Shouldn't they be getting better at this? (Microsoft)

[ViRGE]

What I don't understand is why Microsoft didn't make upgrading from Windows 8 to 8.1 as easy as installing a service pack. Why did they make users use the store for this?

In part because despite being functionally a service pack (check the MS Lifecycle policies for Win8), it's installed like a new OS. You're downloading the entire OS and doing an upgrade install, just as if you upgraded from Win7 to Win8. That apparently requires a different deployment strategy than traditional service packs. Not to mention they wanted something unified since it needs to be offered up to WinRT tablet users in the same way.

 

[NesuD]

That could be done, but sometimes, things are too broken and they need to change the way something works.

And then sometimes they are just stupid!

Example: common configuration in a system with a relatively small SSD is to have a conventional disk drive for data storage to preserve the more limited SSD storage for the OS and apps. However If like me you did the common sense thing and sysprepped your install and changed the location of the user folder to someplace other than the system drive you are not eligible for the win 8.1 update. The updater absolutely will not allow the upgrade to proceed if either the users or programs folder has been relocated to a different drive partition.

Seriously? I suppose i could spend a day reverting everything run the update then change it back. Why should I have to? This is stupid on Microsoft's part.

 

[TeknoBug]

My Debian computer started in a completely different machine, and has had continuous updates for over a year now. I started on Wheezy, and I'm now on Jessie. My Ubuntu netbook has been going since 2008, and had a version change in between. GNU/Linux support was the last thing on the designer's of my hardware's mind.

Ah Debian, an OS with almost everything done right- been using it since 1998, still have a Pentium Pro 200MHz with a SCSI with Potatoe installed. Also have a netbook running Linux Mint 10 (I should update it to 15). For those that have an idea of getting around an OS, Linux goes a real long ways.

 

[sze5003]

Ah Debian, an OS with almost everything done right- been using it since 1998, still have a Pentium Pro 200MHz with a SCSI with Potatoe installed. Also have a netbook running Linux Mint 10 (I should update it to 15). For those that have an idea of getting around an OS, Linux goes a real long ways.

I love linux mint