Last week, Microsoft began the global rollout of Windows 8.1, the first major update to Windows 8 since it launched last year and the answer to many users’ prayers.
Microsoft says Windows 8.1 will ‘refine the vision’ of Windows 8, which had been billed as the saviour of the PC market and the first version of Windows to work on both tablets and traditional PCs.
However Microsoft is confident Windows 8.1 can turn things around and promises to bring a number of improvements to the operating system, including enhanced search, new customisation options, multitasking capabilities and better preloaded applications. It also heralds the turn of the Start Menu, but not the Start button, something which will no doubt annoy a number of people who still bemoan its absence.
There are even some new security and management tools for the enterprise, too.
Windows 8.1 is available as a free update from the Windows Store now and we want to know what your thoughts are. Do you love it? Do you hate it? Do you still miss the start button? Is it better on a tablet than a laptop?
How well do you know Windows 8? Try our quiz!
Let us know by answering our latest poll below.
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You just have to ask yourself "why?". This Microsoft "mother know's best" obsession is getting us nowhere, and ironically mirrors the same mistake made by the Gnome development team. We all know how to drive a car, and so it does not make sense to "re-invent the wheel". There is of course no problem with refining and improving the experience, but nobody in their right mind would try to install a completely new interface e.g. joystick for steering-wheel, so what makes them think that this works any better for your computer?
This problem is compounded when the replacement is much worse than the original. Bring on Windows-9!
It's a horrible, nasty kludge. On a "normal" PC it's unusable, unless you download the free ClassicShell. Even in tablet mode it's not intuitive - Android offers a far better experience.
Some updates to the back-end are welcomed (fast start-up etc.), but why go mucking around with the front-end for PC/Laptop users? Or, at least, offer them something that works better with a mouse.
The upgrade TO 8.1 was also a pain, causing a complete reload of many drivers, and a repeating crash on a Lenovo....
Wonder what Microsoft have been doing over the last year. its hardly any better than 8.0.
The new Start menu is a waste of space - it just feels as they have tried to con us. Its not a start button its just a 'back to the crap' start screen. Or right click is just a short cut to the Windows x button.
Why they are being so arrogant un-customer focused is beyond me - If third party vendors can restore the Start menu then why not Microsoft - perhaps the enjoy hacking off their customers?
Perhaps they could just add Classic Shell as an option - its free!