Archive for Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 RT Update Pulled [UPDATED]

Posted in Commentary with tags , on October 21, 2013 by itnerd

It seems that those who have not already updated to Windows 8.1 RT will have to wait a little bit longer to do so. A posting on Microsoft’s Community Forums suggests it’s been pulled because of an unspecified issue:

Microsoft is investigating a situation affecting a limited number of users updating their Windows RT devices to Windows RT 8.1.  As a result, we have temporarily removed the Windows RT 8.1 update from the Windows Store.  We are working to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience.  We will provide updates as they become available.   

There’s currently no word on when it will be reposted or what the issue is that caused it to be pulled in the first place. I’ll keep an eye on this to see if there are further details.

UPDATE: It’s back according to News.com.

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Windows 8.1: What’s New? Should I Upgrade?

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 17, 2013 by itnerd

Windows 8.1 is available today as a free download to existing Windows 8 users. But the big questions are these ones. What new features will it come with and should I upgrade. I’ll start with the new features first:

  • The return of the Start button: If you run Windows 8.1 in desktop mode, you’ll get a Start button. Though it doesn’t quite work the same as it does in Windows 7.  Clicking it sends you to the new tile interface that users either love or hate. If you press and hold the button, it will bring up crucial settings such as the Control Panel.
  • Booting to the desktop: You can now start up the machine in desktop mode, bypassing the tile interface, But as I mentioned earlier, you’ll still have to deal with it.
  • You can run up to 4 programs at once in a side by side format: This is up from two in Windows 8.  Though you need a large, high-resolution monitor to do so.
  • Global Search: You can now search the entire computer or the Internet for items from the tile interface simply by typing from there.
  • Gesture enabled apps: If you have a front facing camera, you can use gestures such as waving your hand to perform actions if the apps support that.
  • Lock Screen Access: You can do things like answer a Skype call if your computer is locked.
  • E-mail Client: The e-mail client that comes with Windows 8.1 has been improved. It now has a “power pane” on the left-hand side with folders for updates from Twitter and Facebook, messages from favorite contacts and newsletters. Also a new “sweep” command deletes multiple messages with a couple taps. Be warned that some of these features may only work with Outlook.com and other Microsoft services.
  • Web browsing improvements: You’re no longer limited to 10 open tabs in Internet Explorer. In other words, Microsoft has put things back to the way you’re used to.
  • You can now save directly to SkyDrive.
  • Mouse and keyboard navigation is MUCH better.

So, that brings up the next question. Should I upgrade? Here’s my take:

  • For security and stability improvements alone, it’s worth it.
  • For the user interface and application improvements, it’s worth it.
  • It’s free for Windows 8 users. That makes it worth it too,

If you’ve installed Windows 8.1, please leave a comment and share your experiences.

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Windows 8.1: Here’s What To Expect

Posted in Commentary with tags , on July 2, 2013 by itnerd

I think it’s safe to say that Windows 8 has been a failure seeing as nobody liked it including several Microsoft business partners who took their shots. So you knew that Microsoft had to come out with something that would repair that damage quickly. The question is, does Windows 8.1 succeed at doing that?

First of all, if you want to take a look at it yourself, you can download a preview copy here. All the usual caveats relating to the fact that it’s per-release software and it shouldn’t be used in a production environment apply of course. I strongly recommend that you read the FAQ.

Now, here’s a list of what I find to be the most significant changes:

  • Yes, there is a Start button on the desktop. However it simply takes you to the Start screen as opposed to working the way it did on every version of Windows since Windows 95. But there is a concept called Win-X (because of its keyboard shortcut) that takes you to an administrative menu that allows you to quickly shut down the computer among other items. So users will have some familiar concepts to work with to a degree. However, the much maligned Metro interface is still there and it looks like Microsoft isn’t backing away from it.
  • Search is different. It opens in a panel, and by default searches “Everywhere” rather than just Apps. Oh, and Bing is even more integrated to it than before.
  • SkyDrive is now part of the OS. It’s heavily integrated and there will be no escaping it.
  • Internet Explorer 11 will ship as part of the OS. The word on the street is that it will eventually make it’s way to older versions of Windows.
  • There’s a new feature called Workplace, which will let users access a business network under the control of IT administrators with their home PC (presumably a laptop) painlessly. This is in keeping with the Bring Your Own Device trend that seems to be in at the moment. The catch is that companies will have to upgrade their servers to the latest version of Windows Server to leverage this.
  • The Windows Store has been blown up and redone. It’s actually very good to look at.
  • The Mail app has been improved with better diagnostics to help you track down problems. This is something that I’m personally happy about as troubleshooting Mail issues was an exercise of guessing what was wrong rather than identifying what was wrong and fixing it.

So, will this be enough to quiet the discontent and restart flagging PC sales? I personally will reserve judgement until the final version of 8.1 comes out. But if you’re running the preview, share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

 

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