Should Windows 8.1 have been Windows 9?

[Ketchup]

Just going off what I have read in the forums. Haven't had personal experience with 8.1. Spent just a little time with 8. I was surprised how many are having hardware compatibility issues with this update. I know several have not.

Just seems like Microsoft should have just gone ahead and called it 9. Wouldn't change the outcome, but at least it would give an explanation for the abounding issues.

What do you all think?

 

[Berryracer]

no, it's still the same crappy/buggy OS with a fake start button

read this:

Does windows 8.1 feel buggy as hell to everyone?

 

[Imaginer]

Some users on the link berryracer gave annoyances with the desktop. But the desktop has not changed and kept 7's desktop usage, improved on task manager and file transfer statuses.

Another complained not being able to run modern apps alongside desktop mouse usage paradigms. But one can. It isn't in a small movable window like normal windows, but can be adjusted on the side of the screen.

But I have yet to find any use for any modern apps on my desktop machines anyways. Most app equivalents already exist in desktop form, just not found in a consolidated listing in the store, but with a manual internet search (though there are desktop applications listed in the store with links to the website for procurement).

No problems manipulating and using the start screen. Any advance administrative usage is just a start icon right click (or hold with the finger with the touch screen). That does not need to be front and center as I do not frequently need to go into those settings.

 

[jiffylube1024]

No, but I would have been fine ith it being called Windows 8.5.

 

[HeXen]

Would it matter if they called it Win 9? It is what it is. I have stuff that won't even work properly in 8 so I'm not messing with 8.1.

 

[Underclocked]

Does ANYONE really care about having the modern UI??? and all those useless apps? Not me. The few real improvements Imaginer listed could have easily been included in a Windows 7 service pack 2.

I think both 8 and 8.1 were and will remain a HUGE mistake so far as desktop operating systems. A large majority of the folks that bring Win 8 computers to me for work have said they hate it and want it "changed" to something more useful.

 

[HeXen]

Does ANYONE really care about having the modern UI??? and all those useless apps? Not me. The few real improvements Imaginer listed could have easily been included in a Windows 7 service pack 2.

I think both 8 and 8.1 were and will remain a HUGE mistake so far as desktop operating systems. A large majority of the folks that bring Win 8 computers to me for work have said they hate it and want it "changed" to something more familiar.

I like the tiles. Nice large launcher icons a click away, quickly seen and looks very nice. Weather, Netflix among some others are very nice apps with sweet interfaces that also look nice.
Start has always been nothing more than a launcher, I fail to see how making it simpler and full screen is really a mistake considering how many apps can make it just like the old if you choose.
Overall it's a much snappier feeling OS.

 

[Imaginer]

I like the tiles. Nice large launcher icons a click away, quickly seen and looks very nice. Weather, Netflix among some others are very nice apps with sweet interfaces that also look nice.
Start has always been nothing more than a launcher, I fail to see how making it simpler and full screen is really a mistake considering how many apps can make it just like the old if you choose.
Overall it's a much snappier feeling OS.

Exactly, I prefer the start screen as a quick glance when I go into it. And it has active information for those apps that are pinned. Even not, desktop applications can be shrunken to make real estate or their tiles enlarged to show emphasis.

There is no need for me to hide icons on the desktop behind active and inactive windows, only to reveal them using the show desktop "button" (that is not even visible in 8) on the taskbar. This is the same thing as clicking on the supposed start icon (and the start hot corner) to reveal the start screen.

Not sure what the problem is at all.

 

[Ketchup]

Does ANYONE really care about having the modern UI??? and all those useless apps? Not me. The few real improvements Imaginer listed could have easily been included in a Windows 7 service pack 2.

I think both 8 and 8.1 were and will remain a HUGE mistake so far as desktop operating systems. A large majority of the folks that bring Win 8 computers to me for work have said they hate it and want it "changed" to something more useful.

Maybe they called it 8.1 because it was just a big experiment anyway. Why waste another model number on said experiment?

 

[Carfax83]

Personally, I haven't had any major hardware incompatibilities so far. I worried about my sound card, as it's one of the first generation X-Fi cards that use a PCI slot, but I haven't had any issues using the Windows 8 drivers.. As drivers begin to sport official Windows 8.1 support, these problems should disappear.

As for Windows 8.1, this is what Windows 8 should have been from the start. It's better than Windows 8 in every respect and fixes those nagging issues like not being able to go directly to desktop, and Windows 8 is way better than Windows 7 in almost every category.

Honestly, I find the "clinging to Windows 7" bandwagon to be so ridiculous, especially for hardware enthusiasts. Windows 8.1 is faster, more secure, has more features, more efficient with resources. It's just better period.

If you hate the Metro UI so much, you don't have to use it.. I use it, as the Start Screen is much faster for accessing and finding programs and apps than the ancient Windows 7 Start menu with all of it's folders and sub folders..

 

[Imaginer]

Besides of Aero complaints, I liked the removal of the glass. Before in 7, the name of the window is unreadable in certain window positions and such because of the transparency. Maybe I could adjust it, but it is just eye candy - of which I am not looking at anyways. I am looking at what I am working with.

Alt + Tab (and Shift + Alt + Tab) still reveals all opened windows on the desktop and shows their contents without the shifting thingy introduced with Vista which I like better.

Driver issues are not present either still, other than Asmedia's USB3.0 Controller, of which a quick reinstall of the driver did the trick to recognize the ports again.

And those that like the desktop? Taskbars are independent of each monitor, reflecting the opened windows in each monitor.

 

[ninaholic37]

If you hate the Metro UI so much, you don't have to use it..

I wonder how much you can delete from Metro UI without breaking the desktop. It would be interesting to have a complete list of every file that is only needed for Metro UI so they could all be deleted, and then maybe find the contents inside other files that only relate to Metro UI and hex edit all that related data to 0s just to remove every last trace of it. Basically have it so that if anyone tries to go into Metro UI, windows will go haywire and crash because nothing for it exists. I wonder if anyone has ever tried this.

I like removing junkware. I guess it would be easier to just never install Windows 8/8.1. :sneaky:

 

[escrow4]

There is nothing wrong with 8/8.1. The problem is end users using 1995 era hardware and all sorts of assorted rubbish that break/slow/cripple things. If you install/upgrade 8 to 8.1 on modern 2012 era hardware that is 100% WHQL/Win 8.1 certified and fully supported and don't install 50 million programs you won't have any issues at all. Upgrading from 7 or earlier I certainly wouldn't bother, clean install it.

And get over the start button. Moaning like a bunch of old farts. The replacement is fine. And memorize Win+X in 8.1.

 

[homebrew2ny]

Windows 8.1 feels exactly the same as 8.0 felt to me. And since I use classic shell, both feel exactly like windows 7, just snappier. However I am expecting much more from windows 9.

 

[Mem]

No issues either for me with 8 or 8.1,unless you count crappy Nvidia drivers after 314.22s for 4xx/5xx cards(happens on Win7 too) https://forums.geforce.com/default/...e-460-560-gpus-updated-10-29-13-see-page-17-/ .

I would of liked them to have called it Win8 SE (yes just like Win98 SE many decades ago)sounds better then 8.1,don't care about crappy Aero or the boring old Start button menu that has been around so long that half the users here have to be drip fed with it or they become a Start junkie addict.
I think some users have to accept desktop PCs are no longer the main kid on the block hardware wise ,desktop PCs are becoming dinosaurs in some ways.

End of the day things change and we have to move on,we can do it with hardware ,we all upgrade on a regular basis but throw in a new OS and half the users fall to pieces, sad times indeed.
As to Win9 I don't know if half the users here can handle that or are ready for it,I know I'm and I also welcome any change or new ideas in the next gen of operating systems.


Are most desktop users becoming a bunch of moaners?...Seems like that a lot of times,Win9 will see them queuing at the front gate :hmm: .

 

[dave_the_nerd]

No. Version number inflation is getting out of hand as it is.

I'm looking at you, Google Chrome 30 and Firefox 24.

 

[chimaxi83]

Oh man, another Windows 8 bash thread. Just what I was looking for!

 

[Raincity]

Call it Win 8.1, 8.0 SP-1 Win 9.0 I don't give a rats @ss. As long as MS keep supporting the OS for decent length of time. This 8.1 update personally was the worst for me but I have 90% of the issues iron out. Nothing worth ranting over and proclaiming long live Windows 7.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Call it Win 8.1, 8.0 SP-1 Win 9.0 I don't give a rats @ss. As long as MS keep supporting the OS for decent length of time. This 8.1 update personally was the worst for me but I have 90% of the issues iron out. Nothing worth ranting over and proclaiming long live Windows 7.

Meh, I usually upgrade a few years after the new one comes out.

Still have my Win2k CD around here somewhere - last used in 2008.

 

[Raincity]

Meh, I usually upgrade a few years after the new one comes out.

Still have my Win2k CD around here somewhere - last used in 2008.

Well good for you. I still have MS DOS 5.0 floppies still around in shoebox somewhere. Not like they are going to see the light of day again along with all my previous OS media installers. Some people like to stay current while other take the cautious or frugal route and only upgrade when needed.

 

[denis280]

8.1 why they dint call it service pack 1.Windows 7 is fine.and xp perfect.so why MS keep going on and on with new OS that don't make sense.Very soon family with low income wont be able to have a pc.

 

[smakme7757]

I must admit i like WIndows 8 and 8.1. I just don't like Microsoft's direction pushing Microsoft accounts for Windows logon.

Calling 8.1 Windows 9 would have been a mistake. There just isn't enough in 8.1 to call is a new OS. Not even close.

 

[bgt]

Honestly, I find the "clinging to Windows 7" bandwagon to be so ridiculous, especially for hardware enthusiasts. Windows 8.1 is faster, more secure, has more features, more efficient with resources. It's just better period.

Agree totally. What I noticed upgrading my client pc's from 8 to 8.1 was the compability(of HW&SW) not always being there(sometimes it did a BSOD@start). So I did a fresh install of 8.1 on all the laptops and desktops and voila.....no problems at all. Takes a bit more time but it pays off.
Windows 8.1 is awsome But it is more then a service pack.

 

[bgt]

I just don't like Microsoft's direction pushing Microsoft accounts for Windows logon.

Me neither. Now you have to logon with an account to install apps.
Just waiting for a hack to get that disabled.

 

[HeXen]

I must admit i like WIndows 8 and 8.1. I just don't like Microsoft's direction pushing Microsoft accounts for Windows logon.

Calling 8.1 Windows 9 would have been a mistake. There just isn't enough in 8.1 to call is a new OS. Not even close.

Me neither. Now you have to logon with an account to install apps.
Just waiting for a hack to get that disabled.

You can do a local account. That's what I do. I can still access and download 8.1 in the store, just not their apps unless you need them. Just about everything is like that now requiring you to have an account with them to access services.
Otherwise it's kinda like saying you don't like Valve's direction for pushing Steam accounts for logon.
But for Windows OS itself of course you don't need it, they don't push it, it's just an option and of course they want you to access the store with it being a feature so it's front and center.