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

 

[turbofish]

I don't really know why there has been such an outcry about the start button, it may not be physically there, but if you just right-click the bottom left hand corner of your screen you'll find just about anything you could possibly need is there.
People really need to read manuals or look up what they need to know before installing ANYTHING!!! And definitely before ranting about a program. Win 8 does need improvement, (boot to desktop for PC -as most of us PC gamers will probably never use touch on our desktops), but all in all I like it. (and I have used every instance of Windows since 3.1 -didn't like, went back to DOS until they got it right - Win 98 SE - though I did try 95 and the first 98) and have moved to each new instance with very few problems.
I guess some people just don't like change.

This is the kind of arrogant thought process that just pisses me off. RTFM?! I have forgotten more about computers than you will ever know. It's not about not liking change or not understanding enough about the OS. The modern UI has no place in business and holy crap it needs to die in the server world. Not liking change?! As an IT professional, change is a constant factor. But it has to be smart change, a change for the better, we have to see some benefit from the change. Oh, and I have used every OS from Microsoft from DOS 1 including every MS server OS plus dozens of Linux distros, Unix, apple,...


When the first copy of windows 8 came out, I was the program director of two college programs, the alpha IT guru of the college, had more current Microsoft certification than everyone else in the school combined and I had to Google how to shut it down.

 

[HOODY]

removed due to non-comprehension of my words..

 

[turbofish]

It's not about evolution, it is about a really crappy design for non touch devices like laptops, desktop PC and servers. Metro/modern UI is worse than Bob was to windows 95. At best isn't intuitive, St worse it is just plain broken as I have already mentioned about when installing certain Microsoft products that will never show up in the Modern UI or by searching for them (visual studio). Throwing all the icons to every exe on one page unsorted is a good idea? Why is my steam icon next to a group of SQL programs? Does that make any sense to you?
It isn't evolution but a huge step back in UI

 

[Mustang]

Windows8 Modern would have to be the biggest snow job ever perpetrated by any commercial company in history. It puts the worst snake oil charlatan salesman to shame!

 

[brummyfan]

Hi there
What about when the Gas meter guy comes round. These people used to have hand held "Psion" like devices - now they just use a Tablet -- so there ARE some valid business applications for tablets.

Gas meter guys still come around? Our gas and electric services are directly connected by computer, so they can read the meters from the central office and also tell if an outage occurs, etc. Oh, the wonders of electronics.......

Yes, they do, used to be every quarter but nowadays people give the meter readings online, so they do it once or twice a year.

 

[caperjack]

When the first copy of windows 8 came out, I was the program director of two college programs, the alpha IT guru of the college, had more current Microsoft certification than everyone else in the school combined and I had to Google how to shut it down.

I say this with no intent other than to just say ! given your experience alt f4 ,should have been your first choice

 

[alphanumeric]

Also had to Google to find out how to shut it down the first time I used it. I think a lot of people did. Actually I think it may of been the second or third time I booted it up, I got tired of reaching under my desk and pushing the power button on my case to shut down.

 

[alphanumeric]

I also have to say I'm not all that impressed with the paint ball approach to putting tiles on the Start Screen when installing programs.

 

[Mustang]

I would not have touched W8 with a barge pole if I had not been able to:

• Totally switch off Modern/Charms
• Restore direct boot to desktop
• Restore legacy start button/menu

It still rankles me that I have to use 3rd party app to make it work the way I want it to. Not the way M$ try to force you to use it.

In the early release days they even blocked the ability to restore an alpha numeric cascaded start menu.
If they were positively trying to prevent sales they certainly succeeded!

 

[Mustang]

When the first copy of windows 8 came out, I was the program director of two college programs, the alpha IT guru of the college, had more current Microsoft certification than everyone else in the school combined and I had to Google how to shut it down.

I say this with no intent other than to just say ! given your experience alt f4 ,should have been your first choice

The point he's making is that he was looking for an icon to click to shut it down ... not a keyboard command. Traditionally in the past there has always been more than one way to shut down a PC. But the most obvious and traditional way was mysteriously deeply hidden under a layer of mouse clicks.

The reason is obvious. M$ want to make it as hard as possible to use the old methods. But in this case of a shut down button it's insane thinking along the lines of: "Lets make it as hard as possible to find the shut down button!" Totally unintuitive. And they wonder why W8 is being lambasted on almost every forum you visit? Wake up and smell the roses Microsoft!

 

[caperjack]

When the first copy of windows 8 came out, I was the program director of two college programs, the alpha IT guru of the college, had more current Microsoft certification than everyone else in the school combined and I had to Google how to shut it down.

I say this with no intent other than to just say ! given your experience alt f4 ,should have been your first choice

The point he's making is that he was looking for an icon to click to shut it down ... not a keyboard command. Traditionally in the past there has always been more than one way to shut down a PC. But the most obvious and traditional way was mysteriously deeply hidden under a layer of mouse clicks.

The reason is obvious. M$ want to make it as hard as possible to use the old methods. But in this case of a shut down button it's insane thinking along the lines of: "Lets make it as hard as possible to find the shut down button!" Totally unintuitive. And they wonder why W8 is being lambasted on almost every forum you visit? Wake up and smell the roses Microsoft!

ok,

when load ing win8 you are told about the new 4 corner options ,again before searching the net to find anyone with the poster knowledge could have found it with out google ,it took me awhile the first time but i found it with out google ,just saying .

 

[turbofish]

I say this with no intent other than to just say ! given your experience alt f4 ,should have been your first choice

Real IT people rarely shut off anything. Can't tell you how many of my servers have been up since they were put there. Shutting down systems isn't something we do often and when we do, I have yet seen someone use alt f4. Yeah, I know about it but also know that pretty much none of the regular none computer people are going to old keyboard commands and personally didn't think Microsoft had reverted back to keyboard commands to do a support simple task like shutting down the computer

 

[alphanumeric]

I say this with no intent other than to just say ! given your experience alt f4 ,should have been your first choice

The point he's making is that he was looking for an icon to click to shut it down ... not a keyboard command. Traditionally in the past there has always been more than one way to shut down a PC. But the most obvious and traditional way was mysteriously deeply hidden under a layer of mouse clicks.

The reason is obvious. M$ want to make it as hard as possible to use the old methods. But in this case of a shut down button it's insane thinking along the lines of: "Lets make it as hard as possible to find the shut down button!" Totally unintuitive. And they wonder why W8 is being lambasted on almost every forum you visit? Wake up and smell the roses Microsoft!

ok,

when load ing win8 you are told about the new 4 corner options ,again before searching the net to find anyone with the poster knowledge could have found it with out google ,it took me awhile the first time but i found it with out google ,just saying .

The first releases didn't have the hot corner tutorials, that was added in latter builds.

 

[caperjack]

ok,good to know , i didn't use the first release ,just a early release of full win8

 

[turbofish]

when load ing win8 you are told about the new 4 corner options ,again before searching the net to find anyone with the poster knowledge could have found it with out google ,it took me awhile the first time but i found it with out google ,just saying .

Not in the first release

 

[caperjack]

when load ing win8 you are told about the new 4 corner options ,again before searching the net to find anyone with the poster knowledge could have found it with out google ,it took me awhile the first time but i found it with out google ,just saying .

Not in the first release

i know that now as i said in my last post ,thanks

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
What about when the Gas meter guy comes round. These people used to have hand held "Psion" like devices - now they just use a Tablet -- so there ARE some valid business applications for tablets.

Gas meter guys still come around? Our gas and electric services are directly connected by computer, so they can read the meters from the central office and also tell if an outage occurs, etc. Oh, the wonders of electronics.......

Hi there
That's fine - however sometimes a "Human" will come round to verify readings etc. Also in some places you have various suppliers and the competition prevents prices from rising too rapidly -- you can SWITCH suppliers quite easily and people often save a lot of money by doing this - someone will come round to read the meter for the new company you've switched to. - Luckily they don't all connect to the same Computer !!!


Here's how it works in the UK - I've been on Contract in Manchester UK -- and coming from a country with relatively cheap and stable Energy prices I nearly DIED when I saw what UK consumers are having to pay --the average monthly Energy Bill would pay for my MORTGAGE back home !!! . By switching two times I've knocked a LOT off my bill.

Energy Comparison of Gas & Electricity | Broadband Deals & Mobile Phones | uSwitch.com

(Any UK Forum members reading this -- it DOES work -- you CAN save a significant amount and it's painless too).

Cheers
jimbo