Windows 8.1 Build 9374 (X86) Leaked to Internet

[George P Global Moderator]

Kiosk mode is not what people think it is, I doubt you'll be able to pick the desktop through that feature. It's meant to run a specific app and not let people do anything else. This is good for use in what it's named for, kiosks.

[s30]

Agreed. Despite what some people say, the majority of people want the start menu or at least the option to use it. If 8.1 has an official start menu, I'd likely upgrade from 7. I realize there's tons of third party ways to do it but I don't really want to use a third party app for something as simple as the start menu.

I don't think he meant start menu he was trying to say start button which takes you to start screen even if he was referring start menu, only thing which is coming back is start button not the menu.

[Dot Matrix]

You are correct, it currently doesn't. I don't know I don't own a WP device. I just googled "Windows Phone Notification Center" took a VERY quick peek of the page: http://www.wpcentral.com/first-look-unification-notification-center-indows-phone. Looks like it's on its way in the future though.

That's actually a third party app.

http://www.wpcentral.com/notifyme-another-indie-project-bring-notification-center-windows-phone

Kiosk mode is not what people think it is, I doubt you'll be able to pick the desktop through that feature. It's meant to run a specific app and not let people do anything else. This is good for use in what it's named for, kiosks.

I can't help bu think that all this hubbub of the desktop and Start Button will only be for whatever feature that is.

[NightmarE D]

What is windows 8.1 exactly, is it going to be a free download for windows 8 users, or is it a whole another os that you pay for??

STOP

You know what the answer is and you keep bringing this up. Why would they charge for an UPDATE? Everything points to it being a service pack. Same thing they did with XP SP2.

New rumors point to a Start button and boot to desktop option. With all the people annoyed with the Start screen and lack of a Start button, you really think they would make all these fixes and then charge those people for it causing even more anger and hate towards Windows 8?

Take the time to actually read if you don't understand any of this or stop the trolling. It's getting old fast.

[FaiKee]

Now we need links, and people will be happy

Google "MyDigitalLife Forums"

Magnet is out, you just have to search for it. :)

[nMIK-3]

Windows Phone doesn't have a notification center. The live tiles are designed to be the notification center for their respective services.

Notification Center is the No1 requested feature for Windows Phone as well and its not a secret that Notifications are a mess in both Windows Phone and Windows 8.

Apps are now oriented around notifications and yet on both Windows and Windows Phone the only way you can get your notifications are on Tiles this causing the following issues.

-You cannot get a notification unless you have the App Tile in your Start Screen. What if you do not want that tile available in your Start Screen?

-Lock Screen notifications only support a limited amount of Apps to list notifications on the lock screen.

-If you are away from your PC and you want to catch up with your Apps, you need to manually scan every single tile, assuming that you have everything pinned on the Start Screen. I am not sure about you, but I do not enjoy scanning my 3 Miles long Start Screen, to see if I have any notification for a specific app. Same for Windows Phone.

-We need a place to host under one umbrella and one place all notifications and allow us to interact, dismiss and manage all the notifications in one place.

-Notification Center will also serve as an Interaction Center for specific App Controls. Like other platforms. The Music App controls for example will be available there, etc. No one is satisfied with the current situation, having the Music Controls for example randomly appear on the screen.

On Windows Phone, because of the above, not only I have tiles on my Start Screen of Apps I do not want tiles at all, but I also have placed them on top of the screen, to avoid scrolling down in order for me to quickly check for Notifications, on top of that the Lock Screen only supports 5 apps for notifications, so no matter what, I have to unlock my phone in order to have a complete sense of what the heck is going on with my own apps.

The Notification Center is not debatable, even if you are TOTALLY OK with the current situation, a notification center solution will simply benefit everyone. Even Microsoft has admitted that they have run out of time to include a Notification Center with Windows Phone 8 and surely comes later in the future. http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/1/3587864/windows-phone-8-notification-center

For me the lack of Notification Center is not only important and critical, but I personally consider it as the weakest point of both Windows Phone and Windows 8.

Android has the best and more advance Notification Center of all Operating Systems. Apple iOS even thought had a similar to Microsoft's inTiles, notifications on their App Shortcuts, not only they rip-off Android's Notification Solution but they have also implemented it on the latest Mac OS X (and heavily advertise this function) as well and it works as great in both iOS and OS X.

[Auditor]

MS should immediately stop treating desktop users as a phone users with a limited tiny screen.

[Dot Matrix]

MS should immediately stop treating desktop users as a phone users with a limited tiny screen.

*facepalm* Really? I'll just leave this here then.

[Studio384]

I noticed that this release is much more stable than the previous leaks. However, still some bugs. For example, when in 'Costumize' in the start screen, the tiles turn darker to indicate that they are not selected, however, when a Live Tile updates when in that mode, the color turns back to normal. Also, I was able to put the calendar app (in small tile) behind the desktop tile (XL tile). And then there is still the issue that sometimes, tiles are cut of in this mode.

[Auditor]

*facepalm* Really? I'll just leave this here then.

yeah.really.. no need to facepalm.. Sinofsky gone with this windows 8 fiasco now its going to turn of other clue less people at MS for bringing this metro crap.

[firey]

*facepalm* Really? I'll just leave this here then.

Making a tile bigger, but still using a Phone/Tablet oriented interface doesn't make it for desktop users.

[Dot Matrix]

yeah.really.. no need to facepalm.. Sinofsky gone with this windows 8 fiasco now its going to turn of other clue less people at MS for bringing this metro crap.

Right...

Making a tile bigger, but still using a Phone/Tablet oriented interface doesn't make it for desktop users.

Metro isn't phone/tablet only. Far from it. It's been on your PC for a while now. In fact, it was born on the PC and sized down for mobile devices. ;)

[Chris123NT]

Right...

Metro isn't phone/tablet only. Far from it. It's been on your PC for a while now. In fact, it was born on the PC and sized down for mobile devices. ;)

Yes but the difference with Media center is you only had to see it when you wanted to use it for that specific use case. Most people who used MCE were using it in their living rooms to consume content, not to create content.

The problem with the start screen is that it's too in your face. In Windows 7 when I was working on something and I wanted to start something else all I had to do is bring up the start menu and open said item WITHOUT losing view of what I was currently working on. Now in Windows 8 it's totally opposite. Hitting the windows key or clicking the hot corner takes over the whole experience and screws with work flow. It's very jarring.

[fusi0n]

I remember when a build would leak, and Neowin would be going nuts.. It would have 20 pages in an hour with reg hacks, speed tricks among other finds. Everyone knows I am not a huge metro fan.. But come on. Lets stop bitching back and forth and have fun. I'm done with my Windows 8\Blue Rants.. I still think it is a terrible idea for MS to take away one of the biggest elements of their OS and without a way to bring it back without 3rd party. Lucky, we have Start8. Which also works in this build.

So please, lets park the hate train\boat\bus\plane\bike and lets go back to the core of nerd and rip this OS apart and see what we can find.

Here, I have pictured of Start8 working on this build. I think this is important to point out because until their last update it did not work on blue.

[Athernar]

*facepalm* Really? I'll just leave this here then.

Metro equivalent of toolbar hell right there.

Why must you cling to outdated modes of interaction? The start screen is an outdated end-of-life concept, search is the future of computing.

[fusi0n]

I found this interesting..

[Zlain]

Yes but the difference with Media center is you only had to see it when you wanted to use it for that specific use case. Most people who used MCE were using it in their living rooms to consume content, not to create content.

The problem with the start screen is that it's too in your face. In Windows 7 when I was working on something and I wanted to start something else all I had to do is bring up the start menu and open said item WITHOUT losing view of what I was currently working on. Now in Windows 8 it's totally opposite. Hitting the windows key or clicking the hot corner takes over the whole experience and screws with work flow. It's very jarring.

Yes but now you are being the one that is inefficient by not pinning the programme onto the taskbar or having a desktop short-cut. I mean how many programmes do people realistically use? Matlab, Photoshop, Office, Browser? I'm sure there are others, but if you use a programme frequently enough, then the logical thing to do in any version of windows has been to create a short cut. So nothing has really changed with that respect. The only time I go back to metro is to open some security programme but realistically I could even just pin those too..

[TPreston]

Making a tile bigger, but still using a Phone/Tablet oriented interface doesn't make it for desktop users.

Exactly! Don't use any of that screen space for launching programs just use 1/12 of the screen ironically about as much space as a phones screen..

[FaiKee]

There has been some arguments on build 9385, guess this PCBeta post from a OEM guy would clear things up:

http://bbs.pcbeta.com/viewthread-1325491-1-1.html

[George P Global Moderator]

If that's real we should see a few more changes and new stuff.

[FaiKee]

Posted by another OEM guy (in the same thread).

And.... this is from twitter, about 9379:

[Quillz]

Wow, one screenshot, two different button style.

I wouldn't expect anything less from Microsoft at this point.

[FaiKee]

Real or fake? (there's even a video) :o

http://winclub.pl/index.php?/topic/115-windows-blue-consumer-preview-winmain-639404/#entry275

[syobon999]

its there a build with start menu yet?

[fusi0n]

its there a build with start menu yet?

It is not even confirmed it is coming back.. And right now, it only shows that the start button MIGHT be coming back and that will just bring up the start screen..

You can install Start8