Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in

Tom's Guide: Hands-on Leaked Builds of Windows Blue 8.1

By - Source: Tom's Guide US | B 27 comments

Check out Tom's Guide's latest article on Windows 8.1!

With Windows 8 almost six months old, it's time to take a look at what Microsoft has got planned for the future of its Windows operating system. Windows 8.1, or Windows Blue, isn't exactly the best kept secret in the industry. Not only has there been numerous rumors regarding features that may or may not be a part of the OS, there's also been some leaked builds of the operating system. The Tom's Guide team took Windows Blue for a test drive. Be sure to check out what they found in "Hands-on with Leaked Builds of Windows 8.1."

 

With several leaked builds for Windows Blue hitting the web in rapid succession, it seems as though Microsoft is as leaky as a sieve these days. A leak for build 9364 made its way to the internet last March, and two more leaked builds (9369 & 9374) have hit the Internet in the weeks since. Considering Windows 8 is just five months old, there are still a lot of questions as to whether Windows 8.1 or 'Windows Blue' is going to be a free Service Pack, a standalone OS release, or the first in a line of subscription OS models, but we can at least take a look at how the builds themselves run.

Follow Tom’s Guide on Twitter!

Discuss
Ask a Category Expert

Create a new thread in the News comments forum about this subject

Example: Notebook, Android, SSD hard drive

This thread is closed for comments
  • 9 Hide
    Shin-san , April 28, 2013 8:53 AM
    I'm hoping this will be a service pack and not another $99 OEM disc
  • 1 Hide
    killabanks , April 28, 2013 10:13 AM
    dont need it dont want it
  • 8 Hide
    maguirpi , April 28, 2013 10:16 AM
    I think the reason that 8.1 is so leaked is that MS are hurting over W8 and want to get a little bit of discrete feedback from 8.1?
  • Display all 27 comments.
  • -1 Hide
    catswold , April 28, 2013 10:25 AM
    Windows 8, by any standard is a total failure . . . they have to do something. One thing certain, given the dismal performance of 8, those "leaks" are anything but; they are an attempt to gin up some PR to rescue 8 from it's premature demise.
    They need to roll-back Windows 8, admit they made a huge mistake, and then build the next Windows version on the huge success of Windows 7. Till then, I'll stick with 7.
  • 1 Hide
    Timmy225 , April 28, 2013 10:25 AM
    "subscription OS" Please MS go that way, linux will grow leaps and bounds as your greed overwhelms your common sense. Long Live Open Source
  • 2 Hide
    danwat1234 , April 28, 2013 11:12 AM
    Hmm, not FAT32 option in the 'format drive' application.
    I wonder if the Metro File Explorer will support file paths longer than 255 characters in lenght, and if the Windows Explorer will support it as well?
    I know the Windows 8 Explorer does not, so I have to use Total Commander to manipulate files in deeply nested folders. Come on, support 255+ character paths already.
  • 4 Hide
    nitrium , April 28, 2013 12:23 PM
    An SP2 for Win7 would be a lot more useful.
  • 1 Hide
    Dropdead777 , April 28, 2013 1:16 PM
    Stick with windows 7....windows 8 trash
  • 5 Hide
    computerguy72 , April 28, 2013 2:21 PM
    W8 is better in almost every measurable way. Too many zealots commenting out of pure MS hate. The two changes that are controversial (conversion of the start button to a hover button) and the tile based start menu are in practice really minor changes. I had bought into all the negativity until I actually used a friends computer for a while and the controversial changes are really nothing. The technical improvements are very good.
  • 5 Hide
    AndreT , April 28, 2013 2:41 PM
    Win8 is not better in every way. It's ugly start menu is out of place on desktops and laptops without touch. If you prefer alphabetized start menus, you're going to be doing this manually, and every time you install something, you're reorganizing the start screen. You can't play DVD's any more without paying for an additional media center pack. The stupid charms bar, keeps popping up and getting in the way when I want to just close a full screen program on the desktop. I don't have pure MS hate. I hate this stupid modern UI that they've shoved down everyone's throat on platforms where it doesn't belong. I have always been the first to upgrade to new MS OS's including Vista and thanks to Win 8, I'm actually playing around with Linux Mint (which is more windows like than windows 8 is). First time I've seriously looked at another Brand of OS that isn't MS in 20+ years since my 386 running DOS 5.0.
  • 1 Hide
    AndreT , April 28, 2013 2:43 PM
    Win8 is not better in every way. It's ugly start menu is out of place on desktops and laptops without touch. If you prefer alphabetized start menus, you're going to be doing this manually, and every time you install something, you're reorganizing the start screen. You can't play DVD's any more without paying for an additional media center pack. The stupid charms bar, keeps popping up and getting in the way when I want to just close a full screen program on the desktop. I don't have pure MS hate. I hate this stupid modern UI that they've shoved down everyone's throat on platforms where it doesn't belong. I have always been the first to upgrade to new MS OS's including Vista and thanks to Win 8, I'm actually playing around with Linux Mint (which is more windows like than windows 8 is). First time I've seriously looked at another Brand of OS that isn't MS in 20+ years since my 386 running DOS 5.0.
  • 1 Hide
    AndreT , April 28, 2013 2:58 PM
    Win8 is not better in every way. It's ugly start menu is out of place on desktops and laptops without touch. If you prefer alphabetized start menus, you're going to be doing this manually, and every time you install something, you're reorganizing the start screen. You can't play DVD's any more without paying for an additional media center pack. The stupid charms bar, keeps popping up and getting in the way when I want to just close a full screen program on the desktop. I don't have pure MS hate. I hate this stupid modern UI that they've shoved down everyone's throat on platforms where it doesn't belong. I have always been the first to upgrade to new MS OS's including Vista and thanks to Win 8, I'm actually playing around with Linux Mint (which is more windows like than windows 8 is). First time I've seriously looked at another Brand of OS that isn't MS in 20+ years since my 386 running DOS 5.0.
  • -1 Hide
    gburke , April 28, 2013 4:39 PM
    I like W8 on a desktop and actually enjoy the apps. I made the desktop screen look just like the way I have it in Win7. Plus organized the start screen apps in a very convenient way. The Start screen can be in an alphabetized list/menu format which would be essentially the same as a "start menu". Just looks different. Performance wise, its just like Win 7. I use a dual boot with the same PC hardware. Actually, Win 8 is a little faster cause its on an SSD, boots in 7 seconds. Win 7 is on a slower HDD. But both OSs on the same processor, memory and vid card. I wouldn't mind if a Start menu made a come-back to the desktop, but to me it would be a little redundant. MS had better make 8.1 a Service Pack or a regular update. Something tells me, if its not free, there will be a lot of angry customers...
  • 0 Hide
    Matsushima , April 28, 2013 4:47 PM
    Subscription based.... DOH!
  • 1 Hide
    soundping , April 28, 2013 7:57 PM
    Microsoft still hasn't made a legitimate argument for Windows 8. If you're using Windows 7 there's no reason to abandon it.
  • 0 Hide
    computerguy72 , April 28, 2013 10:02 PM
    AndreT half of your negatives simply aren't true and the true ones are highly debatable.
    1. Charms bar stops you from clicking a full screen close box. FALSE. Charms bar doesn't keep you from clicking on anything. The first charm (the search magnifying glass is half way down the screen) and the charms bar itself is transparent and doesn't prevent clicking on anything.
    2. You can't play DVD's without paying. FALSE. VLC is free along with most other programs that can play DVD's. I never bought this on my install and play DVD's all the time for FREE. Btw Windows Media Player is a piece of crap on Windows 7 why would you want to use this?
    3. All programs list is alphabetized. TRUE. However the Win7 start menu is organized by programs install order, then programs that are considered 'for all users' and then by network apps etc.. I have 4 PC's with Win7 and my start menus are littered with more crap than you can imagine. Menu items with no icons, menu items with hlp files that aren't supported in Win7, menu items that are from programs that I uninstalled but couldn't remove the start group. (btw Win8.1 allows the same sorts as Win7)
    4. You have to reorganize your start screen. TRUE but you don't move icons around on your desktop? Menu's around in your start menu for Win7? In your quick launch bar? Win8 you do it in one place rather than 3. (quick launch bar and desktop icons are identical to Win7 btw)
  • 0 Hide
    computerguy72 , April 28, 2013 10:02 PM
    AndreT half of your negatives simply aren't true and the true ones are highly debatable.
    1. Charms bar stops you from clicking a full screen close box. FALSE. Charms bar doesn't keep you from clicking on anything. The first charm (the search magnifying glass is half way down the screen) and the charms bar itself is transparent and doesn't prevent clicking on anything.
    2. You can't play DVD's without paying. FALSE. VLC is free along with most other programs that can play DVD's. I never bought this on my install and play DVD's all the time for FREE. Btw Windows Media Player is a piece of crap on Windows 7 why would you want to use this?
    3. All programs list is alphabetized. TRUE. However the Win7 start menu is organized by programs install order, then programs that are considered 'for all users' and then by network apps etc.. I have 4 PC's with Win7 and my start menus are littered with more crap than you can imagine. Menu items with no icons, menu items with hlp files that aren't supported in Win7, menu items that are from programs that I uninstalled but couldn't remove the start group. (btw Win8.1 allows the same sorts as Win7)
    4. You have to reorganize your start screen. TRUE but you don't move icons around on your desktop? Menu's around in your start menu for Win7? In your quick launch bar? Win8 you do it in one place rather than 3. (quick launch bar and desktop icons are identical to Win7 btw)
  • 0 Hide
    Matsushima , April 29, 2013 12:38 AM
    I like looking at my wallpaper, not coloured rectangles that look messy and clog the whole screen with messages, notifications and stuff. With a dark background.
  • 0 Hide
    apache_lives , April 29, 2013 2:07 AM
    7 SP2? I thought it was perfect in every single way (hence why you want to stick with it? Yes?), and dont you really mean Vista SP4? After all all the "greatness" of Windows 7 was actually all thanks to Vista, there 99% the same, go check it out some time?
    Lets have a look back in time, XP was hated *MORE* then 8 is today, and look at how that went? Or do all you haters forget that?
    8 is a good OS.
  • 0 Hide
    Matsushima , April 29, 2013 3:29 AM
    What all of you need to realise is that Windows 8 suits different people.
Display more comments