Everything You Need To Know About Windows 8.1

Courtesy of Beta News/Wayne Williams:

Most memorable part for me at least:

A Start Button
Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed the return of the Start button in Windows 8.1 and there’s been no sign of it in any of the leaked builds. There have been lots of rumors about it though, with some people claiming it will be a traditional Start button with a Start menu, and others just that it will be there purely to open the Start screen.
In an interview with The Verge last week, Tami Reller, Windows division CFO, admitted Microsoft was aware of the outcry for a Start button. "We have heard that, we definitely have heard that and taken that into account," she said, before adding: "We've really also tried to understand what people are really asking for when they're asking for that".

Oh dear. Has Microsoft really not grasped what people have been requesting since before Windows 8 even launched? A Start button, Tami, with a Start menu attached.

Everything you need to know about Windows 8.1

 

[SIW2]

There can't be a conspiracy without conspiring parties. Without those, there can't be a conspiracy theory.

Who do you imagine are these conspiring parties and what are they conspiring to do?

 

[sygnus21]

There can't be a conspiracy without conspiring parties. Without those, there can't be a conspiracy theory.

Who do you imagine are these conspiring parties and what are they conspiring to do?

You sir, have made it into my quote book with this. Brilliant

 

[SIW2]

I am glad it of some use /amusement.

 

[goodintentions]

There can't be a conspiracy without conspiring parties. Without those, there can't be a conspiracy theory.

Who do you imagine are these conspiring parties and what are they conspiring to do?

How does this statement make any sense? There are plenty of people believing in the men in black conspiracy theory where they would go around covering evidence of aliens. They interview these conspiracy theorists on the syfy channel all the time. Does this mean these men in black and the aliens are real, since there's a conspiracy theory about them and there must be conspiring parties?

 

[Ray8]

There can't be a conspiracy without conspiring parties. Without those, there can't be a conspiracy theory.

Who do you imagine are these conspiring parties and what are they conspiring to do?

How does this statement make any sense? There are plenty of people believing in the men in black conspiracy theory where they would go around covering evidence of aliens. They interview these conspiracy theorists on the syfy channel all the time. Does this mean these men in black and the aliens are real, since there's a conspiracy theory about them and there must be conspiring parties?

In your example, there are no conspiring parties; there is only one party that believes in these men in black and aliens. Has anyone interviewed any man in black or alien?

 

[HippsieGypsie]

There can't be a conspiracy without conspiring parties. Without those, there can't be a conspiracy theory.

Who do you imagine are these conspiring parties and what are they conspiring to do?

Ok. Perhaps I'm reading into your posts, but it seems to me you keep making statements in your posts that MS is planning to "eventually lead everyone into the cloud" via their OSs beginning with 8, for 8 is more cloud-centric. Correct me if I'm wrong, but "getting everyone to the cloud" implies to plan or to "conspire" to do so. You imply that it's like "leading blind sheep to the slaughter". You post this concern often and I'm not going to take or waste the time to search your posts to reference. You know what you post.

Once again, it is hearsay. Opinion without proof or reference to fact.

BTW, a conspiracy is a plan by at least two people or entities.

http://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/conspire

 

[johnpombrio]

I have zero use for the cloud as I have no smartphone, never use my tablet, and all my computers are in one location. Plus I have a good backup plan using spare hard drives.
As for conspiracies requiring two people, you don't have to worry about it if one of them is dead.

 

[Ray8]

Like Google, Microsoft does want people to move to the cloud, the one they manage: Microsoft SkyDrive - Microsoft Windows and Cloud Computing: Microsoft's Viewpoint. It is their absolute long-term plan. It's not a conspiracy, it's a business plan that they are pursuing in order to maintain and grow revenue.

For years, Microsoft with their desktop, fought Oracle with their thin client, in the corporate world, Microsoft predominantly won. Now the situation has changed and they want a piece of the 'new thin client' world that has become the cloud. Adobe has already taken a major step in this direction, Google has done so with Chrome OS, and we have Facebook etc and Microsoft is in hot pursuit.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Like Google, Microsoft does want people to move to the cloud, the one they manage: Microsoft SkyDrive - Microsoft Windows and Cloud Computing: Microsoft's Viewpoint. It is their absolute long-term plan. It's not a conspiracy, it's a business plan that they are pursuing in order to maintain and grow revenue.

For years, Microsoft with their desktop, fought Oracle with their thin client, in the corporate world, Microsoft predominantly won. Now the situation has changed and they want a piece of the 'new thin client' world that has become the cloud. Adobe has already taken a major step in this direction, Google has done so with Chrome OS, and we have Facebook etc and Microsoft is in hot pursuit.

It's the "End Game" for most, if not all, commercial software companies (computing related service companies).

Companies haven't been able to convince people, that they own the software that the user has bought.
The "Cloud" eliminates the physical possession problem.

 

[Ray8]

I think you're absolutely right. But if they are becoming service providers like utility and phone companies, then they had better be prepared for the same shopping and swapping that people do now with the utility and phone companies (and some software providers like AV). Customer loyalty has gone out the window and encouraged a lot more competition. I wonder if Microsoft et al have considered the potential unintended consequences?

 

[goodintentions]

There can't be a conspiracy without conspiring parties. Without those, there can't be a conspiracy theory.
Quote
Who do you imagine are these conspiring parties and what are they conspiring to do?

How does this statement make any sense? There are plenty of people believing in the men in black conspiracy theory where they would go around covering evidence of aliens. They interview these conspiracy theorists on the syfy channel all the time. Does this mean these men in black and the aliens are real, since there's a conspiracy theory about them and there must be conspiring parties?

In your example, there are no conspiring parties; there is only one party that believes in these men in black and aliens. Has anyone interviewed any man in black or alien?

And that's my point exactly. Has anyone interviewed anyone at MS that claims the desktop will be permanently removed? You guys on here are sounding like there's no desktop at all.

 

[fourthofjuly]

And that's my point exactly. Has anyone interviewed anyone at MS that claims the desktop will be permanently removed? You guys on here are sounding like there's no desktop at all.

Who is concerned about losing the desktops? From what I understand, the main issue here are not touchscreen devices replacing desktops. The main issue is the Win 8 OS that is designed mainly for touchscreens that makes a LOUSY UI for desktops. The problem is the Win 8 OS itself that attempts to be an all-in-one OS which brings us back to the issue of "choice". There should be an option option for UI: start screen for touch, and start menu for mouse without all those fancy stupid bars and hot corners.

 

[goodintentions]

And that's my point exactly. Has anyone interviewed anyone at MS that claims the desktop will be permanently removed? You guys on here are sounding like there's no desktop at all.

Who is concerned about losing the desktops? From what I understand, the main issue here are not touchscreen devices replacing desktops. The main issue is the Win 8 OS that is designed mainly for touchscreens that makes a LOUSY UI for desktops. The problem is the Win 8 OS itself that attempts to be an all-in-one OS which brings us back to the issue of "choice". There should be an option option for UI: start screen for touch, and start menu for mouse without all those fancy stupid bars and hot corners.

But as it is, you DO have a choice to use your PC in desktop mode only. It's called (surprise surprise) desktop. Again, you don't say it out right that the desktop has been taken away. But your posts certainly do give the impression that the metro UI is the only thing available to you.

 

[fourthofjuly]

And that's my point exactly. Has anyone interviewed anyone at MS that claims the desktop will be permanently removed? You guys on here are sounding like there's no desktop at all.

Who is concerned about losing the desktops? From what I understand, the main issue here are not touchscreen devices replacing desktops. The main issue is the Win 8 OS that is designed mainly for touchscreens that makes a LOUSY UI for desktops. The problem is the Win 8 OS itself that attempts to be an all-in-one OS which brings us back to the issue of "choice". There should be an option option for UI: start screen for touch, and start menu for mouse without all those fancy stupid bars and hot corners.

But as it is, you DO have a choice to use your PC in desktop mode only. It's called (surprise surprise) desktop. Again, you don't say it out right that the desktop has been taken away. But your posts certainly do give the impression that the metro UI is the only thing available to you.

just like what someone said... you make too much assumptions. you don't see the point. you are blinded by the "charms" of the windows bar. I even highlighted it in red, typed it in all caps and underlined it. That is the point I am trying to make. The Metro UI is a lousy UI for non-touchscreen device. Even the desktop is lousy with the absence of start menu.

 

[DavidY]

But as it is, you DO have a choice to use your PC in desktop mode only. It's called (surprise surprise) desktop. Again, you don't say it out right that the desktop has been taken away. But your posts certainly do give the impression that the metro UI is the only thing available to you.

You don't really have a direct choice in which mode you use the PC, because it's dictated by the software you're running.

In a home environment you may have some choice of software but if Microsoft get their way and everything is written in Metro in future, we'll have less and less Desktop software to choose from and people will indeed be forced to use Metro and unable to use the Desktop. (Well you could use it, but there'd be nothing there.)

In my work environment the operating system and software is dictated centrally and nearly all of it is Microsoft.

If Microsoft don't sort Metro out (and it wouldn't take much), a Metro-only version of Microsoft Office would be a nightmare and there would be no escape or choice.

 

[turbofish]

But as it is, you DO have a choice to use your PC in desktop mode only. It's called (surprise surprise) desktop. Again, you don't say it out right that the desktop has been taken away. But your posts certainly do give the impression that the metro UI is the only thing available to you.

Do you have the choice to boot directly into the desktop? Do you have the choice of hiding Modern UI on business machines that have no business being on this screen? Do Modern UI apps even have a purpose on a business machine? In the Corp world, we usually have very expensive application that are desktop only and that isn't going to change for a very, very long time.
SQL Metro. Vs modern UI, vSphere metro. Not going to happen

 

[legacy7955]

You CAN boot into the desktop....BUT FIRST MS FORCES YOU TO SEE THE METRO START PAGE FIRST ....EVERY FRIGGEN TIME YOU TURN ON YOUR PC.

HOWEVER what so many here skip over is the FACT that you canNOT boot DIRECTLY into the desktop by default EVERY TIME you turn on the PC.

If you want that you MUST use a third party program.

 

[musiclover7]

Metro is just a lousy design, all around. No icon grouping into folders, mostly clear boxes with tiny icons in the upper left corner that make finding apps difficult, not a lot of customization, not a lot of fun new features, and boring development environment. I am glad that many like it, but many also don't. I think, had they implemented it better, they could have won over a lot more people then they did.

 

[goodintentions]

But as it is, you DO have a choice to use your PC in desktop mode only. It's called (surprise surprise) desktop. Again, you don't say it out right that the desktop has been taken away. But your posts certainly do give the impression that the metro UI is the only thing available to you.

You don't really have a direct choice in which mode you use the PC, because it's dictated by the software you're running.

In a home environment you may have some choice of software but if Microsoft get their way and everything is written in Metro in future, we'll have less and less Desktop software to choose from and people will indeed be forced to use Metro and unable to use the Desktop. (Well you could use it, but there'd be nothing there.)

In my work environment the operating system and software is dictated centrally and nearly all of it is Microsoft.

If Microsoft don't sort Metro out (and it wouldn't take much), a Metro-only version of Microsoft Office would be a nightmare and there would be no escape or choice.

I'm sorry, but this is sensationalist BS. MS is not made up of idiots. There are still millions and millions of desktop programs out there. If MS's goal is to get rid of the desktop environment and switch over to the modern UI, it will take at least 30 years, plenty of time for you to either familiarize yourself with Linux or grow old and die.

 

[turbofish]

I'm sorry, but this is sensationalist BS. MS is not made up of idiots. There are still millions and millions of desktop programs out there. If MS's goal is to get rid of the desktop environment and switch over to the modern UI, it will take at least 30 years, plenty of time for you to either familiarize yourself with Linux or grow old and die.

Novell was not made up of idiots. At one time they controlled over 65% of the network servers in the world. But they made really huge mistakes, didn't listen to their customers and in just 7 years were run out of the network OS business. Microsoft is going down the same path.