What do you think about the "new Windows 8.1"?

Anybody had time to install the major update that came for Windows 8.1 last night? Since I already had classic shell installed it didn't make much difference for me. The main thing I notice is that the aps are now in their own windows so that you can close, minimize and maximize them with the traditional controls in the upper right corner of the windows. I like that change. Only fitting since the OS is called "Windows".

Discussion thread: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=745268

Yeah, ED but that one seems to have gone off on a tangent.

trents, is there anything negative in there you notice? It seems to have helpful improvements across the board.

honestly the only difference I've noticed (Keep in mind I used 8.1 for all of 2 days before the update) is changing things like right clicking in Metro, its the same menu, just opens at mouse location instead of the candybar on the bottom. having the autohide top bar for metro apps, and being able to X out of metro apps, as well as metro apps now show on the taskbar. I could have done without them showing on the taskbar TBH, I prefer minimalistic, and was just getting used to the.....whatever the thing on the left side of the screen with open metro apps... is called. Being able to X out is a lot more mouse friendly though than dragging the app to the bottom of the screen.

c627627 said:

trents, is there anything negative in there you notice? It seems to have helpful improvements across the board.

Click to expand...

Haven't seen anything yet. Seems as though Microsoft is slowly getting around to what they should have done in the first place with Windows 8 and that is to make one for tablets and phones and another for desktops and laptops.

What do you mean? Isn't Update 1 universal?

I know they ended up not calling it Update 1, which is confusing, because it is a Service Pack without which you cannot update Windows 8.1 any more. So what does it say in the Control Panel? Does it still say 8.1 or 8.1 Update?

How would you know officially if the machine has 8.1 or 8.1 Update?

Mine still says Windows 8.1 Enterprise Evaluation.. not sure if the evaluation would affect that or not, I know it won't let me run Windows Assessment

c627627 said:

What do you mean? Isn't Update 1 universal?

I know they ended up not calling it Update 1, which is confusing, because it is a Service Pack without which you cannot update Windows 8.1 any more. So what does it say in the Control Panel? Does it still say 8.1 or 8.1 Update?

How would you know officially if the machine has 8.1 or 8.1 Update?

Click to expand...

Still says Windows 8.1.

"Universal," yes, good point. Let me rephrase what I said above and say they should have made a desktop/laptop version of 8.1 in the first place that was not so "touch" oriented. They should have left that in RT.

Isn't is strange that there is no way to tell this... Service Pack-like update is actually installed? Nor does it have a name. Update is not a name. At least Update 1 sounded like you were installing some kind of an overhaul, which is what this is.

trents said:

"Universal," yes, good point. Let me rephrase what I said above and say they should have made a desktop/laptop version of 8.1 in the first place that was not so "touch" oriented. They should have left that in RT.

Click to expand...

Yes, we hear people say that all the time. I never understood that so it's good to have someone to ask this:

Why have one or the other but not both? You have Classic Shell so you know that with a SHIFT+Click on the real Start Button you have, you can be inside Metro in a flash with all the options available to you should you one day have a touch screen or wish for any reason to take advantage of the original interface?

Simply pressing Esc allows you to go back to the way things "should be" and as they are with Classic Shell.


You have both that way and without one interfering with the other. So why have one and not the option for the other, which is what Classic Shell gave you... shouldn't have Microsoft done that from the start, given us the option, a choice... rather than have one but not the other?

With a simple choice, quick interchangeable switch, there would be nothing to complain about for proponents of either...

I think it is a major improvement to the ui. I like being able to pin metro apps to the desktop and I like closing them with the classic x button instead of dragging them to the bottom or opening the right click menu. I also like how it boots directly to the desktop now. These are things Windows 8 should have had from the start, but at least they have it now. Even though I use Windows 7 at work, I would never go back for my home computer.

Prior to and after installing Update 1, what does the following command output as the build numbers?...

systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"

I have noticed a flaw with the new UI.. When you close a metro app, whether by dragging OR X'ing out, it still shows in task manager....

Even after dragging the app to the bottom of the screen, and holding it there until the app flips over?

Yes

Post a pic. w/ task manager open showing the running process after using the above method.

Taskbar properties open as well. Its after 4am and I'm going to bed, will check tomorrow.

Tried it a few times, the app doesn't "flip" at all. I'll mess with it tomorrow. It does show as "suspended" In "goto details"