News Windows Blue arriving in summer, to be called Windows 8.1

New Windows UI elements coming in summer-time update.
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2013/04/02/windows-blue-called-windows-8-1/1

 

As long as it improves further on Windows 8 and is free, I'm all for it.

 

Last I heard they said it was going to be paid for, because they're moving to yearly releaaes like apple do. Big no from me, can't stand Win 8

 

The thing about apples is that its £20 for basically every pc in a family. If microsoft did it they would probably charge £20 but for each computer.

 

It's expected to be a free upgrade for Windows 8 users.

 

People already paid full price of Windows 8, either themselves or via OEM made computer. So the update will be free.

If Windows 8 was <100$ only, like normal price, than yes it would make sense to charge 20-30$ for early update.

 

Is it free to upgrade from Windows 7? or is it just a Windows 8 service pack

 

It will be a free upgrade for existing Windows 8 users - if you're on Windows 7 you'll still have to buy Windows 8...

Windows Phone is also included in the faster updates Windows Blue programme.

 

ReFS when?

 

Service pack with Metro updates.

Unless there's some core performance improvements, since I use Start8 to kill Metro entirely: Me = /care

 

Awesome! Wait... *does the exact same thing in Win 7 right this very second*

Huh...whaddayaknow...

 

Windows 8 allows you to run one full-screen Metro app and classic desktop side by side so 8.1 will build upon this by allowing you to run up to 4 full screen apps at the same time.. something Windows 7 cannot do.

 

So I guess they're committed to this metro thing then..

Damn and blast!

 

2-3 years, hopefully the former. Its working great for me with Server 12, however it is still missing a number of key features. MS are clear that it is being actively developed and it certainly seems to be the future core file system for MS products. Its a shame it isn't 2-3 years further on in development terms, it would have been a real selling point for both Server 12 and Windows 8.

 

Maybe im missing something about ReFS, but why would you want to use a file system that doesn't support named streams, object IDs, short names, compression, file-level encryption via EFS, user data transactions, hard links, extended attributes and quotas.
And to top it of you cant even boot from it so you would have to have a NTFS boot drive
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2012/01/17/microsoft-refs-file-system/

 

windows 8 only cost me like £25 so im not sure what the costs above are getting at.

If MS wants to charge £20 for windows 8.1 that would be fine by me. Not sure what the big problem is with that.

 

Not supporting Hard Links is a key reason why you wouldn’t use ReFS for a system disk; files in the system32 folder are really hard linked back into the WinSxS folder structure.

So unlikely to be included in none server versions atm.

 

Four full-screen apps? So not full-screen then

And unless I'm missing something here, you can do this all the way back to Windows 0.1, you just manually resize them.

Assuming you need all four on-screen at once and have no use for your Alt-Tab fingers.

 

I think its referred to as full screen because its 'responsive' and automatically resizes them, and in some cases completely changes the functionality. For example, when the desktop is snapped to a 1/3 position is basically just shows previews of running applications in the desktop.

 

I gave Windows 8 another shot yesterday. Last time I tried it was the beta version, and I'd have to say I'm impressed with how much it improved over the beta. Honestly, I don't think the Metro/Modern interface is that bad. The problem is the execution of it - it just feels like a really fancy program launcher with limiting options. Add the few things that 8.1 will have and I personally think Modern could easily replace the classic desktop. Having the Modern interface along with the classic desktop is un-intuitive and pointless in a functionality standpoint, but obviously with the way Win8 was designed, you need both.