Has anyone upgraded to Windows 8.1 yet?

Dorian (MJT support) · Post by **Dorian (MJT support)** » Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:21 pm

Hi everyone,

I'm just wondering if anyone has upgraded yet? I'm wondering what your experiences have been. Particularly on 64-bit.

Post by **Marcus Tettmar** » Fri Oct 25, 2013 6:51 am

Yes!

I'm pleased to report the Start menu is back and I can boot direct to the desktop. Progress eh?

Phil Pendlebury · Post by **Phil Pendlebury** » Sun Oct 27, 2013 11:06 am

Yes on release day.

But I am confused by Marcus' comment.

The only thing that has changed is the fact that there is now a cheesy Windows graphic that takes you to the Start Screen. Instead of you just knowing that moving mouse there will take you to the Start Screen. (Or using the Windows Key like most folks do).

There is no "Start Menu" (thank goodness). The Start Screen is the Start Menu and it always has been.

The big mistake folks with desktop machines make with Win 8 is trying to use the Apps that were meant for tablets.

See more on my opinions here: http://www.pendlebury.biz/learn-windows-8-in-6-steps

And I have been booting straight to desktop since release of 8.0 with a little app I wrote myself using MS funnily enough. All you have to do is run something at start that shows a brief message.

Other than that, there are some nice improvements in the tile sizing and organising and many under the hood tweaks that have helped me a little with system performance for audio.

I am fully 64 Bit everything here and no problems at all. UEFI BIOS also exhibited no problems.

Post by **Marcus Tettmar** » Sun Oct 27, 2013 11:26 am

Yes I'm referring to the cheesy graphic which is obvious and now I know exactly where to move the mouse to. With 8.0 it was never obvious to me and always hit and miss. I seemed to have to move right down to 0,0 so would sometimes miss the spot. I'm not making this up, it just didnt always work which wound me up no end. The idea you have to click in some hazily defined area just seems absurd to me and it honestly didn't always work for me. As for pressing the windows key on the keyboard, sorry, but if my hand is already on the mouse I don't want to move it. My other hand might be holding a phone or pen or something. Yes sometimes it might be useful and I am certainly not against keyboard alternatives but the mouse method should be obvious.

On a similar note I find myself accidentally pinging off to the last opened metro app (e.g. An image preview left open) when I move the mouse to the top left of a window to close it or something. For some reason this causes a preview of the metro screen to pop up and befor I know it ....

So to me it's all wishy washy and unpredictable with various areas of the screen causing things to happen - or not knowing which areas you want. Give me clear and obvious buttons any day!

I can now also set the option under the task bar properties under navigation to have windows go straight to the desktop after boot. I don't use many metro apps. I just want the desktop and then Chrome and for me it's easier to go straight there.

Phil Pendlebury · Post by **Phil Pendlebury** » Sun Oct 27, 2013 11:46 am

Hi Marcus, yes it has always been 0,0 or at least that is where I always went to. Just whack the mouse down to bottom left.

This is how it was: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/s ... -apps.html

In my opinion we have actually lost functionality with the new "button". But anyway.

Sure, I understand about not wanting to use the WinKey but whacking the mouse to bottom left? Was it that hard?

Actually I have a key on my G700s assigned to that very purpose too. It may be worth looking in to a mouse with more buttons? Not that you should have to of course, but they are a huge workflow advantage.

And Apps? What "apps" could you possibly want to use? You are a desktop man I think, not touch-screen. Apart from maybe glancing at the weather?

Like I said, I was confused, as I know you are not one of the usual jump on the bandwagon moaners so there must be some genuine reasons for you to be upset with Win 8. Whereas for me after the initial few minutes of orientation I have found it awesome.

Post by **Marcus Tettmar** » Sun Oct 27, 2013 11:59 am

So I have three monitors, my main one is in the middle. So yes, getting the mouse EXACTLY on 0,0 seems to be very tricky for me. Maybe the mouse is sometimes going too far to the left. I don't know. But I find it inconsistent. Maybe it's MY fault, but for whatever reason I find it a total pain in the arse, and in my opinion the leading operating system shouldn't be a pain in the arse to use. So thank The Lord for a nice big button. If I find it difficult I can't imaging how my older relatives will cope!

Apps: I try not to use any, but Windows has its own ideas. If I listen to a WMA file Windows media player opens up, flips the entire screen, the desktop disappears, and I guess I'm in a metro app or something and now I have to do extra work to get back to the desktop, same with viewing images, bit maps etc. sure, I guess I could spend some time reconfiguring windows to use other apps and work the way I want it but why should I have to do that for heavens sake? I am already in the desktop so why the heck can't it STAY there.

If I need to find an app I need to lose the entire desktop so I can't see the app I'm working in and have to use the full screen search thing. What if I need to refer to the app I'm in while I'm searching. Why does it need the full screen? I've got large screens, why can't I search within my desktop WITHOUT having to install third party apps or jump through hoops. I'M already in th desktop and I don't have a touch screen and Windows KNOWS this so don't take me away.

Phil Pendlebury · Post by **Phil Pendlebury** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:56 am

Hi Marcus, Sounds like Win 8 is causing you a lot of grief. Why not go back to Win 7 then?

PS. it takes a few seconds to configure default apps to open video and music and photos etc. Right click on the file > Open With > Choose default program.

But I think you know that.

I have had to do that with ALL versions of Windows as long as I remember, as I never use the defaults, so I guess that is why I find it no big issue.

Anyway. Just thought I should add that in case you had missed it for whatever reason.

On a desktop you should never be using any apps whatsoever. If you do, it is bound to get infuriating.

Post by **Marcus Tettmar** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 12:43 pm

There are improvements in Win 8 and Win 8.1 removes most of the annoyances in Win 8 - mainly that stupid 0,0 click thing. Now I see the windows logo and when I put the mouse over it it changes colour and it is blindingly obvious that I have got the right place where before it felt like guess work and I would sometimes "miss".

Yes, I realise I can change default apps, but would be nice if it detected the context and understood I'm running in desktop mode. And would be nice to be able to start apps without flashing out the entire desktop!

Meryl · Post by **Meryl** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:15 pm

Never understood why Microsoft released Win 8 for desktops. It's clearly meant for tablets. We use tablets and desktops/laptops very differently. You don't see Apple releasing iOS7 for Macbooks. iOS7 is for iPhones and iPads. Which is the right way to go.

Phil Pendlebury · Post by **Phil Pendlebury** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:35 pm

...because there is waaaay more to Windows 8 than just the Start Screen. But of course that is all that most folks see.

My DAW performance improved some 20% when moved to Win 8. (I benchmarked and tested along with many others).

And having a unified system is imho the way to go. I know that I can safely add touch screen to my setup without any pissing about.

I have iPhone and iPad and I love them but I absolutely hate how restrictive the OS is. Example?: I have a great track in my library (that I recorded myself), I'll send it to you... Oh wait I can't, I have to have put it originally in Drop Box or Sound Cloud in order to do that. If it is in my music library on my phone I can do nothing but play it. Until... Yes I load up my PC and start iTunes... Sigh.

LOL. Anyway that is indeed another conversation.

nb. I am unsubbing from this thread, I have had every discussion about Win 8 there is to have since release in October last year. It is the same as MAC v PC. It quickly gets tiring.

I was just surprised that Marcus was not so willing to embrace and move forward and look at all the positive things.

Cheers all.

Post by **Marcus Tettmar** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:47 pm

Phil, you won't see this because you're unsubbing but I think you've misunderstood me, and might be taking this a bit personally.

I *DID* embrace Win 8. I had it installed when it was beta. I had to. And as I have said a few times already on this thread - I agree there ARE many benefits. I appreciate the benefits.

My gripes are quite specific. The main one being I simply didn't like the move to 0,0 thing to get to "start" or having to hit Win Key. Win Key is fine sometimes, awkward others, and, ok, maybe I've got hand eye coordination issues or something - maybe it is just me and I need to see the doctor - but, I'm telling you - the amount of times I "misfired" on that 0,0 coordinate, I can't tell you how annoying it was.

I'm not against change. If it works! For me, it didn't!

It can't be my mouse - it's a Microsoft one! And my eyesight isn't that bad, and I have a pretty steady hand. So just me, or design fault?

Thankfully Win 8.1 "fixes" that by making the target area bigger. I'm guessing it wasn't just me who kept failing to click on 0,0 or they wouldn't have put that "button" there at all.

Meryl · Post by **Meryl** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:50 pm

Phil Pendlebury wrote:...because there is waaaay more to Windows 8 than just the Start Screen. But of course that is all that most folks see.

I've never used Win 8 or 8.1, so I have little to go on. From what you wrote, it sounds like there are many benefits that outweigh the interface limitations.

Phil Pendlebury · Post by **Phil Pendlebury** » Mon Oct 28, 2013 2:56 pm

To me there are absolutely no limitations.

Marcus no mate, nothing personal. Sorry if it seemed that way.

JRL · Post by **JRL** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 3:54 pm

Just bought an ASUS VivoBook Q200E-BSI3T08 with 64 bit windows 8. I played with windows 8 for a day then upgraded to 8.1. I have not had a great deal of time with the computer but I can see that touchscreen with windows 8 is a great benefit. So far I don't see anything spectacularly different about the user experience from 8 to 8.1. Maybe I had read too much about the issues so I knew how to avoid the irritations people were experiencing with 8.

I have one Macro Scheduler related question. When I want to minimize the main menu I have to go to "File" > "Hide". The upper right corner minimize and close buttons do nothing, even pressing Alt+F4 does nothing. Anyone else experience this with Windows 8.1?

Post by **Marcus Tettmar** » Wed Nov 20, 2013 4:03 pm

That's odd. They work for me. I'm running Win 8.1.