Windows 8.1 overtakes Windows 8 in desktop OS arena

I keep getting a popup to update to 8.1 FREE. 8 is so screwed up that am not sure I want to risk going to 8.1.

#Windows you suck.

I don’t know why some of you work so hard to keep yourselves behind the 8 ball with your computers.

If the update is free, why not update your computer?

Would you have stayed with XP service pack one and keep complaining about it’s flaws, instead of updating it?

“Microsoft’s Do-Over Finally Installed In More Machines Than Original Screw-Up Is.”

I keep getting a popup to update to 8.1 FREE. 8 is so screwed up that am not sure I want to risk going to 8.1.

Ditto that!

Those who have done this upgrade have any input for us doubters?

Windows 8.1 is eating away at Windows 8.0’s market share.

First off, that someone thinks this is worthy of an article is ridiculous. 8.0 offers a free upgrade to 8.1 when you run Windows Update. Every single person who takes advantage of the offer is one in the plus column for Windows 8.1 and at the same time a minus in 8.0’s column. The upgrade is free and distributes as a download.

Secondly, Windows is OEM bundled on 85% of all new desktop and laptop personal computers. Microsoft isn’t licensing 8.0 as OEM, so it stands to reason that 8.1 would be increasing its installed base. The same goes for Windows tablets. While they are not nearly as numerous as Android or iOS, they are all going to be 8.1 in the future. (I almost said “going forward,” but I hate that phrase almost as much as “reaching out” when I call someone up on the telephone.)

Thirdly, that I am even commenting on such an inane topic reflects poorly upon me.

I keep getting a popup to update to 8.1 FREE. 8 is so screwed up that am not sure I want to risk going to 8.1.

just click it ,it fixes a lot of things

8.1 and it’s update remove many of the rough edges in 8 in my experience

I do like 8.1 better than 8.0, not as if that says very much. I was ticked that I had to go through the store though, I would have been happier with media or an ISO because if I blow a disk, I will have to repeat the process and it was no quick upgrade.

For your TECH Ping list.

First:  Win 8

Second: Win 8.1

Third:  Win 8.1 Update

The third iteration on Win 8 isn't bad. Less tile world, more Win 7 like interface. It's really not half bad. But it's certainly not Win 7.

I would have stayed with 95 if they supported it.

That’s nice, but have you always just taken the version you bought and refused the updates?

When they tweak 8 to make changes people requested to improve it, why would you refuse the update, but make a point of complaining about the 8 you choose to keep?

We finally switched from XP SP3 to Win 8.1. It was a bitch to get all the programs transferred over. However I did use the mess to upgrade to all the current versions in those programs, the biggest one being to Office 2010 (I have multiple machines and will not pay for single usage with 2013). I had to start using Live Mail instead of Outlook Express. So far I am not disappointed although it is a learning curve to use it.
I would give Win 8.1 a 9 out of 10 rating. Probably that is affected by the change in screens and usage. Give me six months and that number will go up.
I do not use the “Start” screen, the IPad wannabe. I have designed my desktop to function basically like the one with XP.

AND HERE IS A WARNING, especially for those of you on a metered Internet usage. We are on a satellite ISP living 70 miles from the nearest Starbucks. When I started the conversion I thought my usage was high because of the upgrading, downloading e-mail storage, etc. It was not. We almost blew our monthly allotment that first month. I discovered that even when we did not use the new machine our usage was going up. There are several on-line, real time do-hickeys on the “Start” screen, including finance, sports, news, etc. They were constantly downloading when the machine was on, even though we were using the desktop and not the “Start” screen. With two new computers we were sucking stuff from the Internet like crazy.

I placed those functions in disabled mode and have had no problem since.

Welcome to the new world.

I’ve had 8.1 for a couple of weeks, spent most of that time trying to make it do what I want done.

I blow a disk, I will have to repeat the process and it was no quick upgrade.

I agree. If you clone your Win 8 hard drive, it can quickly be replaced with the clone.

My fav clone maker is this. FRee, of course. I've cloned hundreds of disks with nary a problem. Quick. No muss. No fuss. It just works.

In Jan, I bought a new Ultrabook that came with Win8. I immediately upgraded to 8.1 so no experience with Win8.

That said, Win8.1 blows away Win7 in both speed and stability.

My Win8.1 Ultrabook boots-up almost instantaneously.

Checking 1 box allows Boot-up direct to Desktop - just like Win7.

complaining about the 8 you choose to keep?

I would go back to XP if they had not told me the computer could not handle it. I remember a lot of updates screwing up the system and I do not want to have to fix this one also. I bought the computer and 8 came with it. I had no choice. No one has said that they really like 8.1, they hint that they tolerate it better than 8.0.

What is hurting Windows 8.1--even with Update 1--is the fact you have to deal with that tiled user interface, which is totally alien to anyone used to the user interface standard pioneered by Windows 95 (Windows 7 is essentially a modern refinement of what was pioneered by Windows 95).

I'm sticking with Windows 7 until Microsoft does something to resolve the dichotomy between the Windows 7 UI and the Windows 8 Modern touchscreen UI.

Oddly the article almost totally ignores the popularity of Windows 7