Posted on 11/23/2013 8:24:35 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Just after Microsoft released Windows 8.1, rumors have surfaced that they might be releasing fix 8.2 as early as January of 2014. The big changes coming, in 8.2, are said to quell the critics of Windows 8 and their last release of their 8.1 fix.
These changes in 8.2, are Microsoft’s attempt at making the OS a lot more intuitive for the user and acknowledges the changes that users have asked for. The recent release of version 8.1, brought back the familiar Start button that was absent in their first release, but it wasn’t quite enough for most users. The newly added Start button, in 8.1, only took users to the Metro user interface, which required an extra right click to bring up the more familiar Start Menu that users asked for.
Other Start menu options that users asked for are said to be “booting to the desktop” and an option for “shutting down the computer.” Many users, of the first release, found it very frustrating when looking for these options, with many of them ranting about it on popular blogs and social media sites.
The rumors said big changes in their 8.2 release will bring back the more common Libraries in file explorer, which currently do not show by default. Just like the Start button, users didn’t find this option intuitive enough to return to their more familiar UI, as tech support in Redmond was rumored to be inundated with this as a call driver.
In the 8.1 release, Microsoft introduced Internet Explorer 11, which didn’t contain a noticeable difference from older versions. The newest version of IE is said to increase the speed of page loads. Microsoft has taken much criticism in the past over IE having slower speeds than other popular browsers.
A Microsoft job posting for coders last February, asked if they wished the code they wrote for apps would work on Windows and Windows based phones, and vice-versa. This would suggest that the company has future plans for the Windows Store to unify all of their latest product versions, fixes and apps to be a one-stop-shop. At this point it is anyone’s guess whether this will be possible in the near future, but rumors are that the next update will come from the Windows Store, something that didn’t occur in release 8.1.
Looking past fix 8.2, Windows 9 is said to utilize and involve more cloud integration by using some of the same processing cleverness that Microsoft recently debuted in their Xbox One this week. Although not available at launch time, there are plans for the Xbox One to utilize the cloud for making virtual upgrades to their latest entertainment system.
With these rumors running rampant, it suggests that Microsoft is trying to embrace the old and the new in us all. Satisfying everyone is something that is impossible to do, but Microsoft appears to be listening and addressing some of their critics with these big changes. This may also suggest that they have finally acknowledged that many of the critics wanted a traditional Windows desktop interface and that the majority might not yet own a touch screen.
New and improved spying abilities
In other words, they’re gonna put it back like Winows 7.
Windows 8.2 - The Return of Clippy
LOL
I miss the buttons in Win7. At least, with them, one knew what to click on.
Under Win7, many ‘links’ are undistinguishible text, so one doesn’t know where to click without moving to pointer around to see if anything lights up. That stifles productivity, but so do many of the Win7 and Win8 features.
Considering how many older programs no longer work with later Windows, I think Win7 will be my last Windows version. I have some editing add-ons, for example, to an old IE-based tabbed browser. Those add-ons will not work if IE-10 is installed, so I have to keep IE-9. I have not found any newer versions or comparable add-ons that do the same things. I have used those add-ons since IE-6 and Windows 98. I would dump Win8+ before I would give up those add-ons.
I’ve been running 8.2 since the first of the month.
It’s not coming, it’s here.
Now I’ll give the thread back to the naysayers.
Those two OS's were basically rock-solid and have only needed incremental changes since then.
Apple seems to have the right idea by charging only a nominal fee (or nothing at all) for their OS upgrades since then.
Microsoft on the other hand, continues to try to re-invent the OS so that they can continue to keep their OS business a cash cow. What they really should have done was stick with XP - update it incrementally - and focus on other market segments. Had they done that, they probably wouldn't have missed out so much on the MP3 player, smartphone and tablet business. In fact, they could have been driving those markets, instead of Apple, Samsung and Google.
There may be a time down the road where the basic desktop OS needs an overhaul, but Windows XP and Mac OSX are still the gold standards. Which is why so many people find Windows Vista and Windows 8 to be a sad joke.
Windows 7...okay, that's a sold OS but really not too much different than XP (from a user standpoint).
RE: I’ve been running 8.2 since the first of the month.
It’s not coming, it’s here.
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So, how did you like it compared to the current 8.1 version which is actually on the market?
I never used 8.1. I went from XP to 8.2, which, for desktops, is somewhat similar to XP. I’m told it operates quite different for laptops etc. though because they use scrolling instead of a mouse.
I had just received my new Dell with 8.1 installed and the first thing I did was upgrade to 8.2. I think the upgrade is free, but I really don’t know because my son helped with it.
The new machine is blazingly fast compared to the older Dell running XP.
MS support for XP ends the first quarter of 2014. Hackers will be in control of most XP machines by the 3rd quarter.
I hate windows 8. I am forced to use this crap because the engineering software I require is only ported to windows. Win 7 has been pretty good to me. Change is not always a good thing. Wasting weeks discovering new “features” is not a good use of time in my shop.
I’m with you. Windows 7 did the job. So why fix something that isn’t broken. I beat my brains out trying to figure out how to use it. Whose brainchild was it to remove the start button? That was pure craziness.
Having said that, I installed Windows 8.1 and it did work better and might have a future and if Windows 8.2 has further improvements that’s a good thing.
But I’m leaving my desktop machine that I am working with alone with Windows 7. I even use an old fashioned IBM “clicky” keyboard. Newer isn’t always better.
I will say that the touchscreen in Windows 8.0 and 8.1 is pretty slick. It came with a laptop I bought but I seldom use it.
3rd party freeware like ClassicShell enable that and more abilities, but what would be good is if MS restores lost features such as the detailed changes for tool tips etc band other elements via "personalize."
It is no longer possible to change the color of window backgrounds, Tool Tips, and other elements and aspects thereof via the "Advanced Appearance Settings..." option, but a lesser degree of customization can still be attained under "personalize" after a high contrast theme is set, and more is possible by editing the Windows Registry [9] or by use of third party applications.[10]
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