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QOTW: Are you upgrading to Windows 8.1?

by Parm Mann on 18 October 2013, 16:30

Tags: Windows 8

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qab35z

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Windows 8.1 is here, folks, and you might think of it as a service pack full of intent. This time around, Microsoft's first major update has been launched to right many of the perceived wrongs in the imperfect operating system that is Windows 8.

The hefty over-the-air update, weighing several gigabytes in size, is the next step in Microsoft's ambition to deliver "one vision, one platform for everything you do."

But having developed a habit of backtracking in recent months, the software giant is having to take a couple of steps back in order to move forward. For the millions of desktop Windows users, that means the return of the Start button (albeit without the traditional menu) and, if the Modern UI just doesn't tickle your fancy, you can now boot straight to the desktop, as well as disable elements of the App Switcher and Charms Bar. Users of keyboards and mice rejoice - this is more like the Windows we know.

Yet the Modern UI shouldn't be overlooked, and for touchscreen users it's better than ever with unified search, new apps, an updated onscreen keyboard, deeper SkyDrive integration and, our personal favourite, new live-tile sizes.

Question is, has Microsoft done enough to sway the doubters and those still sat on the rather comfortable Windows 7 fence? To find out, we're asking you, the readers: are you upgrading to Windows 8.1?

Let us know using the comments facility below, and if you've already made the jump, please do share your first impressions of Microsoft's vision for the future.



HEXUS Forums :: 59 Comments

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Its all good….
Will give it a go over the weekend, seeing as I'm already using 8.0
Yup, been running Technet on one machine since they slipped it out a month or two ago. Personnally was happy enough with 8 anyways…
Getting rid of a Windows 8 laptop but not because of Windows 8, have found it good after I installed Start8. I tried some Metro apps but found they weren't as good as browsing the website. Netflix and Khan Academy apps were well laid out but they lacked functionality that the websites had, for example “My List” was missing from the Netflix app but is present in the Android app and on the website.

As a desktop OS it is great, love the new task manager, storage spaces is awesome although useless to me on the laptop and I like the changes to explorer allowing you to pin your most used tools to the window above the ribbon, which you can hide, is great. If I could get Windows 8.1 for £30-40 then I probably would but otherwise I don't think the improvements are enough for me to spend more. I'll wait until the next release and hope they do some pre-orders for £30-40 like they did with Windows 7, it is the only reason I'm on Windows 7 rather than Vista to be honest.
Ive been waiting for this.

I have had a free windows 8.0 upgrade waiting since last December but as I plan to deploy it on a standard desktop PC I did not want to invest the time/efort in swithcing from the really quite excellent Windows 7.

I'm looking forward to having a play now.