News - Windows 9 to be a free upgrade for Windows 8 users

[RobbieRoy]

Hmmm.


Cynical?

Me?

Well, with your foot quote 'Noli nothis permittere te terere' I'd have suggested perhaps pretentious rather than cynical!!

Me, I just say Illegitimi non carborundum!

[tribaljet]

@neilbob2: Regardless of x64 computing being already widespread, x86 support should not be terminated as there is still a significant number of x86-only systems around the world. Regardless of my last systems being x64, I still have a x86-only Core Duo T2600 laptop (compatible with 8.1's CPU feature set requirements) paired with a SSD and that system runs smoother and faster than many new laptops.

So:
- thumbs up for wide architecture compatibility
- thumbs down for current information regarding Store-only upgrades
- massive thumbs down if the planned activation method forces an online account to be used as logon

@crossy: There are already large thumb drives manufactured and sold for little more than the price of a single DVD5 disc, so it could very well be made a reality. Whether Microsoft wants to, that's a whole different matter.

[Saracen]

....

Me, I just say Illegitimi non carborundum!

The unlawful are not silicon carbide?



Personally, I'd have said the mock latin is more pretentious, since it implies either a sad ignorance of latin yet an attempt to pretend to it, or a knowledge of it but a dubious attempt to be cool by perverting it, depending on whether the user is aware it's mock or not.

[Jonj1611]

I bought Windows 8 on launch while it was the cheaper price and I have found it ok since installing Start8, I never liked the Metro interface but I can't remember the last time I saw it, I auto login now so don't have to worry about that silly enter your password thing everytime.

A free upgrade sounds good. But apparently the start menu isn't all that it appears to be with many elements missing so may find I will still be using Start8 with Win 9.

[Saracen]

.... so may find I will still be using Start8 with Win 9.

If it still works.

[devBunny]

"Windows TH", huh? That's a PR masterstroke; obviously stands for "Windows To Hell".

[spacein_vader]

Exactly what Win 9 does better, or differently, will be very close examination. I suspect Win 9 = Win 8.2 + desktop mode/menus + PR facelift.

Cynical?

Me?

To be fair, renaming Vista SP3 to Windows 7 appeared to sate the ire of those put off by the Vista branded system, once you got past the bad press Vista (and 8) were solid improvements on their predecessors. I suspect that bolting a start menu onto 8.1 will do a similar trick. Frankly, if they'd have included a tick box option in 8 to do so I think a lot more people would have stuck with it long enough to notice the other significant under the hood improvements made.

I bought Windows 8 on launch while it was the cheaper price and I have found it ok since installing Start8, I never liked the Metro interface but I can't remember the last time I saw it, I auto login now so don't have to worry about that silly enter your password thing everytime.

Each to their own with the Start menu (I didn't use it in 7 so didn't miss it in 8,) but turning off password logon is a bit dangerous unless you're VERY sure your computer is somewhere secure. There is a reason that every version of windows form ye olde Windows for Workgroups to present, plus Mac OSX, Linux et al use it.

[Jonj1611]

You didn't use the start menu in 7? How did you do everything, with keyboard shortcuts? I never said I turned off password login, I said I set it to auto-login, the password is entered just its saved so I don't have to do it.

[spacein_vader]

You didn't use the start menu in 7? How did you do everything, with keyboard shortcuts? I never said I turned off password login, I said I set it to auto-login, the password is entered just its saved so I don't have to do it.

My most used programs with a taskbar icon, a few used slightly less on the desktop. Everything else hit the Start key, type name of application/file/whatever and press enter. This works just as well in 8, the only difference is that instead of the search box being in the bottom left attached to the start menu it now goes full screen.

Not sure how having password auto entered is any more secure than turning it off altogether.

[Jonj1611]

You cant turn it off altogether in windows 8 unless you use a local account but thanks for the security advice.

Though I will add this is a PC in my room, its hardly in an unsecure area. And anything else you still need to enter the admin password when logging in to the system from another pc, even one on the same network.

Well each to their own I guess, I use the start menu quite a lot but probably not as much as I used to, though I would prefer the start menu anyday of the Metro UI.

[OilSheikh]

Still planning to stick to Windows 7 for another 10 years. Win9 still looks like 8

[iranu]

Still planning to stick to Windows 7 for another 10 years. Win9 still looks like 8

Yep, it's little things like being able to keep the quick launch bar that prevent me from jumping to Win 8 or 9 until someone else has done the ground work to see whether it can be made used the way I want to use it.

[Pleiades]

Pokki is a good Start menu alternative IMO...

[Percy1983]

So by definition this would nuke 8 from orbit, I will upgrade not due to a hate of 8 but why the hell not.

Feeling rather smug looking at my 4 windows 8 licenses I bought for £14.99 each.

[Pleiades]

Feeling rather smug looking at my 4 windows 8 licenses I bought for £14.99 each.

Yeah but nobody likes you! NOBODY. Not even your family. Oh they say they do but believe me, they don't! NO-ONE likes Mr Smug-bert from Smugsville.

PS Have you got a spare one? I mean you only look at them, right?

[MrRockliffe]

I struggle to see what is wrong with Windows 8? 7 was slow and looked like vista. Windows 8 was much better in my opinion and has always worked flawlessly for me.