Microsoft Updates Windows 8 Before Final Launch

News
By Zak Islam
published

Improvements would usually be included in an operating system's first service pack.

A few weeks before the official release of Windows 8, Microsoft has released an update for the operating system that delivers improvements in "performance, power management and battery efficiency, media playback, and compatibility."

Through Windows Update, users who are utilizing early versions of the OS will receive a prompt for the update. Microsoft said it'll offer increased power efficiency in order to extend battery life, Windows 8 apps and Start screen performance improvements, improved audio and video playback, as well as improved application and driver compatibility with the forthcoming operating system.

Windows chief Steven Sinofsky said the changes are usually included within an operating system's initial service pack, "[but] during the final months of Windows 8 we challenged ourselves to create the tools and processes to be able to deliver these 'post-RTM' updates sooner than a service pack."

Microsoft has already updated a series of Windows 8 applications. The operating system itself launches on October 26.

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Zak Islam
46 Comments Comment from the forums
  • I will not allow you to make my computer into a giant phone. Not buying, my life doesnt revolve around social network websites.
    Reply
  • AidanJC
    I'll give it a go, as long as work offers the professional version to me for $25 again :)
    Reply
  • aoneone
    hehe and guess what? torrents will be ready for windows 8 as well and So will I. Just so you know, why bother spending 300 -500 of your hard earned dollars? Corporations are just faceless entities so in reality, you're not hurting anyone ^_^ Trust me.. muahahaha
    Reply
  • retarded people like sd619tech are so funny.

    The update works amazingly well. Windows 8 was already better than Windows 7 from the battery life point of view, and the update seems to try and make it even better.

    The updated apps feel more responsive and fluid which is always good. Power off time was also reduced. The system boots up in about 7 seconds on Wind8 instead of almost a minute on Win7, but before the update turning them off took about as long.
    Reply
  • alidan
    DGretarded people like sd619tech are so funny.The update works amazingly well. Windows 8 was already better than Windows 7 from the battery life point of view, and the update seems to try and make it even better.The updated apps feel more responsive and fluid which is always good. Power off time was also reduced. The system boots up in about 7 seconds on Wind8 instead of almost a minute on Win7, but before the update turning them off took about as long.
    all well and good, but they want to force the tablet and phone user interface down out throats while gimping the standard ui...
    Reply
  • ushyperion
    sd619techI will not allow you to make my computer into a giant phone.
    Made my day. I am testing Windows 8 now for a few weeks. And the start menu is oke*.
    If they only made it stay. Right now when i click on a other screen the start menu is gone =(.

    *Only for users with 3 or more screens. (4 will do awesome) 1 screen for start and the rest for normal windows.
    Reply
  • cookoy
    these updates are not incorporated in the final RTM or "gold code" build but will be available through windows update. Are these really "improvements" or just last minute fixes to sloppy half-baked codes?
    Reply
  • ushyperion
    aoneonehehe and guess what? torrents will be ready for windows 8 as well and So will I. Just so you know, why bother spending 300 -500 of your hard earned dollars? Corporations are just faceless entities so in reality, you're not hurting anyone ^_^ Trust me.. muahahaha
    I agree. I will download it via NewsGroups. I pay to download so i find it legal.
    Reply
  • omnimodis78
    DGretarded people like sd619tech are so funny.The update works amazingly well. Windows 8 was already better than Windows 7 from the battery life point of view, and the update seems to try and make it even better.The updated apps feel more responsive and fluid which is always good. Power off time was also reduced. The system boots up in about 7 seconds on Wind8 instead of almost a minute on Win7, but before the update turning them off took about as long.What an ignorant comment. Let me put it in perspective for you.

    1. I use a desktop, how does battery life matter to me?
    2. Does it really make any, and I mean any difference how quickly my computer loads? Firstly, from the instant I press the power button to the moment I can open Firefox is about 9 seconds under Windows 7. How you were getting more than 60 seconds is beyond me... Even when when I had a HDD as the system drive, it was no more than 15 seconds. So I call your BS on that or you have a crappy system.
    3. If an update make an OS feel more "responsive and fluid", I can assure you that there is a major problem with the core code - no update should ever make an OS so much better that the user can actually, notice the difference, unless the patch fixed some sort of critical flaw, but again, you clearly have some issues with telling time seeing that you stated that Windows 7 takes over a minute to boot...
    Reply
  • walter87
    omnimodis78What an ignorant comment. Let me put it in perspective for you.1. I use a desktop, how does battery life matter to me?2. Does it really make any, and I mean any difference how quickly my computer loads? Firstly, from the instant I press the power button to the moment I can open Firefox is about 9 seconds under Windows 7. How you were getting more than 60 seconds is beyond me... Even when when I had a HDD as the system drive, it was no more than 15 seconds. So I call your BS on that or you have a crappy system.3. If an update make an OS feel more "responsive and fluid", I can assure you that there is a major problem with the core code - no update should ever make an OS so much better that the user can actually, notice the difference, unless the patch fixed some sort of critical flaw, but again, you clearly have some issues with telling time seeing that you stated that Windows 7 takes over a minute to boot...
    Not everyone has an SSD.

    I just recently upgraded to an SSD and can see the bootup times are much faster, however, with a standard harddrive, it would typically take my computer a few minutes from Windows 7 Flash screen to loading all my taskbar and notification icons (antivirus, steam, etc).
    I say you booting up in 15 seconds is simply over exaggerating (for an HDD). Your 9 second claim is way faster than what my Vertex 4 takes (when you take into account POST and windows flash screen and then desktop. Once the desktop is visible, then it may take 9 seconds to load everything and access my browser, but to say it takes 9 seconds from turning on to full Desktop is exaggeration...

    Sorry to say, I call BS on your claims.
    Reply