Windows 8.1 Update 1 reportedly in final stages, set for April release

[Himanshu Arora]

Microsoft has reportedly signed off on the upcoming Windows 8.1 update, and has moved it to the RTM (release-to-manufacturing) stage. This means that the update, which is being called "Spring" update or Update 1, is now in the hands of device manufacturers who will test it on their products. According to Russian leaker WZor, the final update was compiled on February 21st, and signed off on February 26th.

Joe Belfiore, head of platform at Microsoft covering phones, tablets and PCs, officially confirmed the Windows 8.1 update at Mobile World Congress last week. The update is aimed to make Windows 8.1 more familiar to those who prefer using keyboard and mouse.

Some of the changes include a title bar at the top of Modern/Windows Store apps, the addition of power and search buttons on the Start Screen, right-clickable context menus for Start screen tiles, IE8 compatibility mode in IE11, and more. The update will also enable Windows 8.1 to run on devices with just 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, allowing manufacturers to put it on cheaper tablets.

While the update doesn't seem to bring a sea of change, it is definitely a step in the right direction. Whether it'll boost sales of Windows 8.1-powered devices remains to be seen. The update will be made available to existing Windows 8 users on April 8th after Microsoft's Build conference.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/55894-windows-81-update-1-reportedly-in-final-stages-set-for-april-release.html

 

[Guest]

Who cares! Windows 7 is still superior.

 

[psycros]

Someone needs to tell Microsoft, "Its the UI, stupid." Horrible flat design will still be horrible flat design. Except for a small number of kernel tweaks Windows 7 is still superior in every respect. Microsoft needs to look back over the past decade and cherry-pick the best UI features from every version of Windows and create Windows 9. XP's Windows Explorer, start menu and control panel, Vista's sidebar (recreated to support "modern" apps), a more efficient implementation of Aero..its really not that complicated. Slap all of that on top of a Windows 8 kernel with greatly improved support for legacy apps (particularly games) and they'll move units like crazy. At the same time they need to completely redo the Modern UI. The tiles should be graphically appealing, consisting mostly of real pictures or high color icons. Use of screen space should be optimized. Microsoft keeps saying its all about "your content" but wastes huge amounts of screen area with the *****ic magazine-style interface, complete with a useless partial view of the next page, LOL.

 

[Rick]

Just a recent anecdote from two days ago...

One of my long-time PC-using clients bought a Macbook because she was frustrated by Windows 8 on her laptop. She used 8 and 8.1 for about a year on a PC laptop (no touchscreen) and essentially gave up. She said the laptop was fine, but she just didn't understand 8 -- she told me she really disliked the tiles and had a hard time finding things in the Start screen. She didn't want to use *apps* and hated accidentally opening them only to get "stuck" in them. She disliked that her computer would restart automatically after updates, the charms bar that "gets in the way" and she nitpicked at a few other things.. Needless to say, she's done with Windows 8.

My client base isn't a huge sampling, but this is actually the *second* customer to convert to Mac by what they claim to be Windows 8. This is interesting to me, as I've never had a client dislike a new iteration of Windows SO much that they made the paradigm shift to Apple.

Personally, I use 8. From the perspective of a non-touchscreen user though, it's a bit of a mess. Why should applications on a desktop PC with no touchscreen have ultra-thick borders (useful for fingers)? Why should a vertical scroll wheel pan left to right across the Start screen? The charms bar is annoying on dual screen set ups and Metro ignores decades of standard operating conventions (e.g. right click doesn't bring up a context menu...) for something that requires more work with a mouse (a sparsely-featured pop-up bar at the bottom). The Start screen looks/behaves/feels different than the rest of the OS. It's bizarre, honestly. The Windows App Store... what a mess, by the way. Good luck finding anything among the sea of junk. But again, I do use 8 and while its never made me excited, its OK enough.

I should mention that I appreciate some of the changes made in 8, namely a better task manager, performance improvements, ability to 'refresh' your PC, live account syncing... but I can name more things I dislike than like... and with greater intensity, too. Just some observations.

These updates.. 8.1... 8.1 SP1... seems half-hearted. They touch upon some small aspects of usability, but don't really *fix* the overarching problem. I'm afraid a new version of Windows will be needed to do that, though.

 

[Cycloid Torus]

If Win8.1 brings something near Win7 functionality for the keyboard and mouse crowd, I''ll be happy. Bought the upgrade over a year ago, but never installed. It is definitely time to retire the XP still running on CPU #3, so it can join the other three (2 PCs and a laptop) with a current OS (Win7).

 

[9Nails]

In Windows 8.1, I don't understand why click-n-drag at the top of the page vertically works to minimize the Windows store. But you can't click-n-drag the page horizontally to scroll through the store options. This mouse unfriendly and inconsistent behavior is part of the Windows 8's issues. And I miss my Aero-Flip [Start-key]+Tab to flip through open windows. I'm not sure what 8.1 Update 1 will bring, but I don't think it will be as easy to use as Windows 7 is.

 

[Guest]

I'll calmly waiting for Windows 9 release.. before that, I'll stick with my Win7..

 

[wastedkill]

I'll calmly waiting for Windows 9 release.. before that, I'll stick with my Win7..

Just install windows 8.1 then you will instantly have windows 9.... seriously its the exact same OS except rebranded... they are starting to do what Activision is doing with Call of Duty.

 

[TheBigFatClown]

I'll calmly waiting for Windows 9 release.. before that, I'll stick with my Win7..

Just install windows 8.1 then you will instantly have windows 9.... seriously its the exact same OS except rebranded... they are starting to do what Activision is doing with Call of Duty.

But that would imply that they have no intention of making any changes whatsoever within the next 12 months before they relase Windows 9. You don't seriously think that's the case do you?

 

[Guest]

I use windows 7 at work for work. I use Windows 8 at home for play. I don't see any differences really, just double click your application and go. search your folders and go. I don't care for tinkering or messing around just because I can. That is boring. It is like Vanilla vs Vanilla Bean ice cream, not a big difference.

 

[wastedkill]

But that would imply that they have no intention of making any changes whatsoever within the next 12 months before they relase Windows 9. You don't seriously think that's the case do you?

8->8.1 clearly shows microsoft is milking windows OS in a big way...

 

[Guest]

Too little, too late.

 

[yukka]

@wastedkill that's a bit over the top and I'm running 8.1 at work. I like the desktop look, I don't miss aero. And my machine is very stable. I wish I could click anywhere in the start menu and drag left and right (like the hand tool in adobe reader) but the new task manager and event logging is much better than windows 7. I await this spring update with great anticipation but windows 9 will be different. Compare 7 to Vista then to XP. MS have learnt plenty from this and they know if they don't get Windows 9 right it's going to cost them. But if all you do is play games I can't tell you the performance in COD will be better.

 

[TheBigFatClown]

But that would imply that they have no intention of making any changes whatsoever within the next 12 months before they relase Windows 9. You don't seriously think that's the case do you?

8->8.1 clearly shows microsoft is milking windows OS in a big way...

I still don't really follow your logic. Isn't the 8.1 Spring update going to be free? Plus, they aren't calling the Spring update Windows 9. It is appropriately named. Going from 8.0 to 8.1(or 8.1.1, whatever the hell it is) implies it's a minor update. So the fact that's it free and appropriately named doesn't support your theory of milking the cash cow.

 

[Guest]

@wastedkill
"Just install windows 8.1 then you will instantly have windows 9.... seriously its the exact same OS except rebranded... they are starting to do what Activision is doing with Call of Duty."

..what? Nooooo.... But, I'll waiting, hoping that Win9 would be different

 

[Railman]

@wastedkill
"Just install windows 8.1 then you will instantly have windows 9.... seriously its the exact same OS except rebranded... they are starting to do what Activision is doing with Call of Duty."

..what? Nooooo.... But, I'll waiting, hoping that Win9 would be different

W9 is different from W8 as it will ship with Metro 2. I suspect that the underlying OS will be broadly the same but the GUIs will be receiving a great deal of attention. If they don't sort out the traditional mouse and keyboard issues they will be shooting themselves in the foot. Enterprise would stick with W7.