Windows 8.1 Is Now In PC Makers' Hands

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Windows 8.1 is in the hands of PC makers around the globe today. Windows 8 owners wanting to get their grubby little mitts on the update will have to wait until October 18th.

Microsoft announced on August 27 that Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 have been released to manufacturing (RTM'd) and are now being delivered to its OEM partners. Company officials also confirmed, as I blogged earlier this month, that there will be no early access to the Windows 8.1 RTM bits by subscribers to MSDN, TechNet and its volume-license customers. They will have to wait for Windows 8.1's launch, October 18, to get the gold code.
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Ur_Mom said:
Nope. They said you have to wait until October, too.... :(
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Definitely a different process here unfortunately but it looks like Microsoft is scrambling here along with hardware makers. Plus they haven't announced the RTM of Visual Studio 2013 and normally VS releases needed to develop for new OS features RTM at the same time as the OS.
 
I just hope it arrives before TechNet is shuttered.
 
Any bets on how long it takes until it shows up in "other places"? (torrents/usenet/other..)
 
From what I gather, it does not fix what most Pre-Win 8 fans want. They want the start button back, in its original, or close to original form.
Many do not like having to download everything, and prefer to have hard copy (ie. DVD/CD) of product.
Many do not like the poorly executed tablet overlay.
Many do not want touchscreens on their laptops, or desktops, as they have learned how hard it is to keep clean, and read through the smears, on their smartphones. This kills the need for the tablet overlay, as 8 desperately needs touch to navigate through well.

Simply put, in my experience, attempting to sell Win 8 computers, Micro$oft missed their primary customers' wants, badly.
All to force people to buy through the Micro$oft store, so they can force a % cut...
 
HvyMtl said:
From what I gather, it does not fix what most Pre-Win 8 fans want. They want the start button back, in its original, or close to original form.
Many do not like having to download everything, and prefer to have hard copy (ie. DVD/CD) of product.
Many do not like the poorly executed tablet overlay.
Many do not want touchscreens on their laptops, or desktops, as they have learned how hard it is to keep clean, and read through the smears, on their smartphones. This kills the need for the tablet overlay, as 8 desperately needs touch to navigate through well.

Simply put, in my experience, attempting to sell Win 8 computers, Micro$oft missed their primary customers' wants, badly.
All to force people to buy through the Micro$oft store, so they can force a % cut...
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I was agreeing at first, until I saw your $ as part of Microsoft. Then, you lost credibility... :(

Tablets/touchscreens in my experience (other than the matte finish) are easy to keep clean. Not a problem here. Fingerprints? Sure. Expected. But, unless you're eating donuts and pay games at the same time, it's not a problem.

Poorly executed tablet display? On a tablet it works excellent. Just so-so on a non-touchscreen, though (yes, I know it 'works' just fine, it's just not optimal, IMO).

Start menu back? True. But, they have made their decision and are going with it. Move on. Like it, hate it or love it, it's gone.
 
I wish they would give us what we want, I would buy it then.
I cant recommend it, paying to be annoyed isnt something I do.
 
The 8 brand is too tainted at this point. They should start work on 9 and go back to the drawing board.

MSFT has a real problem on it's hands. Businesses are not going to spend money on upgrades of dubious value, especially in a lousy economy. There is no reason they can't coast on Windows 7 until support ends.
 
Ur_Mom said:
Poorly executed tablet display? On a tablet it works excellent. Just so-so on a non-touchscreen, though (yes, I know it 'works' just fine, it's just not optimal, IMO).
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Having used 8 daily for two years now and all of the debate about its keyboard and mouse prowess I've asked myself for a long time what exactly is optimal for keyboard and mouse use? Sure there are things that could be improved for keyboards and mice and desktops and 8.1 did a lot there. Certainly issues with discoverability and cues were an issue. But I think most people say optimal when the better tern would be familiar. And that's not to totally negate the problems with the UI but familiar and optimal are two different things. One gets fixed with exposure and training and time. The other is a deeper technical problem the new UI.

As for the Modern UI with touch I have seen a number of kids and adults pick it up on a tablet in no time with little effort.
 
zero1945 said:
The 8 brand is too tainted at this point. They should start work on 9 and go back to the drawing board.

MSFT has a real problem on it's hands. Businesses are not going to spend money on upgrades of dubious value, especially in a lousy economy. There is no reason they can't coast on Windows 7 until support ends.
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There are rumors that 9 may be out as early as next year, I would imagine that there probably is some effort to get 9 out sooner rather than later and that may have been the plan all along.

Businesses already on 7 that just needed classic desktops were never going to 8, that's just how business upgrades work, they are cyclical. However, Microsoft did but a number of BYOD features in 8.1
 
heatlesssun said:
Having used 8 daily for two years now and all of the debate about its keyboard and mouse prowess I've asked myself for a long time what exactly is optimal for keyboard and mouse use? Sure there are things that could be improved for keyboards and mice and desktops and 8.1 did a lot there. Certainly issues with discoverability and cues were an issue. But I think most people say optimal when the better tern would be familiar. And that's not to totally negate the problems with the UI but familiar and optimal are two different things. One gets fixed with exposure and training and time. The other is a deeper technical problem the new UI.
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Nope. Optimal doesn't equal familiar in this case. I can go to Linux and learn that (KDE) and it works fantastic. It's not familiar, yet it's intuitive and fast. I can use Metro just fine. It's just not perfect with a keyboard/mouse. It's slower and more time consuming than alternatives - be it start menu or other organization method (icons on desktop/taskbar). Yes, there are some that want the familiar, but I think some of it isn't that it is familiar - it is a very efficient method of navigation and launching applications. The Start menu evolved to be very great with a keyboard and mouse. I HATE using it on a touch screen, though. Metro fixed that. I prefer Metro on a touchscreen 100%.

But, judging from all the comments - it's highly subjective. Everyone has their own opinion on it. Optimal, more efficient - those are opinions that vary from person to person when it comes to Metro. Difficult to measure. Some say OSX is more efficient to use, but I say the opposite. Easy to use, but some things are a real bitch. Same with Windows. Even after years and years of using it, there are still some things that are places where you'd least expect them....
 
Ur_Mom said:
I was agreeing at first, until I saw your $ as part of Microsoft. Then, you lost credibility... :(

Tablets/touchscreens in my experience (other than the matte finish) are easy to keep clean. Not a problem here. Fingerprints? Sure. Expected. But, unless you're eating donuts and pay games at the same time, it's not a problem.

Poorly executed tablet display? On a tablet it works excellent. Just so-so on a non-touchscreen, though (yes, I know it 'works' just fine, it's just not optimal, IMO).

Start menu back? True. But, they have made their decision and are going with it. Move on. Like it, hate it or love it, it's gone.
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Problem is, the Average Joe HATES the loss. They WONT buy, until they have to, and will NOT be happy. Great way to kill off the desktop/laptop.

I put the $ in Micro$oft, as they are pushing their want of income over the wants of their customers, a bit too much. A grave mistake, as those who push profit too far, typically lose the things which attract their customers, and then die off.

8 is a leap. The average user looks at 8 and is confused. People do not like change of this magnitude. They LIKE the known, and dislike what they do not know.

Power users, like most here, will be fine and adopt. The average user does not adapt, and has issues. They will be more likely to not learn how to use 8 well. They will be more likely to have issues, as they have no concept, and that will negatively impact the rest of us.
 
Word on the street* is, they will NOT offer ISOs to technet, or anyone else (aka consumers)
The only way to get 8.1 is through MS's store, as lame as that sounds.


* http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/...8/14/mark-your-calendars-for-windows-8-1.aspx

Brandon LeBlanc
August 14, 2013

d_AJ, Vala Zadeh, and Yehia Hassan - Consumers will only be able to get Windows 8.1 for free through the Windows Store. ISO images won’t be made available broadly for consumers. For most consumers, the Windows Store is the easiest and most efficient route for updating a Windows 8 device to Windows 8.1. Yehia Hassan - installing Windows 8.1 through the Windows Store should be quick and easy for you. d_AJ - installing Windows 8.1 through the Windows Store even on slow connections should work.
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HvyMtl said:
Power users, like most here, will be fine and adopt. The average user does not adapt, and has issues. They will be more likely to not learn how to use 8 well. They will be more likely to have issues, as they have no concept, and that will negatively impact the rest of us.
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Even the power users are not wanting to use it. There are a few exceptions, but some just can't stand it. Personally, I don't like it on my server (Server 2012). Connecting remotely is a pain in the ass. Desktop, I don't mind.
 
"Optimal" for mouse input would seem to denote target size and spacing ideal for a large percentage of users at typical sensitivity levels and acceleration curves and a preference for gesture-less actions to gestured actions. Metro violates the latter, primarily with its grab-and-pull-down mechanic of closing apps, and I've seen no research to suggest that it adheres (or attempts to adhere) to the former. Pointer travel can be — and in most cases is probably routinely — higher in some cases compared to the Start Menu, so in that respect, the Start Menu may hold a slight advantage for mouse users.

I don't believe there's a formula for what's optimal, but I do believe there are some fairly well-established best practices, and it seems fairly apparent that some minor trade-offs were made to accommodate touchfriendliness.
 
ND40oz said:
Right...so for a fresh install you have to install 8 and then upgrade to 8.1, that's not happening. The previews had ISOs, no reason that 8.1 and 2012 R2 won't. We're not regressing to Server 2003 R2.
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I expect Microsoft will once again pull a 180 on this, as they've done several (hundred) times in the past couple years on various issues.
 
Actually seeing as how I deal with this on a large scale with many customers, the only people I really see having any trouble at all with Windows 8 are the really old users who were used to XP and no longer have the ability to learn anything new... you know, the same folks who can't figure out their phones or how to program their DVR (or in many cases, still their VCRs.)

First time users (even the old ones) who have no prior computing experience pick it up fine, as in many ways it is more intuitive and formerly disparate parts of the OS are more integrated and seem more seamless through the various apps and the more universal UI.
 
wonderfield said:
"Optimal" for mouse input would seem to denote target size and spacing ideal for a large percentage of users at typical sensitivity levels and acceleration curves and a preference for gesture-less actions to gestured actions. Metro violates the latter, primarily with its grab-and-pull-down mechanic of closing apps, and I've seen no research to suggest that it adheres (or attempts to adhere) to the former.
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Drag and drop is a VERY common mouse driven UI gesture, it's everywhere in Windows and OS X seems to be renowned for its innovative use of the gesture. 8.1 follows very closely the behavior of Aero snap on the desktop. Drag an modern app to the edges of the screen and it snaps to edge, exactly like a desktop app. Drag a modern app down and it closes the app. That's very consistent and simply extended a very powerful and probably unutilized desktop gesture.

wonderfield said:
Pointer travel can be — and in most cases is probably routinely — higher in some cases compared to the Start Menu, so in that respect, the Start Menu may hold a slight advantage for mouse users.
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wonderfield said:
I don't believe there's a formula for what's optimal, but I do believe there are some fairly well-established best practices, and it seems fairly apparent that some minor trade-offs were made to accommodate touchfriendliness.
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Agreed, the biggest trade-off being lack of chrome and normal point and click discoverability. But lack of discoverability exists on the desktop. There's no chrome or any cues for Aero snap more than what modern apps have, probably one reason many probably aren't aware of it.
 
Ur_Mom said:
Even the power users are not wanting to use it. There are a few exceptions, but some just can't stand it. Personally, I don't like it on my server (Server 2012). Connecting remotely is a pain in the ass. Desktop, I don't mind.
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Agreed. I seem to be up to the level of a power user (do tech support, albeit lightweight BestBuy Geek level, tho I work for a competitor) and I am one of those who simply cannot stand it. Note my signature, I upgraded from 8 to 7. Harder to do on a laptop than desktop, due to driver issues and wanting the function buttons to work...

Having to deal with the Average Joe, and their interaction, or lack thereof, with Windows 8 keeps putting $ in my pocket, but I do not like them not liking their computers. It is bad for them, and bad for us, as we like computers. If they do not like their interaction, they buy less, making the High End parts less likely, as their buying of the Low End funds the research and development of the High End...

Having 8.1 update be required through the Store points directly to Micro$oft's intent to force everyone to have a Micro$oft Account. This account will soon have to remain active, if you want support for your programs... And it forces everyone to use the Marketplace. Which may run into Monopoly law violations (why hasn't anyone taken this into account?)
The intent of Micro$oft here is to force ALL of us to use the store, so they get their cut of every program and application (yes, program, they are not all apps...) sold. Greed.
 
HvyMtl said:
Having 8.1 update be required through the Store points directly to Micro$oft's intent to force everyone to have a Micro$oft Account. This account will soon have to remain active, if you want support for your programs... And it forces everyone to use the Marketplace. Which may run into Monopoly law violations (why hasn't anyone taken this into account?)
The intent of Micro$oft here is to force ALL of us to use the store, so they get their cut of every program and application (yes, program, they are not all apps...) sold. Greed.
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I don't think Microsoft has anything to worry about with the Windows Store. Many people today are pointing out that Windows only powers a minority of computing devices today when you take into account mobile devices, so you can't have it both ways, on a minority of all devices yet a monopoly on the desktop as long as mobile devices and desktops to some extent do similar things.

As for the 8.1 being in the Windows Store, since it is no doubt a desktop installer, it's probably just a link to an installer that will probably present itself in Windows Update. And Microsoft doesn't get a cut of desktop apps listed in the Windows Store since they don't host desktop apps, there merely provide a link to desktop apps. So a developer just has to pay the dev registration fee to get the app listed and there's no split.
 
DPI said:
Wanna bet on that?
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There's no need for the Start Menu, options could be added to the Start Screen, you've even linked in a article detailing the changes, such as the ability to make the Start Screen not full screen, etc. This idea has been around for a long time and I must admit I don't know why Microsoft has implemented this, it provides a solution to the Start Menu controversy and doesn't at all require enabling the old UI.
 
And yet, OEM (Such as HP) have created, with MS permission, a start button replacement app/program. The HP one will be free download for touchscreens and pre-installed for non-touch. Merely put the application on your desktop screen, click, and drag to the old start button location. Viola! A start button with menus and folders, just like the one for 7, Vista, XP, etc.
I wonder if the HP version (rumors Lenovo is doing same) can be installed on non-HP systems.
 
If they stick it in Windows store I suspect that most users will NEVER use 8.1 since they will not know about it.
 
Wrench00, they will be notified on their computer of the update.

My thought on it is this: They will look at the pop up window proclaiming the update as an annoyance, or won't know how to update, or look at it as a virus.

Just because you chose a bad design does not mean you should have to ram it down our throats.
 
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