Reconciling 2 Worlds With Windows 8.1

Just about one year ago, Microsoft gave us two new operating systems.

One was a new version of Windows: the one for use with mouse and keyboard, the one whose desktop at this moment lights up hundreds of millions of screens, the one with a software library of four million programs.
The other was a new operating system for tablets. It was modeled on Microsoft’s lovely tiled Home screen for Windows Phones: colorful, clear, elegant, filled with fluid touch gestures. You can’t run Photoshop or iTunes or Quicken on it; this new system requires a whole new type of app. Since Microsoft doesn’t have a name for this OS (it abandoned the names Metro and Modern), I call it TileWorld. All of this might have been fine, except for one tragic miscalculation: Microsoft mashed these two new operating systems together into something called Windows 8.

Now you have two Web browsers to learn. Two completely different Help systems. Two (actually three) control panels. Two kinds of programs: the traditional ones, which have menus and overlapping windows, and TileWorld apps, which don’t have either of those things.

Reviewers and PC fans gave Microsoft quite a swat on the nose. PC World wrote that Windows 8 is “not worthwhile” for desktop computer users. PC Magazine: “Too drastic for some.” InformationWeek: “A big flop. Its Frankenstein interface combines two fundamentally incompatible operating systems.”
PC sales plunged 14 percent in the months after Windows 8’s release. The executive who masterminded Windows 8 abruptly left the company.

Microsoft, licking its wounds, spent a year trying to fix Windows 8. On Thursday, you can download the result: Windows 8.1. It’s free to anyone who already has Windows 8, and it will come preinstalled on new computers. Full disclosure: I have written a how-to book on Windows 8 and will be updating it for Windows 8.1.

The changes to TileWorld are nearly endless — and terrific. The anemic, pared-down starter apps, like Photos and Mail, have matured. Now you can edit photos in Photos (not just look at them) and drag e-mail messages into folders. The muddled Music app has been redesigned, smartly and handsomely. A suite of utility programs is there now, right where they should have been the first time around: Alarms, Calculator and Sound Recorder. There are also all-new apps, too, like Food and Drink, Health and Fitness and Reading List. It lets you save Web pages, e-mail messages and Twitter posts for use when you have no Internet connection.

You have more options to tailor your desktop, Start screen and Lock screen in Windows 8.1. For example, you can make your Lock screen a slide show, so that your tablet is a photo frame whenever you’re not working.

There's a good video here as well:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/t...-worlds-of-windows-8.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
 
I suppose I will give it a try... primarily to see if it is in any way usable, without having to resort to a third party start menu. I'm not hopeful, but I will give it a try.(this despite having previously made up my mind not to...)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win8.1 Pro, Desktop Mode
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Me
    CPU
    AMD FX-8150
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H
    Memory
    8.00 GB Dual-Channel DDR3 (9-9-9-28)
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon HD 6570
    Sound Card
    Creative X-Fi Titanium
    Monitor(s) Displays
    PX2710MW
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080@60Hz
    Hard Drives
    1x1TB Western Digital WDC WD1001FALS-00J7B1 ATA Device Caviar Black -

    4 x 2TB Seagate ST32000542A -
    1 x 4TB Seagate External
    Case
    Antec
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Logitech Illuminated Keyboard K740
    Internet Speed
    60meg cable
    Browser
    Cyberfox
    Antivirus
    AVG Security Suite
I suppose I will give it a try... primarily to see if it is in any way usable, without having to resort to a third party start menu. I'm not hopeful, but I will give it a try.(this despite having previously made up my mind not to...)
When I installed Windows 8.1, I just could not stand not having the Start Menu on the desktop. It feels so awkward. I immediately installed Start 8 and all feels great again. Seriously why do I want a full screen start menu when I can have a smaller one that also links to my important folders. Microsoft is a joke. I still don't get why they can't implement the old start menu back. Or at least give me a choice to pick which menu I want on the desktop.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro & OS X Mavericks
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5 430M
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® HD Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
Give me a call when "TileWorld" will run things like SQL Developer, TOAD, Stat, PeopleSoft Application Designer, UltraEdit, Autosys, Control-M and several other software development tools simultaneously in a multi, overlapping window environment.

-jeff
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Mint and Windows 8 Pro
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus G75VW
    CPU
    i7
    Motherboard
    Asus
    Memory
    16G
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVidia
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 5400 rpm 1T and Seagate 7200 rpm 500G.
    Internet Speed
    30M down, 5M up
    Other Info
    Oracle Virtual Box
    Ubuntu 64 bit
As one who's been using Windows 8, and now 8.1, and gotten use to things, I have to agree with this....

The more you work with Windows 8, the more screamingly obvious the solution becomes: Split it up. Offer regular Windows on regular computers, offer TileWorld on tablets. That way, everyone has to learn only one operating system, and each operating system is suited to its task.

Yeah Microsoft could have been a bit more attentive to desktop users here; and even though I've got my machine to boot to desktop mode, I'm am constantly jumping between worlds for my daily usage, (even with quite a few items pinned to the taskbar); but... if you think about it, weren't you doing that anyway via the "traditional" start menu?

But yeah, a totally dedicated desktop with a traditional start menu would have been a welcomed update for desktop users, even if it linked to tileworld.

My two cents.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built by me
    CPU
    Haswell i7-4770K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte G1 Sniper 5 (BIOS F9)
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator Platinum 32 gig (1866MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire R9-280 Vapor X
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster ZXR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242W - 24 inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 512gig 850 Pro SSD (OS), Samsung 256gig 840 Pro SSD (photo editing), Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB HD
    PSU
    EVGA Supernova 1000 G2
    Case
    Cooler Master HAF X
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i Closed Loop Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance MX
    Internet Speed
    High Speed
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Norton Security
    Other Info
    RAM Speed: 1866MHZ @ 9-10-10-27-2T, 1.5v
hope it will patch up all the bad spots caused by its previous version and i am set to add another .1 to 8
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    4.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    e4166
    CPU
    core 2 duel
    Motherboard
    i3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Dell
    Browser
    compe
    Antivirus
    kpersky
As one who's been using Windows 8, and now 8.1, and gotten use to things, I have to agree with this....

The more you work with Windows 8, the more screamingly obvious the solution becomes: Split it up. Offer regular Windows on regular computers, offer TileWorld on tablets. That way, everyone has to learn only one operating system, and each operating system is suited to its task.

Yeah Microsoft could have been a bit more attentive to desktop users here; and even though I've got my machine to boot to desktop mode, I'm am constantly jumping between worlds for my daily usage, (even with quite a few items pinned to the taskbar); but... if you think about it, weren't you doing that anyway via the "traditional" start menu?

But yeah, a totally dedicated desktop with a traditional start menu would have been a welcomed update for desktop users, even if it linked to tileworld.

My two cents.

My own two cents:

The more I worked with 8.0, and now with 8.1, the more I feel at home. Sure, there are features I don't use, but as I progressively bring the ones I do "front and center", the better it feels.

It's true, the new Start Button doesn't behave the same way our beloved button did in Win 7/XP/95, but, as before, it brings us to a list of programs, utilities, and functions. How much you customize the Start Page is up to you, but I have mine organized so that similar things are grouped together (such as, all my imaging programs in one set of columns). Now, with 8.1, there is an easy-to-find down-arrow that simply brings up a mass list of all installed programs, if I want it, but the most commonly-used ones are already in the columns, and labeled by grouping. So in my mind, what I've got now is WAY more functional than the old start button ever really was. Add to that the ability to have it overlay your desktop background, instead of a blank blue screen (the option directly underneath the boot-to-desktop one, in Taskbar & Navigation), and suddenly you're feeling like you really have something the way you've always wanted it.

Top that off with the fact that the new upgrade seems to run smoother, faster, and with fewer glitches.... I for one am lovin' life!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit, Windows 7 Pro 64-bit, Windows XP Pro 32-bit, Ubuntu 14.04 64-bit
Sure hope this is not one of those. . ."Where we go again. . .
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 8, (VM win7, XP, Vista)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion p1423w
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 3330 Ivy Bridge
    Motherboard
    Foxconn - 2ADA Ivy Brige
    Memory
    16 GB 1066MHz DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 5450
    Sound Card
    HD Realteck (Onboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Mitsubishi LED TV/Montior HD, Dell 23 HD, Hanspree 25" HD
    Screen Resolution
    Mit. 1980-1080, Dell 2048-115, Hanspree 1920-10802
    Hard Drives
    1 SanDisk 240Gig SSD, 2 Samsung 512Gig SSDs
    Case
    Tower
    Cooling
    Original (Fans)
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Keyboard 2000
    Mouse
    Microsoft Optical Mouse 5000
    Internet Speed
    1.3 (350 to 1024 if lucky)
    Browser
    Firefox 19.1
    Antivirus
    MSE-Defender
So in my mind, what I've got now is WAY more functional than the old start button ever really was. Add to that the ability to have it overlay your desktop background, instead of a blank blue screen, and suddenly you're feeling like you really have something the way you've always wanted it.

Top that off with the fact that the new upgrade seems to run smoother, faster, and with fewer glitches.... I for one am lovin' life!

Agreed :thumb:

And I always thought 8 performed and ran better than 7 anyway, even before the update.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built by me
    CPU
    Haswell i7-4770K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte G1 Sniper 5 (BIOS F9)
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator Platinum 32 gig (1866MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire R9-280 Vapor X
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster ZXR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242W - 24 inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 512gig 850 Pro SSD (OS), Samsung 256gig 840 Pro SSD (photo editing), Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB HD
    PSU
    EVGA Supernova 1000 G2
    Case
    Cooler Master HAF X
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i Closed Loop Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance MX
    Internet Speed
    High Speed
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Norton Security
    Other Info
    RAM Speed: 1866MHZ @ 9-10-10-27-2T, 1.5v
Microsoft is a joke. I still don't get why they can't implement the old start menu back. Or at least give me a choice to pick which menu I want on the desktop.

What confuses me is the decision against releasing a retail ISO. The only way you can get 8.1 (without MSDN or TechNet subscriptions) is to first install 8, then upgrade. Microsoft has said 8.1 is free to everyone who already has Win8, so why the hard stance?

Am I the only one who finds it beyond stupid that you can't get an 8.1 ISO, even if you can prove you have legally purchased Win8?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18xR2
    CPU
    i7 3820qm
    Motherboard
    Alienware / Dell
    Memory
    16gb Corsair ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Dual GTX 675m
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 120gb SSD
    1tb storage drive
    Internet Speed
    Not nearly fast enough
I live in Africa and the best we have here is about 100Kbs. How on Earth MS expects us to download 3.5 Gb?

I have been using windows 8 for 3 months now and hate it with a passion. My only consolation is that I installed Classic Shell whic brought some sense back into the OS. As a professional I could not care less about FACEBOOK and the like. It seems that 8.1 is just the finished version of 8 just like 7 was the finished version of Vista. Tiles belong to touch screen and not desktop PCs.

My other PC runs win 7 with classic shell also and it is much more user friendly albeit horrid when it comes to the search function.

MS has created a chimera. I have always been an avid windows user but now with all this tiles facebook business I really feel that I have been left out.

By the way; win 8 is causing me so many headaches. It misbehaves so much that it is driving me crazy. The cursor jumps around. Metro jumps in when I am working and all manner of problems. My laptop is the HP compaq running on AMD.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    compac CQ58
    CPU
    AMD
Microsoft is a joke. I still don't get why they can't implement the old start menu back. Or at least give me a choice to pick which menu I want on the desktop.

What confuses me is the decision against releasing a retail ISO. The only way you can get 8.1 (without MSDN or TechNet subscriptions) is to first install 8, then upgrade. Microsoft has said 8.1 is free to everyone who already has Win8, so why the hard stance?

Am I the only one who finds it beyond stupid that you can't get an 8.1 ISO, even if you can prove you have legally purchased Win8?

I found the IOS's online just fine. A little google searching goes a long way. I been running 8.1 for like a month.

Where have you been?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro x64
    System Manufacturer/Model
    My Special Blend
    CPU
    intel
    Motherboard
    intel
    Memory
    Corsair
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia
    Sound Card
    intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    Too many to count.
    Case
    Antec
    Cooling
    Climate Change
    Keyboard
    Small and sleek
    Mouse
    1
    Internet Speed
    Fast
    Browser
    IE 11
    Antivirus
    ESET
Microsoft is a joke. I still don't get why they can't implement the old start menu back. Or at least give me a choice to pick which menu I want on the desktop.

What confuses me is the decision against releasing a retail ISO. The only way you can get 8.1 (without MSDN or TechNet subscriptions) is to first install 8, then upgrade. Microsoft has said 8.1 is free to everyone who already has Win8, so why the hard stance?

Am I the only one who finds it beyond stupid that you can't get an 8.1 ISO, even if you can prove you have legally purchased Win8?

I found the IOS's online just fine. A little google searching goes a long way. I been running 8.1 for like a month.

Where have you been?


Where have I been? Not searching for them, at least not yet.

Does Google point the way to legitimate sources? If it isn't going to be legal I'm going to steer clear. I bought Win8 and would rather get 8.1 the right way. And that doesn't include having to first install Win8, then wait for the upgrade to finish 2 or 3 hours later.

I just want to do one clean installation, not the way Microsoft is wanting us to do it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 Pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18xR2
    CPU
    i7 3820qm
    Motherboard
    Alienware / Dell
    Memory
    16gb Corsair ddr3
    Graphics Card(s)
    Dual GTX 675m
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 120gb SSD
    1tb storage drive
    Internet Speed
    Not nearly fast enough
Microsoft is a joke. I still don't get why they can't implement the old start menu back. Or at least give me a choice to pick which menu I want on the desktop.

What confuses me is the decision against releasing a retail ISO. The only way you can get 8.1 (without MSDN or TechNet subscriptions) is to first install 8, then upgrade. Microsoft has said 8.1 is free to everyone who already has Win8, so why the hard stance?

Am I the only one who finds it beyond stupid that you can't get an 8.1 ISO, even if you can prove you have legally purchased Win8?

I found the IOS's online just fine. A little google searching goes a long way. I been running 8.1 for like a month.

Where have you been?

He's right, though...evidently a developer leaked them to the 'net to counter Microsoft's imbecilic decision not to provide an iso for its retail 8.0 iso customers. You know, Microsoft hands it out gratis to its MSDN/Technet subscribers because the iso installation isn't worth a plugged nickel without a legitimate 8.0 key, but then turns around and denies the same convenience to its retail customers. Everything with Microsoft this entire year has been one step forward and two steps back. The lack of common sense and customer sensitivity the company has shown this year is incredible, imo, all the more because Microsoft used to be so different.

Yes, the real 8.1 iso is readily available for anyone who wants to obtain it--it still requires a legitimate 8.0 key to activate on Microsoft's servers--and my opinion is that everyone with a legal 8.0 key should download it and burn the iso to a disk backup just for their own convenience and peace of mind. It's bizarre of Microsoft to want to inconvenience its retail 8.0 customers in this manner. If they for some reason need to reinstall 8.1, they should not have to first reinstall 8.0 from their Microsoft-supplied 8.0 iso and then go back to the Microsoft store and download the 8.1 auto-install update all over again. That's absurd.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    UEFI install of Win8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    self-crafted
    CPU
    FX-6300 @4.515Ghz
    Motherboard
    MSI 970a-G46
    Memory
    8 GB DDR3 (2x4) 1600 @ 1800
    Graphics Card(s)
    2GB HD 7850 @1.05GHz core/6GB/s ram
    Sound Card
    RealTek 892
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HannsG HZ281
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 320GB sata2 boot UEFI install of 8.1 x64;
    1TB WD Blue SATA 3;
    Seagate 2x 500GB sata2's in RAID 0
    PSU
    Corsair GS600
    Case
    LIan Li
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    Logitech Internet k-board
    Mouse
    Microsoft Sidewinder
    Internet Speed
    VDSL
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    built into OS MSE/Defender
    Other Info
    Had a brain amputation followed up by an all-lobe "clean-up" lobotomy last year, am doing fine. Life is so much simpler, now.
It is a shame. There is some great skill at MS and they are capable of great things. I get the distinct impression they don't know what to do. There have been so many obvious blunders , annoying a lot of customers, developers, sysadmins, you name it. It is symptomatic of a far greater issue the new CEO will need to sort out.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    7/8/ubuntu/Linux Deepin
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
OK if you have a D/L for the 8.1 version post it, I can't find one. And not the "preview" iso, the full install one that was released.

Googling only finds sites with the "Preview" ISO's
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W8.1up1 Pro x64 w/media center
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    dv7t-6c00 HP
    CPU
    2670QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    8g
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon 7690M XT (6770m) /Intel 3000
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Laptop 17.3"/Samsung 26"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 HD
    Hard Drives
    Hitichi 750g 5400 rpm Laptop
    Case
    Brushed Aluminum (steel)
    Keyboard
    external USB
    Mouse
    external USB
    Internet Speed
    DSL
    Browser
    FF, IE, Chrome
    Antivirus
    COMODO Security Suite
While I totally agree with Walt, I wouldn't recommend posting a public link to those sites as it could put this site and the admin staff in a precarious position. I would leave that decision up to the staff as to whether to post or not.

But yeah, Microsoft's stance here is a bit baffling, especially considering the download size of the update.

He's right, though...evidently a developer leaked them to the 'net to counter Microsoft's imbecilic decision not to provide an iso for its retail 8.0 iso customers. You know, Microsoft hands it out gratis to its MSDN/Technet subscribers because the iso installation isn't worth a plugged nickel without a legitimate 8.0 key, but then turns around and denies the same convenience to its retail customers. Everything with Microsoft this entire year has been one step forward and two steps back. The lack of common sense and customer sensitivity the company has shown this year is incredible, imo, all the more because Microsoft used to be so different.

Yes, the real 8.1 iso is readily available for anyone who wants to obtain it--it still requires a legitimate 8.0 key to activate on Microsoft's servers--and my opinion is that everyone with a legal 8.0 key should download it and burn the iso to a disk backup just for their own convenience and peace of mind. It's bizarre of Microsoft to want to inconvenience its retail 8.0 customers in this manner. If they for some reason need to reinstall 8.1, they should not have to first reinstall 8.0 from their Microsoft-supplied 8.0 iso and then go back to the Microsoft store and download the 8.1 auto-install update all over again. That's absurd.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built by me
    CPU
    Haswell i7-4770K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte G1 Sniper 5 (BIOS F9)
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator Platinum 32 gig (1866MHz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Sapphire R9-280 Vapor X
    Sound Card
    Soundblaster ZXR
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242W - 24 inch
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 512gig 850 Pro SSD (OS), Samsung 256gig 840 Pro SSD (photo editing), Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB HD
    PSU
    EVGA Supernova 1000 G2
    Case
    Cooler Master HAF X
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i Closed Loop Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech Performance MX
    Internet Speed
    High Speed
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Norton Security
    Other Info
    RAM Speed: 1866MHZ @ 9-10-10-27-2T, 1.5v
What confuses me is the decision against releasing a retail ISO. The only way you can get 8.1 (without MSDN or TechNet subscriptions) is to first install 8, then upgrade. Microsoft has said 8.1 is free to everyone who already has Win8, so why the hard stance?

Am I the only one who finds it beyond stupid that you can't get an 8.1 ISO, even if you can prove you have legally purchased Win8?

I found the IOS's online just fine. A little google searching goes a long way. I been running 8.1 for like a month.

Where have you been?

He's right, though...evidently a developer leaked them to the 'net to counter Microsoft's imbecilic decision not to provide an iso for its retail 8.0 iso customers. You know, Microsoft hands it out gratis to its MSDN/Technet subscribers because the iso installation isn't worth a plugged nickel without a legitimate 8.0 key, but then turns around and denies the same convenience to its retail customers. Everything with Microsoft this entire year has been one step forward and two steps back. The lack of common sense and customer sensitivity the company has shown this year is incredible, imo, all the more because Microsoft used to be so different.

Yes, the real 8.1 iso is readily available for anyone who wants to obtain it--it still requires a legitimate 8.0 key to activate on Microsoft's servers--and my opinion is that everyone with a legal 8.0 key should download it and burn the iso to a disk backup just for their own convenience and peace of mind. It's bizarre of Microsoft to want to inconvenience its retail 8.0 customers in this manner. If they for some reason need to reinstall 8.1, they should not have to first reinstall 8.0 from their Microsoft-supplied 8.0 iso and then go back to the Microsoft store and download the 8.1 auto-install update all over again. That's absurd.

So what does the update actually download? Does it download the ISO and mount it or is it a special version of the Windows installer? Maybe the ISO is stored somewhere temporary in the operating system?

Well who knows what happening over at Microsoft. They keep emphasizing this union between smartphones, tablets, and desktops so they all have this same interface. Does Microsoft think we're that stupid? Look at Apple. They have different interfaces on their desktop and phones/tablets. I don't hear anybody complaining about how to navigate through them.

If Microsoft is shooting themselves in the foot, good. They deserve that. Someone need to tell them how to run things. Desktops are desktops. Tablets are tablets. They want to compete in the tablet market? Then make sophisticated applications on the tablet that are better than iOS and Android. Not shoving the whole tablet interface on a desktop operating system. They're delusional.

They keep crying about how they don't want to rewrite Windows. Well they have to bite the bullet. If tablets are the future, then the tablet should have an operating system built for that type of hardware. If possible port that same OS onto the phone. There, you have one OS built for touch from scratch.

Leave the desktop and laptop hardware alone and force people to buy tablets so they can experience Windows on touch. If its a great sucess, people will start abandoning the desktop and shift to touch. Doesn't Microsoft want this to happen? Its a great strategy to increase their Marketshare and move into the future. If people are already hating Metro on the desktop, what makes you think they want to buy a Surface? Idk Microsoft leaves me speechless.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro & OS X Mavericks
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5 430M
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® HD Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
Sounds about right to me Bluemaster :)

btw: there is NO ISO downloaded during the "update" only the install files. I and many wish it was an ISO saved to HD, its what we been looking for.

And funny now looking I don't even see the windows.old folder lol
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W8.1up1 Pro x64 w/media center
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    dv7t-6c00 HP
    CPU
    2670QM
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    8g
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon 7690M XT (6770m) /Intel 3000
    Sound Card
    IDT HD Intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Laptop 17.3"/Samsung 26"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 HD
    Hard Drives
    Hitichi 750g 5400 rpm Laptop
    Case
    Brushed Aluminum (steel)
    Keyboard
    external USB
    Mouse
    external USB
    Internet Speed
    DSL
    Browser
    FF, IE, Chrome
    Antivirus
    COMODO Security Suite
I suppose I will give it a try... primarily to see if it is in any way usable, without having to resort to a third party start menu. I'm not hopeful, but I will give it a try.(this despite having previously made up my mind not to...)

Hopefully you are not going to spend any money on 8.1 because you will be disappointed. But it is a nice toy - worth about as much as the rubber ducky in my bathtub.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Vista and Win7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    2xHP, 2xGateway, 1xDell, 1xSony
    Hard Drives
    5 SSDs and 12 HDs
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