xendrome Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Actually they do: http://www.scan.co.u...stem-single-oem That wasn't a slipstream in the proper sense of the word.. They have always discontinue old versions for newer ones on retail shelves as far back as I can remember. Windows 95/98 and the OSR1/OSR2, along with Windows XP SP1-SP3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lirodon Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 yeah, this is definitely not a service pack too many big changes and feature additions to be a service pack by Microsoft's definition of one... This is more of a feature pack / service pack / minor version build upgrade But I mean, installation-wise, it will probably be installed like the service packs were (i.e. through Windows Update, and standalone installers for deployment). I think they're just trying to shift towards what Apple does with OS X, they release "minor" revisions to the OS (counting as point releases) instead of service packs because they release new versions quicker. The SP model that Microsoft was using before is too slow for today's climate, where people are accustomed to their software evolving faster than in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoffel Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Here is what I am certain Microsoft is going to do! Windows 8.1, will be a product key that you buy for $20 and insert it into add features to Windows. When it is inserted, it will install like the windows media pack! This makes the most sense! I still think/hope it will be a free update. They don't want people to run 2 different versions of Win8, that would complicate things with the apps in the store. And I can imagine some people will not want to pay for this upgrade, so this would turn into an Android fiasco of different versions not being able to run certain apps. They hopefully just bite the bullet and make it a free update Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted May 2, 2013 Member Share Posted May 2, 2013 It's not a service pack. So I would expect it to be an update for existing users and have the retail RTM of Windows 8 phased out in favor of Windows 8.1 on the retail shelves, at the same price as what Windows 8 RTM sold for. I'm not paying for Windows 8 again. adrynalyne and Ian W 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrynalyne Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 If Microsoft charges for 8.1, Windows 8 will be the last MS OS I ever purchase. A new OS to purchase a year later after 8 released? No thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 If Microsoft charges for 8.1, Windows 8 will be the last MS OS I ever purchase. A new OS to purchase a year later after 8 released? No thanks. You don't have to purchase it, you know. You could simply wait for Windows 9 or a later version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dead.cell Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 A lot of existing windows 8 customers would be angry if Microsoft released 8.1 as a another paid os. That would be very greedy if Microsoft did that. It would not just suck if Microsoft did this, it would really really suck. Paul Thurrott said that Windows 8.1 will be a enriched update. Oh, I can see people foaming at the mouth, red in the face if they make it a pay-for update. Personally, I'd probably install Start8 if I knew I wasn't going to be able to get the polish Windows 8 really needs without an additional cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brainsuck Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 If Win 8.1 fails MS will have to roll out Sp 2 for Win 7 To have time to get Win 9 ready Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 If Win 8.1 fails MS will have to roll out Sp 2 for Win 7 To have time to get Win 9 ready Considering a service pack is just a rollup of previously released hotfixes, I'm sure there will be a SP2 regardless of 8's sales. XP had a SP3 despite the "failure" of Vista. Ian W 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Red King Subscriber² Posted May 2, 2013 Subscriber² Share Posted May 2, 2013 It would be good for PR for it to be free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 It would be good for PR for it to be free. It would have also been good PR for Windows 7 to be free to "fix" the "failure" that was Vista, and yet it wasn't. I would like for 8.1 to be free, but I increasingly don't expect it to be. It may be discounted, but I think we'll ultimately end up having to pay for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrynalyne Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 You don't have to purchase it, you know. You could simply wait for Windows 9 or a later version. That isn't the point. It shouldn't be an update that is charged for period. It would have also been good PR for Windows 7 to be free to "fix" the "failure" that was Vista, and yet it wasn't. I would like for 8.1 to be free, but I increasingly don't expect it to be. It may be discounted, but I think we'll ultimately end up having to pay for it. Windows 7 also came out two years later after vista., not one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillz Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 We still have no idea whether Microsoft intends to charge for the update or not, so let's not make assumptions until then. But Microsoft is not a charity and has every right to charge for 8.1, even if it's something in the ballpark of $29. I would expect a drastically reduced price if Microsoft is truly moving Windows to a yearly update cycle, somewhat similar to what Mac OS X used to do and is apparently back to doing. Dutchie64 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadEndAccount Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 They'll probably slimstream it and sell it as a boxed product to replace Windows 8 on the shelves but the update is more than likely going to be free. With the move to the AppStore like model are we going to see a drastic price cut in Windows where the cost of Windows development will be shared between developers and consumers with the AppStore taking their cut from each sale. I guess in the case of Apple when compared to Microsoft you have Apple giving away developer tools free of charge, OS X costing $30 so the idea of offloading some of the cost onto those who are developing might result in the operating system in the future being given away for free in much the same way that iOS and handset operating systems are handed out for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGHammer Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 It would have also been good PR for Windows 7 to be free to "fix" the "failure" that was Vista, and yet it wasn't. I would like for 8.1 to be free, but I increasingly don't expect it to be. It may be discounted, but I think we'll ultimately end up having to pay for it. I expect something similar to the dual-stream option for Windows 3.x - did we forget about the Windows for Workgroups Step-Up program (once folks discovered that WfWG ate Windows 3.1's lunch)? The step-up will have a nominal fee (it may even be initially free like the WMC upgrade to 8 was) along with a full-version/upgrade of 8.1 for new hardware or upgrades from 7. in both cases, who really loses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutchie64 Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I expect something similar to the dual-stream option for Windows 3.x - did we forget about the Windows for Workgroups Step-Up program (once folks discovered that WfWG ate Windows 3.1's lunch)? The step-up will have a nominal fee (it may even be initially free like the WMC upgrade to 8 was) along with a full-version/upgrade of 8.1 for new hardware or upgrades from 7. in both cases, who really loses? Nobody, but a lot of people are still stuck in 'SP mode', and are way to spoiled by all the free updates. Remember the SP's on XP, some of them were full upgrades of the OS. What if MS charged for those at that point? Justified? Or not? We all know that MS is moving it's pace for the Windows releases, so expect more updates, and expect some payment for these updates. As someone earlier said in this thread, MS is not a charity. And why would Apple be able to do so, but MS wouldn't. And don't start with the 'the updates are cheaper", as the Apple hardware already payed for most of it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGHammer Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Nobody, but a lot of people are still stuck in 'SP mode', and are way to spoiled by all the free updates. Remember the SP's on XP, some of them were full upgrades of the OS. What if MS charged for those at that point? Justified? Or not? We all know that MS is moving it's pace for the Windows releases, so expect more updates, and expect some payment for these updates. As someone earlier said in this thread, MS is not a charity. And why would Apple be able to do so, but MS wouldn't. And don't start with the 'the updates are cheaper", as the Apple hardware already payed for most of it..... Actually, the Service Packs date back to NT (prior to 9x, which adopted them), and *always* existed there. Part of that infamous "Apple tax" (higher costs of hardware) doubtless defrays operating-system costs - it IS something a closed OS is able to get away with (the biggest non-Apple example was Sun Microsystems - it charged a nominal fee for Solaris for SPARC, but licensed Solaris for x86 on an NFR basis at no cost at all; back before broadband took off, you could download and burn Solaris CDs for a small fee to cover media costs at larger Sun resellers). Updates? Hotfixes? Those predate even NT, and had always been available from Microsoft - and for free (except what it cost in connection fees) via CompuServe, and later via FTP.MICROSOFT.COM - the immediate predecessor of the Microsoft Download Center of today. NT's Service Packs were practically always complete rewrites of the operating system - which was why deploying of them was a far from trivial task. What really changed the Service Pack issue were two SPs - oddly enough, both were for NT-based operating systems. The first, and most controversial, was Windows NT 4's Service Pack 4 - the controversy was that it not only included Active Desktop support, it also included (and required) Internet Explorer 4.0 to be installed. The second, far-less controversial SP was Windows XP Service Pack 2 - this monster was, for all practical purposes, a rewrite of XP from the kernel up. A lot of the features later versions of Windows took for granted came from this SP - including IPv6 support via Teredo. Like NT4 Service Pack 4, it included a new IE - the (in)famous Internet Explorer 6. Still, because it literally was a reboot of the whole OS (and gave quite a few noticeable improvements), the reaction was "And Microsoft is giving this away?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ESC@PE Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 If it certainly is true that the "Start Button" is coming back, and you can boot directly to the desktop... I think Microsoft would push up this release and possibly have it finalized by year end. It will be interesting to see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nashy Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 If they charge for an update designed to make Windows 8 half decent, they're mental. BeerFan 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeroomegazx Posted May 13, 2013 Author Share Posted May 13, 2013 The release preview is very close now but still no mention for sure on whether it is going to be free for current windows 8 users, I can't see MS charging for this after 1 year since windows 8's release. I hope this isnt going to be a payed patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syobon999 Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 paid or not this is way bigger than sp2 was to xp or windows 7 to vista. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeroomegazx Posted May 14, 2013 Author Share Posted May 14, 2013 stick a fork in this, MS just announced its going to be FREE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rseiler Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 It would be nice to know, though, if slipstreamed ISOs will be made available as is done for OS SPs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger H. Veteran Posted May 14, 2013 Veteran Share Posted May 14, 2013 Probably not to the general public but for those with TechNet and such you will more than likely get the full ISO already integrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrynalyne Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 paid or not this is way bigger than sp2 was to xp or windows 7 to vista. I disagree, at least on the Vista to 7 point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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