Windows 8.1 Update 3 Could Still Be Possible
A new report from PCBeta (via Softpedia) claims that Microsoft may actually release Windows 8.1 Update 3 in the first quarter of 2015 if it doesn’t look as if Microsoft will release Windows 9 by April 2015. We’ve already heard that the upcoming next-generation OS may not launch until Q2 2015. However, the report indicates that getting Windows 9 Threshold out to customers is a very high priority for Microsoft.
According to the report, Update 3 won’t bring anything major to the Windows 8.1 table save for preparing computers for Windows Threshold, which will supposedly feature a new activation system. Then again, there’s speculation that Update 3 will make some critical changes to Windows 8.1 devices that will make the transition to Windows Threshold a bit easier.
As reported last month, Windows 8.1 Update 2 could hit Windows Store sometime next month. This will be free to all Windows 8.1 Update 1 customers, and possibly free to Windows 8.1 customers who chose not to install Update 1. Haven’t even updated to Windows 8.1? Microsoft has a great tutorial for upgrading right here.
Let's review: Windows 8.1 Update 2 arriving next month; Windows 9 public beta in Q4 2014; Windows 9 full release in Q2 2015. Microsoft is expected to dump tons of money into the Windows 9 marketing campaign, indicating that Microsoft is feeling pretty confident that it doesn't have another Windows Vista/Windows 8 on its hands.
What's quite possible is that Microsoft may still release Windows 8.1 Update 3 for customers who do not install the Windows 9 public preview. The point of the beta is to get feedback from users and implement changes before final release. These changes to the core product could be dumped into a huge "patch" for Windows 9 and the Update 3 for Windows 8.1.
Be mindful that there’s a lot of speculation here.
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I was one of those users who decided I would give it a spin for a little while and ended up realizing how much better the metro interface is. I added my programs to it, ordered them the way I wanted and installed some metro apps, now my desktop is uncluttered and I don't have to fumble around with an alphabetical list of software any more.
Windows 8.1 is by far the best windows OS I have ever used and I'm a mouse/keyboard power user and have been since windows 3.11.
I was one of those users who decided I would give it a spin for a little while and ended up realizing how much better the metro interface is. I added my programs to it, ordered them the way I wanted and installed some metro apps, now my desktop is uncluttered and I don't have to fumble around with an alphabetical list of software any more.
Windows 8.1 is by far the best windows OS I have ever used and I'm a mouse/keyboard power user and have been since windows 3.11.
I agree, but Microsoft needed to be keep classic and new start for select. And why search looking only on 1 language when i have 2.
I was one of those users who decided I would give it a spin for a little while and ended up realizing how much better the metro interface is. I added my programs to it, ordered them the way I wanted and installed some metro apps, now my desktop is uncluttered and I don't have to fumble around with an alphabetical list of software any more.
Windows 8.1 is by far the best windows OS I have ever used and I'm a mouse/keyboard power user and have been since windows 3.11.
Problem is MOST customers hate it. Works fine for touchscreens but not so for desktops which is why Microsoft is fixing it. Microsoft can only push so much before folks start to look for alternatives like Linux or Macs.
'...indicating that Microsoft is feeling pretty confident that it doesn't have another Windows Millennium Edition/Windows Vista/Windows 8 on its hands...'
Like you, I decided to give Windows 8 (actually 8.1) a try even though I was sure that Windows XP, and then Windows 7, were the greatest OS's ever invented for the average desktop user. After learning my way around Windows 8.1 I have to agree that now that I'm use to it, it is a better OS. I do wish Microsoft would stop coming out with new operating systems when they already have those that do work well. Instead, I would much rather see them focus on better security for their OS's so they don't constantly have to 'patch' them.
In a better world the average human would be more open to learning simple new things and stuff like software could progress more rapidly. But that isn't the species we are and ignoring the feedback is what made Win8 a disaster for Microsoft. A vast number of people tried to tell them this was going to be a problem and were ignored because the subset they cared to listen to are more adaptable than the typical human.
If they'd accepted this from the start so much difficulty could have been avoided. If the first release of Windows could be easily configured to be desktop oriented without using any third party additions, there would have been little complaint over the Metro additions for touch users.
I was one of those users who decided I would give it a spin for a little while and ended up realizing how much better the metro interface is. I added my programs to it, ordered them the way I wanted and installed some metro apps, now my desktop is uncluttered and I don't have to fumble around with an alphabetical list of software any more.
Windows 8.1 is by far the best windows OS I have ever used and I'm a mouse/keyboard power user and have been since windows 3.11.
Why do you think corporate users haven't upgraded to Windows 8 yet? It is NOT that much user friendly to someone who has been working while using the XP and Windows 7 start menu for a long time. Windows 8 is not even that popular as MS makes it to be. Most of the licenses are the OEMs which are forced down the buyer's throat when they buy a branded laptop/desktop. If you want to buy Windows 7, you are forced to buy Windows 8 and then downgrade. Windows 8 is probably even lagging Windows XP, or if leading, then not by much in OS market share. It is a useless upgrade more or less over Windows 7. I am further surprised how quickly they are trying to push out Windows 9. It seems like they will eventually have an annual release cycle and then will force the customers with upgrading every year by shady tactics such as ending support after every year (windows 7 support period is shorter than that of windows XP, 6 years compared to 8 years).
I was one of those users who decided I would give it a spin for a little while and ended up realizing how much better the metro interface is. I added my programs to it, ordered them the way I wanted and installed some metro apps, now my desktop is uncluttered and I don't have to fumble around with an alphabetical list of software any more.
Windows 8.1 is by far the best windows OS I have ever used and I'm a mouse/keyboard power user and have been since windows 3.11.
Try looking at it from an enterprise standpoint. Microsoft makes more money from Enterprise licenses than individual licenses. If you have a company of 3000 users currently using Windows XP and decide to migrate their workstations to Windows 7, the learning curve is minimal for the basic things that end users need to do. Now if you move them to Windows 8, it involves a lot more training to get those same users up to speed how to do the same things. Microsoft is trying to fix this because Enterprise companies are not using Windows 8 licenses and even if they buy the machine and it comes with Windows 8 pre installed they will wipe it and install the OS they currently have licenses for and it will most likely be Windows 7. I have seen the same thing happen when Vista came out, companies were buying Vista machines and installing XP on them.
For the average user, they can spend the time and learn the new features and tinker about to figure things out but when time is money you need to provide the end user with something they can use with minimal training effort. There are still people today that think when you unpin an application in Windows 7 from the taskbar that it actually uninstalls it. Do you think companies will spend the money and resources explaining to users that Metro apps are different than Desktop apps, how to reposition apps that were docked on the screen, how to view your currently installed printers, etc.
I was one of those users who decided I would give it a spin for a little while and ended up realizing how much better the metro interface is. I added my programs to it, ordered them the way I wanted and installed some metro apps, now my desktop is uncluttered and I don't have to fumble around with an alphabetical list of software any more.
Windows 8.1 is by far the best windows OS I have ever used and I'm a mouse/keyboard power user and have been since windows 3.11.
Why do you think corporate users haven't upgraded to Windows 8 yet? It is NOT that much user friendly to someone who has been working while using the XP and Windows 7 start menu for a long time. Windows 8 is not even that popular as MS makes it to be. Most of the licenses are the OEMs which are forced down the buyer's throat when they buy a branded laptop/desktop. If you want to buy Windows 7, you are forced to buy Windows 8 and then downgrade. Windows 8 is probably even lagging Windows XP, or if leading, then not by much in OS market share. It is a useless upgrade more or less over Windows 7. I am further surprised how quickly they are trying to push out Windows 9. It seems like they will eventually have an annual release cycle and then will force the customers with upgrading every year by shady tactics such as ending support after every year (windows 7 support period is shorter than that of windows XP, 6 years compared to 8 years).
and I will for one be repeal the "stand your ground law". lol
I was one of those users who decided I would give it a spin for a little while and ended up realizing how much better the metro interface is. I added my programs to it, ordered them the way I wanted and installed some metro apps, now my desktop is uncluttered and I don't have to fumble around with an alphabetical list of software any more.
Windows 8.1 is by far the best windows OS I have ever used and I'm a mouse/keyboard power user and have been since windows 3.11.
For you yes but just because you find that it works for you does not mean it works for everyone else.
Microsoft has taken enough flak about the modern UI for them to realise that if they want to keep their enterprise customers they have to offer the start menu.
The idea that MS should "stand their ground" against cosumers is why 3 years later Windows 7 came out, which was lighter faster and well rounded to fix the failing of Vista which was a bloated, slow, beast of UAC suckass.
Windows 8 UI without the Start menu on the desktop/laptop, which are still the dominant computing devices, make no sense at all. Sales are showing that. Which is why they are even talking about Windows 9.
Decisions to stand their ground lead to poor sales, poor sales lead to layoffs. Oh look at this to the tune of 18k layoffs, about 1/6 of the company. That is a substantial chunk of the workforce.
I was one of those users who decided I would give it a spin for a little while and ended up realizing how much better the metro interface is. I added my programs to it, ordered them the way I wanted and installed some metro apps, now my desktop is uncluttered and I don't have to fumble around with an alphabetical list of software any more.
Windows 8.1 is by far the best windows OS I have ever used and I'm a mouse/keyboard power user and have been since windows 3.11.
Yeah i am sure W8 has everything to do with people resisting change. I wonder why people are choosing Android, Apple, Linux or their outdated XP systems over W8. It's pretty easy to walk into a store and walk out dissatisfied because W8 is pretty much the only OS in stores.
Just because you like it doesn't mean everyone else will. Most people don't buy new $800 PC's just to fiddle around with the new OS that happens to be so different unless they were switching platforms. Geez, i use W7 and my desktop is not cluttered and i still get my most often used programs on the start menu. If i need to look for a certain program i'd just type it in the search bar on the start menu. I tried the start screen for awhile. It doesn't offer me anything but a headache. While there is an amount of people who will listen to their tech guy about W8 not being a good OS, those people don't even know that unhooking their USB data drives without removing it from the desktop can cause corruption.
Bottom line is MS could have done a much better job in the beginning with having a start menu and not change everything so their desktop PC doesn't function like a tablet. W7 was word of mouth too, the same with Vista. Did W7 fail because of a few people disliking it? No, it worked because W7 catered to most users and gave them what they wanted. W8x didn't do that and is failing in other areas such as the updates. It's quite funny how people like to use the "people don't like it because they haven't' tried it yet". If the OS was any good to begin with people wouldn't be 'Too scared to use it'. MS prevented a few desktop/laptop hardware companies from putting in an Android OS. Might have saved both the company and Android itself from embarrassment, because Android was designed for touch, not for desktop usage. Yet with the first incarnation of W8, i still prefer to use Android. Desktop UI's should not change just because people are bored with the existing ones. If there's a useful feature in mind like modern apps i would imagine putting those in using the traditional windows format. However MS has ruined their ability to get users on modern apps for the reason that they chose to keep the touch UI instead of removing it and making it a proper desktop UI in place. That is why W8 has not done so well. Not because people refuse to try it because they were told by others.
If Ford released a car that only worked for one day, Ford is going to not gain anything out of selling that car. The same with MS selling W8. If W8 was indeed good, there would not be any or much resistance. I don't see resistance in Android phones or iPads, that took off pretty quickly. People are not that resistant to change, they are resistant to bad technology that doesn't serve a purpose for their needs. Just as much if your software does not work with another WIndows system or how you can't find equivalent software that you use on Windows to work on Linux. That is one reason why XP users will not upgrade to W7 or W8. The other reason is because they don't want to use W8. The same will be for W9 users if MS really chooses to have the same UI look that W8 has. Some might give it a shot especially if their current OS is expiring but again i don't think it will be much unless W7 users really want to get the latest.