Your general opinions on Windows 8.1 Preview Release

[jimbo45]

However, when doing as Lehnerus and Brink suggest, one can avoid the Start Menu. What more do you guys want?

The ability to see multiple Metro apps in overlapping Windows.

I know 8.1 has improved "Snap" but from what I've seen, it still won't let me look at a spreadsheet in the top half of the screen and a PDF report (in Reader) in the bottom half. I need do to this sort of thing to do my job.

No problem if you use only Desktop apps, as most people will at the moment, but if the push is towards developers writing Metro apps, Metro itself needs to become a better platform.

Oh and a few other things - organising Start Screen Apps into subfolders for instance.

Hi there
The best way of doing that is to create a custom toolbar IMO and then just use the Boot straight to desktop.

Metro is still a pain -- in my post on experience with it -- You can alter the size at will of TWO metro apps (Vertically on the screen). A 3rd one can start - you see a horizontal small screen appear but when you click on it one of the other metro apps disappears so you STILL only get TWO on the screen and you can't CONCURRENTLY view classical desktop apps like say a Spread sheet you are working on -- so for serious desktop users - Metro still a NO NO.

(With Multiple monitors though you can still use desktop apps on another screen - a small improvement).

Boot to the desktop directly though is a HUGE improvement.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[torre]

. Incidentally W8 will HAVE to be upgraded soon to W8.1 -- in spite of the horrors that IE11 can have - so eventually you'll have to use it --


jimbo

Please explain further. Have you seen anything official from MS ?

For my use, there is no major advantage to upgrade.

 

[jeffrys]

windows 8.1 - applications screen crazy navigation

Interesting article Jimbo, a lot of work also.

Read this for the first time.

thanks

Jeff

 

[alphanumeric]

. Incidentally W8 will HAVE to be upgraded soon to W8.1 -- in spite of the horrors that IE11 can have - so eventually you'll have to use it --


jimbo

Please explain further. Have you seen anything official from MS ?

For my use, there is no major advantage to upgrade.

Last I heard, no IE 11 for Windows 8 and they will stop issuing patches for 8 once 8.1 becomes official.

 

[Ztruker]

Hi there
You can download an evaluation copy for 180 days BTW. Incidentally W8 will HAVE to be upgraded soon to W8.1 -- in spite of the horrors that IE11 can have - so eventually you'll have to use it

This better not be mandatory! My poor old Dell Precision 370 will not run Windows 8.1 64 bit as it requires BIOS/Hardware support it doesn't have.

 

[DavidY]

. Incidentally W8 will HAVE to be upgraded soon to W8.1 -- in spite of the horrors that IE11 can have - so eventually you'll have to use it --

jimbo

Please explain further. Have you seen anything official from MS ?

For my use, there is no major advantage to upgrade.

This better not be mandatory! My poor old Dell Precision 370 will not run Windows 8.1 64 bit as it requires BIOS/Hardware support it doesn't have.

From this Microsoft blog post here:
Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview Now Available

Windows 8 customers will have two years to move to Windows 8.1 after the General Availability of the Windows 8.1 update to continue to remain supported under Windows 8 lifecycle. With the availability of Windows 8.1 Enterprise Preview, it is time to start planning your deployment - and there are deployment tools and guidance available to help make these updates seamless for customers.

It doesn't mention 64-bit anywhere though - I'm also hoping that 32-bit Windows 8.1 will still be available.

 

[torre]

Would anyone be surprised if the RC for Win9 is released within 18-24 months after official release of 8.1 ?

 

[caperjack]

Hi there
You can download an evaluation copy for 180 days BTW. Incidentally W8 will HAVE to be upgraded soon to W8.1 -- in spite of the horrors that IE11 can have - so eventually you'll have to use it

This better not be mandatory! My poor old Dell Precision 370 will not run Windows 8.1 64 bit as it requires BIOS/Hardware support it doesn't have.

just like when win7 service packs came out ,you had to have sp1 installed before you install sp2 ,or you would no longer be able to get win7 sp1 updates ,so it will come to be ,that you will have to install 8.1 first before you will be able to get any more windows 8 updates ,So you will affect the security of your win8 computer buy not install win 8.1 when it becomes final

 

[Ztruker]

Well, I've promised myself a new computer for Christmas. I'm sure it will have 8.1 on it. I'll donate my current one which does run 8.1 X86 okay.

I'm looking forward to being able to play with UEFI and GPT drives as I have no experience with them at all yet.

 

[jeffrys]

"For my use, there is no major advantage to upgrade.Last I heard, no IE 11 for Windows 8 and they will stop issuing patches for 8 once 8.1 becomes official."

That means that Windows 9 will be around the corner soon and that we need to pay.......again, right?


Jeff

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Ms isn't actually "The Evil Empire" that most people seem to think it is -- its just got TOO big and lost its way a bit . It certainly has made a fiasco over the whole W8 issue -- A TEENY WEENY bit of CHEAP market research could have avoided the whole fiasco and Ms would actually have made money out of it. A few students out in the street of any large city over a weekend could have told Ms what they are FINALLY beginning to realize.

As for GPT drives - you don't need any version of windows 8 to test these --works fine on W7 too.

For UEFI you can actually test this with VMWARE in a virtual machine - even if your HOST machine isn't equipped with UEFI.

set the following line in your vmx file.
firmware = "efi"

Note you have to do this BEFORE creating (installing the guest OS) the Virtual machine - you can't do it to an existing VM - it will fail to boot.

OK 8.1 is a significant improvement over W8 -- the apps screen has a decent number of tiles arranged VERTICALLY too so endless scrolls can be eliminated completely. Navigate straight to APPS screen instead of Start if you want (it's configuarabl) and of course boot straight to desktop.

W8.1 is what W8 should perhaps have been from the outset --still not perfect but a HUGE improvement over W8. My only issue is the whole IE11 mess -- there's still problems with video rendering on it so it needs to be 100% BACKWARDS compatible with both IE10 AND IE9 whatever the security problems that might lead to --if not too many people will give it up.

W8.1 will be a FREE upgrade so I don't think current W8 users will need to worry --and I suspect that if and when W9 appears as a PROPER DESKTOP OS I'm sure the upgrade prices will actually be quite reasonable.

Ms unlike some of the views expressed on these Forums --obviously made by people who have never RUN a business in their lives - even for ONE DAY - isn't TRYING to lose customers --and it doesn't see any advantage in ripping them off either. It's made a mistake and big rich powerful organisations aren't used to admitting errors.

 

[alphanumeric]

Hi there
You can download an evaluation copy for 180 days BTW. Incidentally W8 will HAVE to be upgraded soon to W8.1 -- in spite of the horrors that IE11 can have - so eventually you'll have to use it

This better not be mandatory! My poor old Dell Precision 370 will not run Windows 8.1 64 bit as it requires BIOS/Hardware support it doesn't have.

just like when win7 service packs came out ,you had to have sp1 installed before you install sp2 ,or you would no longer be able to get win7 sp1 updates ,so it will come to be ,that you will have to install 8.1 first before you will be able to get any more windows 8 updates ,So you will affect the security of your win8 computer buy not install win 8.1 when it becomes final

Technically the 8.1 update isn't really a service pack, its a full OS update, but that's a good analogy on what they are doing. Microsoft doesn't want to have to patch 8, 8 Pro, 8 Pro + MC, 8.1, 8.1 pro, and 8.1 + MC. If you drop 8 and have everybody move on to 8.1 it simplifies things for Microsoft. I think the reality is that most people will do the free upgrade to 8.1 anyway. You'll be able to skip the updating part and clean install to 8.1 too as it accepts your Windows 8 product codes.

 

[Ztruker]

I can't test with VMWARE as my old Dell Precision 370 does not have hardware virtualization support needed. Same reason I can't run Windows 8.1 X64.

Also, I want a new computer and this give me the justification I need to get it!!!

 

[torre]

Also, I want a new computer and this give me the justification I need to get it!!!

Pardon my being repetitive, but again my opinion is 8.1 is just a "stopgap" (hence, why it is free) until Win 9 which my guess will be released within 18-24 months. MS needs to solidify its appeal to business customers.

So, Ztruk you may want to wait until more info is available.

 

[Ztruker]

I am. I will wait until Christmas.

 

[torre]

This article (right/wrong) states we will have to be patient.

Windows 8.1 will soon reach the RTM development stage, so all eyes are on the update that’s expected to finally give Windows 8 a chance to excite.

Analysts believe that 8.1 will not only rescue Windows 8, but it will also spawn lots of new devices, including thinner form factors equipped with touchscreens.

"We can expect some attractive new PCs in the stores for the fourth quarter of 2013, running Windows 8.1 with thinner form factors and longer battery life enabled by Intel's Haswell processors," Meike Escherich, principal research analyst at Gartner, says.

"These PCs will compete with high-end tablets and will be complemented by a new generation of Atom-based devices that will compete with low-end basic tablets. Although this will not fully compensate for the ongoing PC decline, it does create an opportunity for profit in the midrange and more high end PC segments."

While RTM is prepared for this month, there are no details on general availability, with some people close to the matter hinting that end users are expected to get the new OS by year-end.

Microsoft is also working on its very own device running Windows 8.1, as the company is currently giving the last touches to the second-generation Surface tablet based entirely on this OS.

The new tablet range is likely to include a smaller unit, possibly equipped with an 8-inch screen that would be specifically aimed at competing with Apple iPad mini and Nexus 7.

Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed the smaller Surface, but it did reveal that both the RT and the Pro are expected to get updates in the next 12 months, as the company continues development of new hardware devices.

The new Surface is also said to be more affordable, in an attempt to sell in high numbers and thus give Microsoft a chance to compete with Android and iOS devices.

Windows 8.1 Likely to Spawn Plenty of New Devices, Analysts Believe

 

[Tinkerdog]

Files History Changed

View attachment 23614

Will they have the File History fixed??? As of 8.0, it is unusable...... it tends to mass duplicate your files in your backup, even if you never touch said files (like your pictures that you never look at........... they get mass duplicated over and over till you run out of backup space).

 

[davehc]

I am really liking Windows 8.1, the only thing I cannot figure out is how to get it to boot to desktop, any help?

Right click the taskbar. Click properties

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/7449-desktop-boot-directly-windows-8-a.html

 

[davehc]

I do like the small tiles for the start screen. They would be useful if I ever actually wanted to use the start screen

I use the Metro as my start menu. But, my problem (old age memory) is that I do want to reduce the size of the icons to "small". But then there is no text. Anyway, hard work but I am halfway through customising and building my own text icons.

 

[davehc]

you can go to apps after pinning it there and then pin it to desktop taskbar .lol

Yes, true, but I am trying to pin to Start Screen as a Tile. I can't pin it from Apps because it indicates that it is already Pinned, even though it is not visible. I just don't know what to do about that. Any ideas?

SR

Obly Tile might work with 8.1.

OblyTile - Download

Or not.

It does. It is getting a heavy workload from me at present!