Microsoft's summer update will be called Windows 8.1 Microsoft has thought long and hard about what to officially call the forthcoming Windows 8 upgrade package codenamed "Windows Blue", and the verdict is ... Windows 8.1. So sayeth veteran Redmond-watcher Mary Jo Foley, who cites an anonymous tipster. Lending credence to the rumor, Foley directs us to a Twitter post made by …
"The marketing name has nothing to do with the internal version number.
Same as with Linux."
Very true... I was actually going to mention Patrick Volkerding jumping the version of Slackware from 4 to 7, just to match the version numbers used by other Linux distros of the era.
But then, what's going to happen when Windows marketing name goes through another 87 number changes... will it skip from Windows 94 to 96?
<-- facepalm for me not noticing the 6.3 staring me in the face in the screenshot in the article.
So version 6.3 of windows NT is called Windows 8.1
If Microsoft are going to charge for this service pack then it needs to be cheap and introduce something that people really want (full time desktop mode).
All the real criticism of Windows 8 comes from TIFKAM, if that interface was moved into the background so that it was available for tablets and touchscreens but unseen on desktops and laptops then Windows 8 would become the best windows ever, it's a perfect incremental upgrade to 7.
They just need to add a classic mode checkbox (with AD control) to make desktop/start menu the default (still let you run not-metro apps, and in a window for high resolution screens).
But as long as they think putting TIFKAM on computers will sell phones it's not going to happen.
They could call it Windows Crap, and Windows Still Crap, but then what would they call 8.3?
It can't just be unseen, the hot corners and swipes and keyboard shortcuts to get to TIFKAM have to stop working, two or three old but important desktop keyboard shortcuts that were overwritten with TIFKAM keyboard shortcuts have to come back, things like wifi configuration and popup balloons have to return to the way they've are in Windows 7 instead of in a huge slab of colour, the start menu has to come back, file type associations have to always point to the desktop versions, even Notepad and Flip 3D have to come back as they do have some use.
Oh, and make it easy to get into safe mode because explaining to ordinary users that they should wait until the BIOS screen goes away then repeatedly hammer shift-F8 is also impossible.
It's an utterly jarring non-intuitive fuck-up of an experience. Until they work out what they're doing with TIFKAM which I doubt will happen until the next major release, the least they could do is bring back a proper desktop with the next point release and put TIFKAM mode as an option in the start menu where everyone could just ignore it.
OSX does use a different kernel versioning, but at least the 10.x versions usually match a major version in the Darwin Kernel.
Sun would use the second decimal for Solaris, so SunOS 5.10 is Solaris 10. They also do this with Java, with 1.7.x being "Java 7".
MS however seems to be unable to standardize versions. Windows 7 is actually NT 6.1. Ow!
For all the hate it generates I think most of us would agree that Vista > Windows 8.
At least this is my hope. Vista was actually a pretty decent OS if you managed to run in on decent Hardware. Which was the problem, given that the OEM thought that they could run it on any old Hardware. You couldn't run XP on a Pentíum 75Mhz, w/4mb or EDO RAM either. Nobody cried back then either. The fact is if you can run 7 your machine probably could run Vista as well, and Vista had some pretty cool stuff in it that got dropped in 7.
And, Windows 2003 Server is 5.2. Makes a hell of a difference from XP in some drivers (and no, just changing that version string in the INF file often doesn't get the job done - some kernel API's really are slightly different).
Makes me wonder what the 2008 reports (no live machine at hand).
To be honest I'm not overall impressed with what Ms. Foley has to say. I still remember the El Reg chat in which she claimed how Windows Server should stay in sync with the development cycle of Azure, apparently completely unaware that Azure was suffering from major outages at that time which had already lasted nearly a week.
However, this makes sense; we all know and realize by now that Windows 8 isn't exactly the great success Microsoft was hoping for. However it seems that Microsoft invested quite heavily in this new infrastructure and really wants to make it work.
So what other option is left /but/ to introduce a minor update?
Windows 8 SP1 would make it clear with admins and such that an update has been issued, but for the common crowd it would still be "Windows 8". Think about it; I'd want no less but Windows 7 SP1 and XP SP3. However, for common users these are simply "Windows 7" and "Windows XP", maybe for some who keep a bit more track of it all its "Windows with a bunch of updates" but that's about it.
So what other options would Microsoft have to make it well known, even with the common users, that Windows 8 has been updated into something (hopefully) less bad ?
Though I wouldn't bet on it; unless they come up with a decent replacement for the start menu, and I'm not referring to some TIFKAM update, I'm keeping clear from this mess.
Microsoft still think that MS-is-forever, and people will adjust to its inconsistent interfaces like an armchair that doubles as a wheelbarrow, they won't.. Unless they come up with something that actually works consistently they'll be as dead as one dominate Cullinet.
the secret source is.. er.. windows.. specifically windowed TIFKAM applications.. and a start button
i have a touch screen tablet (not RT) and its pretty decent for that.
there are some really poor decisions though and i have had to wipe it and restore after only 3 weeks. i think that might have been all the hacking just to change the bloody window titles to white as i prefer a dark menu bar.
i would also like them to fix the issue when you display all desktop items at 150% etc. a few apps totally screw up with this setting on but using 1080p on an 11.6" screen is a bit small for touch.
you do have to wonder why they made some of the decisions that they did. some are good and some are just plain mental.
"Tell me how you can use excel or word, or photoshop with only 25% of the screen? And I mean productively.
TIFKAM is for content consumers. Not really for doing any real work at all."
If you've been following the whole Win 8 thing for a while (your use of TIFKAM indicates you have,) then you should know the answer. Those who hate Windows 8 don't like it, but it works. And a lot less painfully then the generally suggested "Tell people to use Linux instead." If you don't know then do some research before mouthing off.
"If you've been following the whole Win 8 thing for a while (your use of TIFKAM indicates you have,) then you should know the answer."
So is that anything other than... you can't? For example you want to watch a video online out of the corner of your eye while doing an email. Can't see how this is going to work in TIFKAM. What happens when somebody suddenly skype's you. It's just a complete and utter mess.
"And a lot less painfully then the generally suggested "Tell people to use Linux instead."
Photoshop under wine in Linux would really be painful. I've been saying for a long time that Linux advocates can come back to me when there is Photoshop or good enough equivalent on Linux. Still waiting...
For the record, I use Windows 7 myself. I looked at the upgrade options, including the special offer to update quickly. And quickly thought.. forget it. They are really not offering me a worthwhile upgrade.
Still...
So ends (hopefully) one of the biggest cons in computing history, namely the pretence that each new version of Windows was a brand new product rather than a version change over the previous product - thus enabling Microsoft to charge more for the "new product" than they could have if it were seen solely as a new version.
Same goes for Office. I'd be glad to see that go the same way.
Only problem is by the time Windows hits revision 8.1.17. Hopefully most People will have moved on to Linux by then. One has to wonder what will happen to Microsoft once they pull the Trigger on Windows 7? Where will all the Corporations go then to Windows 8? HAHAHA not likely. I wonder if those asshats in Redmond understand this?
Is anyone actually running Windows 8 that has commented here? It's loads faster (on my relatively old laptop) - long time issues have been fixed for copying files etc and it's stable. The menu is quick - you just hit the Windows key, starting typing and hit return to load programs. This method is rapid, reliable and beats the heck outtta Windows 7 - for visual users the tiles are going to work well.
There are a couple of UI annoyances (wish I could lock the metro screen to one of the desktops) but you'd expect that with a radical overhaul of the UI (Ubuntu Unity anyone?) and some system issues (the sound gremlins aren't quite gone).
I get tired of the argument "If you used Windows 8, you wouldn't hate it". I am using Windows 8 and my hate comes from months of firsthand experience. I hated the UI when I first started, and then when I started to play with it I hated it even more. While it has nice performance improvements, it makes tasks that were quick in Windows 7 much slower. Do this: Type "System Restore" in Windows 8 and tell me how long it takes you to find System Restore. Type "Uninstall" and Windows 8 and tell me how quick it takes to get to the Programs and Features part of the control so that you can uninstall a program. In Windows 7, just click start, type "uninstall" and in 1 second you could click on "uninstall a program" that is a short mouse distance away. Done. In Windows 8, you type "uninstall", then move your mouse to the right and click on Settings then move you mouse all the way to the left and click on Uninstall a Program. The UI is counter-intuitive with a mouse and touchpad.
The only three good things Windows 8 is good for is a home theater PC, a tablet, and a phone.
Lol a HTPC awwwwww Hell no!!!
Any Linux with MythTV (or better yet) Video Disc Recorder (e.g. VDR), with XBMC can and WILL DO a better job of running a HTPC then anything Micorsoft could do.
Lets take DVB-C (Digital Cable TV), for example. If you want to watch this, or are forced to watch it 'cause your Landlord doesn't want you to put up a Dish, or you just happen to live on the wrong side of the Building. Then your forked, as you'll need a CAM (Common Access Module), and a Smartcard to access your Subscription(s). Granted Microsoft have done some work to get DVB-S2 (With CAMs?), to work since Vista / 7. Its little comfort to me,
Now take VDR for example its compatible with everything DVB-T(2), DVB-C and DVB-S(2) OotB, It boots straight into the last Channel viewed. No need to muck 'round waiting for Windows to load, then clicking the Media Center Icon. Full CAM support. Linux is just full of WIN here.
Windows on the other hand is just full of FAIL!
" ... It's loads faster (on my relatively old laptop) - long time issues have been fixed for copying files etc and it's stable. The menu is quick ... "
[ Fast Boot ] ... It should load faster since by default it employs a hybrid sleep and not a full shutdown and is "resuming" rather than a full POST and bootstrap. Additionally, many people are obviously using newer UEFI streamlined systems rather than traditional BIOS. I guess comparing Apples and Oranges is back in vogue these days.
I have a theory that Metro and Windows 8 appeals to the definitive "serial-tasker", those that operate one task at a time like the instruction pointer in a CPU. They press the "On" button and wait. I say this because a "multi-tasker" would press the computer power button 30 seconds before he needs to jump in and do something. That means, press the button, grab a coffee ( or anything else ) instead of standing there waiting interminably. Multitaskers naturally know how to timeslice so that few seconds at startup never ranked high on the things-to-fix-in-Windows bullet-list when there are so many other real consequential annoyances to address.
[ File Copying ] ... What "copying files" issue might that be? Most people are referring to the yet again updated file copy dialogs, the ones that could have only been designed by a committee and were already getting ridiculous in Vista and 7, but now they have added an option to "pause" a copy. But for what possible reason? Well, I guess it makes sense since a serial-tasker might just need to pause. Multitaskers know enough that they can simply jumpt to something else if a copy takes too long. In truth, copying a file has worked reliably since 1995 for the consumers, but was made foolproof with NTFS based Windows even earlier.
[ Quick Menus ] ... GPU accelerated menus should be fast. Especially since it is essentially only rendering HTML+CSS basic geometry ( Playskool blocks ) in primary colors, kinda like simple webpages from 15 years ago. Were you expecting slow? I'm not impressed by Microsoft advancements here, nor should we be thanking them for these little baby steps forward. By now in 2013, instead of romper room shapes we should have game-engine style 3D user interface elements, like those which already perfected as far back as 1999 ( Q3 and Unreal ). And it should be fully user-customizable, not locked in to their one childish theme.
Amazing how many "Windows Haters" feel the need to comment on an article about Windows version numbering. This place is getting more like a playground for the intellectually challenged every day. There are so many article keywords that just bring out the same old comments over and over again, loads of idiots shouting "me too, look I'm here, I agree, I hate xxxx too!"
Not that amazing, really. It's been some time since its release and not a lot has changed. Yes, it may be a bit faster than W7 but not that much and, should you ever switch off Aero on W7, that increase is barely perceptible. OK, I agree that "mee too" trolls are a pain - they were frowned on in some places when I was a net noob so why we have them now is a bit of a mystery, but what you are seeing now isn't really that different from what we saw with Vista. While there are those that like W8 and will champion it, just as some folk did with Vista, the majority villify this version because they just don't like it.
I'm saying little about my opinion of W8 myself, partly because other folk have said everything already, partly because I'm fed up doing it. My sole W8 installation, I shall say, has been deleted and, beyond my only W7 system and what gets done at work, everything else is Linux or RISC OS and is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Windows 8 has many haters from inside the Windows community, the trolls from outside are largely superfluous in any argument about the merits or negatives of all the different Windows versions they are outside the experience by their own choice. Conversely there are quite a few Windows lovers who like everything about whatever has been recently released from Redmond. Sometimes I even hear defenders of Win8/phone describing how tasty their new interface looks, I think the best description of folks like that would be Windows lickers.
But seriously folks, the real reference I'd measure the popularity of any system would be the usage share of OS on the net, wikimedia measures Feb 2013 like this: Win 7 34.72%, iOS 23.75%, Win XP 14.28%, OS X 6.98%, Android 6.03%, Vista 4.3%, Win 8 2.23%, Linux 1.42% and Win Phone 0.79%.
M$ still have a 56.32% market share so they don't need to worry what they call their next OS or how it performs, it will still be part of the biggest herd. Only just mind.
"M$ still have a 56.32% market share so they don't need to worry what they call their next OS or how it performs, it will still be part of the biggest herd. Only just mind."
Yeah, but for how much longer? Nobody with a single braincell rattling inside their heads, would touch it [sic] Windows 8. Corporates can still flee to Windows 7 (FOR NOW!!). Whats gonna happen once Microsoft has had enough of Windows 7 too? I can't see Window 8 in the workplace as it is EVER!
Now that Linux has Steam (e.g. Valve) on-board things can only get better for Linux. Given that Microsoft would rather you pay then a yearly subscription to their HTML5 wonder Office. Well WHO THE HELL NEEDS WINDOWS?!?
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
