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View Full Version : Windows 8.1 losing support in favor of 8.1 Update



pendell
2014-04-14, 08:37 AM
Source : Infoworld (http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/microsoft-confirms-its-dropping-windows-81-support-240407).



In what is surely the most customer-antagonistic move of the new Windows regime, Steve Thomas at Microsoft posted a TechNet article on Saturday stating categorically that Microsoft will no longer issue security patches for Windows 8.1, starting in May. Call this the "let them eat cake" approach to support for Microsoft's flagship operating system.

Since Microsoft wants to ensure that customers benefit from the best support and servicing experience and to coordinate and simplify servicing across both Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8.1 RT and Windows 8.1, this update will be considered a new servicing/support baseline... beginning with the May Patch Tuesday, Windows 8.1 user's devices without the update installed will no longer receive security updates. This means that Windows 8.1 users - starting patch Tuesday in May 2014 and beyond - will require this update to be installed. If the Windows 8.1 Update is not installed, those newer updates will be considered "not applicable."


ERm ... so the moral of the story is, only a fool acts as an early adopter for Microsoft. Though I was kind of expecting they would have got it right by 8.1.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

supermonkeyjoe
2014-04-14, 08:54 AM
I thought not being an early adopter of any technology was a given :smallbiggrin:

The article isn't very clear but the fact is you need windows 8.1 (update 1) before getting any more updates, which I don't really see the problem with, most windows updates have some sort of prerequisite anyway and seeing as you can update all the way through from windows 8 to 8.1 (update 1) for nothing but a little time and effort I don't see why this is a big deal.

pendell
2014-04-14, 09:13 AM
I thought not being an early adopter of any technology was a given :smallbiggrin:

The article isn't very clear but the fact is you need windows 8.1 (update 1) before getting any more updates, which I don't really see the problem with, most windows updates have some sort of prerequisite anyway and seeing as you can update all the way through from windows 8 to 8.1 (update 1) for nothing but a little time and effort I don't see why this is a big deal.

Presumably because many people have had a great deal of difficulty with that particular update (http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2014/04/14/win81-update-1/1)

Respectfully,

Brian P.

supermonkeyjoe
2014-04-14, 10:24 AM
Presumably because many people have had a great deal of difficulty with that particular update (http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2014/04/14/win81-update-1/1)

Respectfully,

Brian P.

So the problem isn't that people have to update, the problem is that there's a problem installing the update?

FLHerne
2014-04-14, 02:14 PM
Wait, so your complaint is that you won't get updates unless you install a (free) update? How does that make sense? :smallconfused:

Or you could install a proper Linux distro and forget about MS's daft version numbering. Arch is nice. :smallsmile:

TaiLiu
2014-04-14, 06:12 PM
Or you could install a proper Linux distro and forget about MS's daft version numbering. Arch is nice. :smallsmile:
If they're new, something like Ubuntu or Mint makes more sense.

ngc7293
2014-04-18, 01:23 AM
The problem with the 8.1 update is 3.5+ gigs in size. If you don't have a broadband service or know someone with it, then no updates. Windows (and I guess everyone else) assumes the general consumer has broadband access.

Xuc Xac
2014-04-18, 04:07 AM
Let me get this straight. Windows 8 had an update called "Windows 8.1"? And then "Windows 8.1" had an update called "Windows 8.1 Update"? Don't they know about the numeral "2"?

Solse
2014-04-18, 05:32 PM
"Oh hey, have you gotten the Windows 8.1 update?"
"You mean the Windows 8.1 Update update?"
"Yeah, I mean the Windows 8.1 update."
"You sure? I think you mean the Windows 8.1 Update, not the 8.1 update."
"That's what I said, the Windows 8.1 update!"

It's like "Who's on First", only much more confusing, and much more annoying.

AdmiralCheez
2014-04-19, 01:48 PM
At first, I thought it was just a typo. But they're really going with "Windows 8.1 Update," instead of 8.2, or 8.1.1?

That's just... stupid.