Windows 8.1 a hero or a zero

50Twuncle

Windows 8 is a stopgap measure - much as Windows ME was 13 years ago (a fill in between Win 98 and XP)
To class Windows 8.1 as anything other than a fill-in-fill-in would be a mistake

Don't bother - stick with Windows 7 until Windows 9 is released in 12 months or so....but even that may be a no-go (based on 8 ?)
Windows 10 is rumoured to be a cloud based OS - Which will require a substantial upgrade to the infrastructure to allow multiple high speed connections - which just aint happening - around here - we are lucky if we can get 3g !!!
MS want everything to connect wirelessly
Hence I reckon that 7 will be the last great OS produced by MS.

KxMx

I'm happy with Windows 8 and dithering as to whether I should take this update.
I guess new PC (planning to purchase early next year) will come with 8.1 so for this laptop probably won't bother updating.
I do need to teach someone how to use Win 8 though in preparation from the PC going from XP to 8.1 (presumably) so what to do...

Lum

If you're seriously comparing 8 to ME I think you have forgotten how truly awful ME actually was.

8 does actually work reliably. ME was an unstable heap of crap that offered very few improvements over 98SE apart from a couple of really subtle under the bonnet improvements (the only one worth caring about was the addition of the Windows 2000 TCP/IP stack) and a slightly nicer default theme.

victor2

almillar wrote: »

I think Windows 8 is a great OS, and 8.1, though I haven't used it much yet, seems to fix lots of things that were being complained about.
The Start button is back....

But it does nothing except return you to the main Start screen, just like pressing the "Windows" button on the keyboard. I hope you're not expecting it to work like the Start button in XP et al.

penrhyn

Indeed, I still use Classic Start.

retired1aswell

I like the new Windows 8.1 update as I have managed to get it looking and working like Windows 7, however I hate Internet Explorer 11.

I usually watch TV programs from USA online but when I switch to full screen all I get is a black screen.

Also on MSE forums the quote button doesn't work and sometime the cursor vanishes or when I press return it goes to the beginning of the line or not even move.

I've just installed Opera which works OK.

retired1aswell

But it does nothing except return you to the main Start screen

If you right click it you get a menu.

Jivesinger

KxMx wrote: »

I'm happy with Windows 8 and dithering as to whether I should take this update.
I guess new PC (planning to purchase early next year) will come with 8.1 so for this laptop probably won't bother updating.
I do need to teach someone how to use Win 8 though in preparation from the PC going from XP to 8.1 (presumably) so what to do...

You still have 2 years before you *have* to upgrade from 8 to 8.1 (assuming you want to stay supported).

I'd leave it a while and leave it to other people get the glitches out of the system.

prowla

I just installed 8.1; it grumbled about me not wanting to give it an online account, but otherwise went OK.

I then clicked on a tile on the home screen and was greeted with a "modern" DOS-like app with "Get to Start. Swipe in from the edge and tap Start" in orange and white writing on black at the right edge of the screen.

I'm trying to do it, but nothing is happening.

I clicked on it and it added "Tip: Begin with your finger outside of your screen.".

Hmmm - that's not going to work on my 21" flat screen display, is it...

Anyway, I got to my desktop and it's got a bright orange wallpaper and the windows come up with a slightly less bright orange border. That's not too kind on the eyes.

Hmmmm... not too great then.

The promised nu-"Start" button is there, and clicking it takes you to the home screen, so you still have the modal user interface.

I looked at the colours and themes, and you still don't get Aero transparency; it's still just the flat featureless square cornered windows.

Oh well, didn't really expect that to change...

I might try looking for the option to go straight into the desktop rather than boot to the home page. But of course, clicking on the nu-Start button will go there anyway, so it's a bit useless (thought right-clicking does give a kind of admin menu).

Sooo, nothing to radical really, and the Start button is not back as we know it.

I also tried updating a Windows 8 system to 8.1, but it didn't show the upgrade in the Store. I looked around and it said that it had been temporarily withdrawn.

Hmmm... problems?

So, all in all it's a bit underwhelming, and I don't really see any think that is going to make people see the error of their ways in shunning Windows 8 and suddenly have a life-changing reason to go to 8.1.

victor2

prowla wrote: »

I clicked on it and it added "Tip: Begin with your finger outside of your screen."

Better tip:
Begin and end with two fingers in front of your screen.