Windows Videos: First look at Windows 8.1

Thanks for that Kari, looks quite promising. Hopefully the additional improvements hinted at will be equally useful. It's each to his or her own they say but I've found the New Start Page far more useful and pliable than the 'old Start Button' and if the re-intro of the Start Button just takes you to the Start Page then I don't see the point. By the way I do NOT have a touch screen but I have no trouble using Mouse & Keyboard. Personally I find Windows 8 excellent; more stable and flexible than Windows 7. I do believe it was Brink that advised that you spend sometime arranging your Start Page before venturing further with the then new W8. I did this and never looked back. So come on, give it a fair trial and stop knocking it just because it's changed.
 

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    Windows 8 Pro 64 bit
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    pcspecialists. Fusion450
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    AMD FX(tm)-4100 Quad-Core. 3.60GHz.
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    ASUS
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    4GB
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    AMD Radeon HD7700 series
Yes thanks for sharing that video. I liked what I saw. I'm looking forward to giving it a run when it becomes officially available.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
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    PC/Desktop
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    Asus
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    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
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    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
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    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
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    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
looks very good cant wait to it official release
 

My Computer

System One

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    Windows 8.1 update 1 Pro X64 with WMC
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    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    intel i7 2600k
    Motherboard
    Asrock H61M-VG3
    Memory
    16GB
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    nvidia geforce GTX 560 Ti
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Internet Speed
    100MB
Hi there
Enhanced search also available in "Leaked builds" so it's good to see this now as an official feature.

Hopefully we'll see the new proper release out on TechNet with a few days.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Linux Centos 7, W8.1, W7, W2K3 Server W10
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    PC/Desktop
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1 X LG 40 inch TV
    Hard Drives
    SSD's * 3 (Samsung 840 series) 250 GB
    2 X 3 TB sata
    5 X 1 TB sata
    Internet Speed
    0.12 GB/s (120Mb/s)
Dat search!! :cool: Wow!

I'm going to say the 50/50 app snap with active readjust, better Start customizing, Bing Search, and the tile sizes are my favorites of Windows 8.1. Wow, that is freaking cool.

:dinesh::party:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
Being able to resize Metro apps and run more than 2 makes these things far more usable.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
I will chime in here as well. So far, 8.1 looks very promising! I also noticed that some of the icons that look generic and not so good now, like word and powerpoint, seemed to be bigger and easier to find, which for me stands to make the start screen a lot more use-able. So far, I have really disliked how all non Windows 8 and store apps all we have are basic, difficult to find box with tiny icon in the corner, icons. Improving that single feature will help me out a lot, if they truly did. The rest of the features look good as well. Fingers crossed on this one!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro 64 Bit
    CPU
    Processor AMD Athlon(tm) II X4 635 Processor, 2800 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Memory
    8gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GTX 460
anyone with a touchscreen can verify the behavior at 1:20? currently in windows 8, you can do a miniswipe downward on the tile to select it rather than having to do a hold and wait. is the hold and wait replacing the miniswipe or is it an additional way of doing things?

the hold/wait has always been a feature that I've hated whether it was in older systems or in iOS or Android.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
I will chime in here as well. So far, 8.1 looks very promising! I also noticed that some of the icons that look generic and not so good now, like word and powerpoint, seemed to be bigger and easier to find, which for me stands to make the start screen a lot more use-able.

You realize they are just showing the new smaller size. Right? Icons can be made larger. Geesh.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
Thanks for posting that, Kari. :thumb:

Great new features. I'm definitely lQQking looking forward to it. :)
 

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  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
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    Acer T690
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    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
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    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
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    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
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    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
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    1440 X 900
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    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
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    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
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    Dual case fans + CPU fan
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    Acer Windows PS/2
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    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
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    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
Well, there's nothing there that excites me much apart from the small tiles, which i do like.
And if half the OS needs the 'cloud' to work, then there's not much point in my even bothering with it.

Wenda.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

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  • OS
    Windows 8.1 'Ultimate' RTM 64 bit (Pro/WMC).
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    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer AS8951G 'Desktop Replacement'.
    CPU
    i7-2670QM@2.2/3.1Ghz.
    Motherboard
    Acer
    Memory
    8GB@1366Mhz.
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GT555M 2GB DDR3
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD w/Dolby 5.1 surround.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Built-in. Non-touch.
    Screen Resolution
    18/4" 1920x1080 full-HD.
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 750GBx2 internal. 1x2TB, 2x640GB, 1x500GB external.
    PSU
    Stock.
    Case
    Laptop.
    Cooling
    Stock.
    Keyboard
    Full 101-key
    Mouse
    USB cordless.
    Browser
    IE11, Firefox, Tor.
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, MalwareBytes Pro.
    Other Info
    BD-ROM drive.
Well, there's nothing there that excites me much apart from the small tiles, which i do like.
And if half the OS needs the 'cloud' to work, then there's not much point in my even bothering with it.

Wenda.

Which half needs the cloud to work? Granted,I am not a cloud hater. I see it more as an optional value add, for those who need their data on multiple devices from anywhere at any time. Sometimes that benefits me greatly.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
I think that all depends on your definition of "The cloud". You don't have to use Skydrive and you can log in with a local account. You'll likely lose store access and live tiles may not work but if you don't use metro its not going to bother you all that much.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
Judging by the comments under the vid, they don't seemed to have fooled many folks.
 

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  • 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
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    Noctua NH-D14
    Keyboard
    Logitech Illuminated Keyboard K740
    Internet Speed
    60meg cable
    Browser
    Cyberfox
    Antivirus
    AVG Security Suite
This update won't change anything for those that flat out don't like Metro.
 

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System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Education 64 Bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
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    Asus
    CPU
    AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Deneb 3.7GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS M4N68T-M V2 µATX Motherboard
    Memory
    8GB 4GBx2 Kingston PC10600 DDR3 1333 Memory
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Geforce GT640 2 Gig DDR3 PCIe
    Sound Card
    VIA VT1708s High Definition Audio 8-channel Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    22" LG E2242 1080p and 2 19" I-INC AG191D
    Screen Resolution
    1280x1024 - 1920x1080 - 1280x1024
    Hard Drives
    Crucial MX100 256 GB SSD and 500 GB WD Blue SATA
    PSU
    Thermaltake TR 620
    Case
    Power Up Black ATX Mid-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Stock heatsink fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech Wireless K350 Wave
    Mouse
    Logitech M570 Trackball and T650 TouchPad
    Internet Speed
    80 Mbps Down 30 Mbps Up
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    HP DVD1040e Lightscribe - External USB2
I like what I see. And though I don't use the Start/Metro screen all that much, the changes may make me use it more.

Not really a Bing fan, but must say I like the way the new search feature works. Looks like I'll be suing that a lot.

My initial thought was to replace 8 with 7 when I got my laptop (non-touch) but once I got to playing with it, it turned out not to be so bad (for me). In fact, I rather like it.

That said, I still haven't converted my main system to 8 yet, but if 8.1 really improves upon what 8 is now, I may make the move.

I really can't wait to see what 8.1 (aka Blue) does.
 

My Computer

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  • 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)
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    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
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    Logitech Wireless Wave
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    Logitech Performance MX
    Internet Speed
    High Speed
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    IE11
    Antivirus
    Norton Security
    Other Info
    RAM Speed: 1866MHZ @ 9-10-10-27-2T, 1.5v
Which half needs the cloud to work? Granted,I am not a cloud hater. I see it more as an optional value add, for those who need their data on multiple devices from anywhere at any time. Sometimes that benefits me greatly.

The file/data stored you speak of is very convenient if one chooses to do so, especially now that we have multiple devices as you stated. A marriage of the Internet and an OS. Nothing new really.

Although I know she could speak for herself, I think Wenda may be speaking of the Modern/Metro Store apps. Live tiles or when opened they need to refresh with current data similar to some web pages. e.g. We can refresh page is on this forum as I'm sure you well know.

I know some state that one may as well open a website, but one nice feature about the apps I like is that I'm not surfing the Web where I'm prone to viruses.

I've been Microsoft Live almost since inception starting with Hotmail. I've seen the MS Cloud grow through the years. I've always found it very convenient. I find it very convenient to sign in to my PC with my MS account in 8. Rather ingenious to me. No matter where I go within the MS domain I'm signed in automatically, although on some sites it'll ask me for a password, which is understandable obviously for security reasons. Emails, contacts, favorites, and whatever I choose is all stored and backed up free of charge.

To those who think this is lure for all to bite on, well, yes it is. This is a trend that they're all doing. A marketing tactic if you will. Do I feel pressured or trapped? No, I could drop it at any time to go elsewhere or not use MS at all, or anyone for that matter.

I also have a Google account since I have a Droid phone. All backed up neatly in the Google Cloud. That'll be changing once I get a Windows Phone 8. I'll be a 100% MS fanboy. I'm simply not a fan of the Google boys, they're corporation, or their tactics. I'm okay with Apple, but find their products too expensive for what one gets.

I think that all depends on your definition of "The cloud". You don't have to use Skydrive and you can log in with a local account. You'll likely lose store access and live tiles may not work but if you don't use metro its not going to bother you all that much.

Well stated. As long as we have the option of a local account and the OS is native to the device all will be well. MS Is not forcing anything to anyone. Luring perhaps, but not forcing. :)

Anyone that doesn't like Metro > Use a local account, unpin the Store app (from what I gather one cannot uninstall it), uninstall all the Store apps, pin whatever you want to the Start Screen or use a 3rd party program to remove it completely.
 

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System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
This update won't change anything for those that flat out don't like Metro.
We already know that some users do not like the existence of the Start Screen, however easy it is to totally bypass and never see again.

For these users I can only say that I still fail to understand why a built-in feature which takes no resources when not used, can be totally bypassed, which you must never see and use if you don't want to and which in absolutely no way affects your computer usage if you so choose remains a problem?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    HP ENVY 17-1150eg
    CPU
    1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM Processor
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Beats sound system with integrated subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17" laptop display, 22" LED and 32" Full HD TV through HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1600*900 (1), 1920*1080 (2&3)
    Hard Drives
    Internal: 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
    External: 2TB for backups, 3TB USB3 network drive for media
    Cooling
    As Envy runs a bit warm, I have it on a Cooler Master pad
    Keyboard
    Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser (bluetooth)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX1000 Laser (Bluetooth)
    Internet Speed
    50 MB VDSL
    Browser
    Maxthon 3.5.2., IE11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender 4.3.9431.0
    Other Info
    Windows in English, additional user accounts in Finnish, German and Swedish.
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