something, tell them to save it as a jpeg and send it along with the text file. There are lots of free conversion programs out there, just find a reputable site to download from and you are golden.
Finally: Linux is Free. Why continue to pay 120 dollars each time the latest basic-install version of MS software is issued simply because it is "The Latest Version" ("New and Improved!") when you do not have to?
I recently looked into purchasing an officially licensed version of XP, 2k, and even 98 -and surprise! They STILL cost 120 dollars!
Suck a Duck, MS, you bloody twits!
It won't happen, at least not at that pace, and a lot of hardware manufacturers who were spooked by that have already adjusted. Frankly it's a little beyond me how the marketeers at Microsoft failed to recognize what would happen to their established market when they completely changed the UI and made it mandatory. I've done a few Mint installations for customers who have had enough. That was very poor business practice and entirely avoidable.
The real shock for me as an IT guy was when the Metro interface turned up on their server line. Didn't anyone at Microsoft make the slightest inquiry as to how many servers have touchscreens? Nevertheless, it did send a lot of us who had to use the product to go straight to the command-line-based Core. A lot of Linux admins are having a good laugh as a result. Beyond that, though, it's a nice, stable product. It's just like the old Novell days... ;-)