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Author Topic: Microsoft rumored to be preparing to make Windows 8.1 freeware Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 03-14-2014 03:44 PM                     quote: Frank Cox Everything on this page I was thinking PC. Would any of those motherboards function as a PC? Just wondering. If not, then why the 192 GB limit on W7?  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 03-14-2014 04:30 PM                     Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are on the same platform. In most cases, the drivers are interchangeable. I'm guessing the memory capacity came along for the ride. In fact, I have a machine that I need to behave like a workstation, but needs the power and redundancy of server hardware, so I installed Windows 7 on a Dell PowerEdge server.  |  IP: Logged Chris Slycord Film God Posts: 2986 From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea Registered: Mar 2007 posted 03-15-2014 08:09 AM                     quote: Rick Raskin I was thinking PC. Would any of those motherboards function as a PC? Just wondering. If not, then why the 192 GB limit on W7? Because of companies that want to have one computer that runs several different servers inside virtual machines and use windows to achieve this. Also, you have to realize that whether or not it can function as a personal computer is irrelevant. Windows is an computer operating system. It's not a "thing for personal computers."  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-15-2014 08:49 AM                        One thing different about Windows 8: The serial number gets embedded in the BIOS when you install it. They only good thing about that is, if you have to reinstall it on a system that previously had it - you do not have to enter the key in.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-15-2014 09:25 AM                        quote: Dennis Benjamin The serial number gets embedded in the BIOS when you install it. I wonder how that works in a VM or multiple-boot situation? Not that I really care that much, though, since my current interest level in Win8 is approximately zero.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-17-2014 03:59 PM                        I also wonders how that works if your motherboard/BIOS includes the facility to block the operating system from writing to the BIOS? For example, one of my computers enables you to set up an administrator and/or a user password in the BIOS, and the latter has to be entered before it'll let you write anything to the BIOS. Even the firmware updaters that run under Windows require you to enter the BIOS admin password before it'll flash the update. Does the Windows 8 installation procedure ask you for that password if needed? Will it refuse to install Windows if you don't let it write to the BIOS?  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 03-24-2014 05:15 PM                        This whole thread is a lie. They are still charging out the ass for Windows 8.1 and idiots everywhere are actually paying. http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/categoryID.62684800?WT.mc_id=WOL_Buy  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 03-24-2014 05:44 PM                     Since when has Windows 8.1 been free? If you're on Windows 8, you can upgrade to Windows 8.1 for free. The only thing that will probably be given away for free is their Windows Phone incarnation, because that's probably the only way to give that OS some relevance in the market. You still need to buy a phone that can run it though, and that's usually not free... If you want to get some work done with your Windows 8 machine, this 8.1 upgrade is mandatory, or else you will end up bald rather quickly after tearing your hairs out every time you get lost in this horrible Metro jungle. The upgrade (which you can get via their shitty store) downloads a few gigabytes worth of junk and after an hour or two/three/twelve/infinity (dependent on your Internet connection and machine) the first thing it does is trying to ram a Microsoft account down your throat, which can only be avoided via a maze of options. On the bright side, Windows 8.1 is almost NOT worthless, it allows you to boot into desktop mode, returns something like a "Start" button, which either brings you to Metro or... "Modern UI" or a full-screen listing of your installed applications (I dare not to call them "Apps"...). The "Start-button-right-click" power-menu is actually neat, it gives you a shortcut to stuff that was formerly buried in sub-menus. The upcoming/already leaked "8.1 Update 1" seems to contain yet other features that bring back the OLD Windows, featuring a desktop and you know, actual Windows!  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 03-24-2014 07:30 PM                     Why isn't Windows free? Isn't the answer obvious? Apple started out as a hardware company and has mostly stayed that way; their OS and other software systems (iTunes) exist soley to help sell their hardware. The fact that Apple used to charge for its OS is the truly ridiculous fact. Microsoft, on the other hand, started as a pure software company; unlike Apple the software WAS their product. If Microsoft gave away its software, there would be no Microsoft. Microsoft has been moving into the hardware side of things-or rather trying to. Their big mistake was trying to market Windows 8 as a desktop OS as well as a mobile one. Windows 8 should have been a product exclusively for the Surface.  |  IP: Logged Marcel Birgelen Film God Posts: 3357 From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands Registered: Feb 2012 posted 03-25-2014 03:30 AM                     Please note that Apple suddenly giving away MacOS X updates for free is somewhat fishy... It's clearly a sign that they're spinning up the built-in obsolescence cycle for your overpriced Mac hardware from this point on, just like your iOS devices. quote: Leo Enticknap Does the Windows 8 installation procedure ask you for that password if needed? Will it refuse to install Windows if you don't let it write to the BIOS? Please note that BIOS is actually quite obsolete and most new machines come with UEFI, that just emulate BIOS for older OSes. UEFI is capable of a much more sophisticated access control. UEFI is also being used to lock a computer to a certain Operating System. If the bootloader hasn't been signed by something that's recognized by the UEFI loader as being approved, it will just not load the OS. For now, most vendors allow you to bypass this "OS approval", otherwise installing Linux would already be impossible. But this is also why it's rather hard to run something different than Windows on a MS Surface tablet for example.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-25-2014 11:01 AM                        Thanks. The most recent motherboard I own and/or have reinstalled an OS on was made in 2010, so this is a new one on me. I must admit to not liking the sound of buying a computer on which you're not allowed to install Linux, but as with rooting smartphones, if the sale of this technology in a locked-out state becomes normal, then hacks will become available to address that, I guess. However, that would partially explain why MS is not exactly giving away Windows 8 (as yet, at any rate), but it is offering a $100 rebate if you buy a new PC with it OEM-installed. Given that $100 is the retail price of a standalone Windows license, when I read this news I wondered why they didn't just give the OS away to anyone who wanted to carry out a DIY installation on their existing machines. For one thing, actually giving people $100 will cost them more than giving away copies of W8, I'd heva thought. I'm guessing the reason to be that they want to remove as many "insecure" (from their perspective, i.e. owners have the non-revocable option of installing a non-MS OS) computers from circulation as possible.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 03-25-2014 12:28 PM                     quote: Marcel Birgelen UEFI is also being used to lock a computer to a certain Operating System. EFI rose to prominence several years ago when the first Intel-based Macs started shipping. EFI "bootstraps" Mac OSX to specific Intel motherboards made solely for Apple branded computers. This prevents someone from getting a copy of OSX and loading it on something like a Dell PC.  |  IP: Logged Dennis Benjamin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1445 From: Denton, MD Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-25-2014 03:17 PM                        I am starting to get all the "Windows XP Support goes away as of April 8th" E-mails. Apparently, Microsoft will pay you to upgrade to Windows 8. Well, let's see, Windows 8 won't run older computers that were optimized for Windows XP. So I guess that "$100" will go towards the purchase of a new, snazzy, computer. If you are running on a computer that old, why don't you just install Linux?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-25-2014 03:31 PM                     Not sure what all the fuss really is. W7 is still available for purchase at many locations. You can also still buy a new computer with W7 loaded on it. We order them for our "Cinema Service Care" remote computers all the time. But then if MS gets rid of the tiles and puts the start button back where it belongs then who really cares. the rest of 8.1 is much the same as W7. On loosing sales to Mac and Linux. This isn't happening at all. W8 just caused a slump in the sales of computers. That in no way means all those people that are not buying PC would then run out and buy a Linux or Mac. The thought is really sort of ridiculous. Linux is by no means user friendly and it would be easier to learn W8 with the tiles. And Mac won't run most programs people want to use today. While a Mac can also run Windows what are you gonna load on it? W8? LOL! None of my work related programs run on any Apple device... Mark  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 03-25-2014 03:52 PM                     I think Windows 8 has received a little too much of the blame for slumping personal computer sales. The simple matter is PCs have reached a point similar to that of TV sets. People buy a new one when the old one finally breaks, not simply because they want a new one. The sales trends of smart phones and tablets are headed that direction soon. That will send lots of stock market investors scurrying. But then when things settle down the computing industry might actually be allowed to concentrate on more important things rather than trying to make a bunch of short term investors happy.  |  IP: Logged

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