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{{Short description|Operating system released by Microsoft in 2012}}{{Use American English|date=November 2012}}{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}}{{Distinguish|Windows 8.1}}

factoids

(archived at Wayback Machine)| source_model = {{ublProprietary software>Closed-sourceSource-available software>Source-available (through Shared Source Initiative)SHARED SOURCE INITIATIVE>URL=HTTPS://WWW.MICROSOFT.COM/EN-US/SHAREDSOURCE/DEFAULT.ASPXPUBLISHER=MICROSOFT, October 28, 2013, Hybrid kernel>Hybrid| userland = Windows API, NTVDM| updatemodel = Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services| discontinued = noWindows 8 has reached the RM milestone {{Webarchiveweblink>date=September 19, 2012}}. August 1, 2012| first_release_url = ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20121027202517/HTTPS://BLOGS.WINDOWS.COM/WINDOWS/B/BLOGGINGWINDOWS/ARCHIVE/2012/10/25/WINDOWS-REIMAGINED-WINDOWS8.ASPXARCHIVE-DATE=OCTOBER 27, 2012WORK=BLOGGING WINDOWS, | GA_url = | release_version = 6.2.9200Windows 7 (2009)| succeeded_by = Windows 8.1 (2013)All editions (except Windows Embedded 8 Standard and PCs with the Windows 8.1 update installed):{{Plainlist>

• Unsupported as of January 12, 2016WEB, Microsoft Support Lifecycle, Windows 8,weblink Microsoft, January 21, 2023,

}}Windows Embedded 8 Standard:{{Plainlist|

• Mainstream support ended on July 10, 2018.WEB, Product lifecycle Windows 8 Embedded,weblink August 21, 2020, support.microsoft.com,
• Extended support ended on July 11, 2023.}}

{{Windows 8}}Windows 8 is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on August 1, 2012, and was made available for download via MSDN and TechNet on August 15, 2012. Nearly three months after its initial release, it finally made its first retail appearance on October 26, 2012.WEB,weblink Windows 8's delivery date: October 26, ZDNet, CBS Interactive, July 18, 2012, September 17, 2012, Windows 8 introduced major changes to the operating system's platform and user interface with the intention to improve its user experience on tablets, where Windows competed with mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS. In particular, these changes included a touch-optimized Windows shell and start screen based on Microsoft's Metro design language, integration with online services, the Windows Store, and a new keyboard shortcut for screenshots.WEB, Paul, Ian, How to Take Screenshots in Windows 10, 8, and 7,weblink Lifewire, 7 April 2023, en, Many of these features were adapted from Windows Phone. Windows 8 also added support for USB 3.0, Advanced Format, near-field communication, and cloud computing. Additional security features—including built-in antivirus software, integration with Microsoft SmartScreen phishing filtering, and support for Secure Boot on supported devices—were introduced. It was the first Windows version to support ARM architecture under the Windows RT branding. No CPUs without PAE, SSE2 and NX are supported in this version.Windows 8 received a mostly negative reception. Although the reaction to its performance improvements, security enhancements, and improved support for touchscreen devices was positive, the new user interface was widely criticized as confusing and unintuitive, especially when used with a keyboard and mouse rather than a touchscreen. Despite these shortcomings, 60 million licenses were sold through January 2013, including upgrades and sales to OEMs for new PCs.WEB, Foley, Mary Jo,weblink Microsoft: 60 million Windows 8 licenses sold to date, ZDNet, CBS Interactive, January 8, 2013, March 24, 2013, Microsoft released Windows 8.1 in October 2013, which addressed some aspects of Windows 8 that were criticized by reviewers and early adopters and also incorporated various improvements.NEWS, Waters, Richard, May 7, 2013, Microsoft prepares rethink on Windows 8 flagship software, Financial Times,weblink Windows 8 was ultimately succeeded by Windows 10 in July 2015. Support for RTM editions of Windows 8 ended on January 12, 2016, and with the exception of Windows Embedded 8 Standard users, all users are required to install the Windows 8.1 update. Mainstream support for the Embedded Standard edition of Windows 8 ended on July 10, 2018, and extended support ended on July 11, 2023.

Development

Early development

Development started in 2009 while Microsoft was finishing work on Windows 7.WEB, Steven Sinofsky, Tami Reller, Julie Larson-Green, Antoine Leblond, and Michael Angiulo: Windows 8 Consumer Preview, News Center, Microsoft,weblink April 27, 2012, February 29, 2012,weblink February 6, 2013, At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2011, it was announced that the next version of Windows would add support for ARM System-on-chips alongside the existing 32-bit processors produced by vendors, especially AMD and Intel. Windows division president Steven Sinofsky demonstrated an early build of the port on prototype devices, while Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the company's goal for Windows to be "everywhere on every kind of device without compromise."WEB, Microsoft confirms ARM support is coming in Windows, will play nice with SoCs too, January 5, 2011,weblink Engadget, May 21, 2013, WEB, CES: Windows to run on ARM chips, says Microsoft,weblink ZDNet, CBS Interactive, November 21, 2012, PRESS RELEASE,weblink Microsoft Announces Support of System on a Chip Architectures From Intel, AMD, and ARM for Next Version of Windows, Microsoft, January 5, 2011, January 5, 2011,weblink April 7, 2012, dead, WEB, Matt, Rosoff,weblink OK, So Windows Is Coming To ARM Tablets...Someday (MSFT), San Francisco Chronicle, Business Insider, Hearst Communications, January 5, 2011, January 5, 2011, June 29, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110629064811weblink">weblink dead, Details also began to surface about a new application framework for Windows 8 codenamed "Jupiter", which would be used to make "immersive" applications using XAML (similarly to Windows Phone and Silverlight) that could be distributed via a new packaging system and a rumored application store.WEB, More on Microsoft 'Jupiter' and what it means for Windows 8,weblink ZDNet, CBS Interactive, March 30, 2013, The earliest available build of Windows 8 is build 7700, compiled in January 2010.WEB, Windows 7 post RTM build 7700 spotted,weblink March 11, 2021, Neowin, en, The build was almost identical to Windows 7 except for the wallpaper being different—the same one from the Beta and Release Candidate. In addition, there were a few references to Windows 8 in this build's Local Group Policy Editor Utility.WEB, Windows 8 build 7700,weblink 2024-03-30, BetaWiki, en, In late 2010, an optional 3D desktop user interface for high-end systems named "Wind" was rumored.WEB, "Wind": Windows 8 mit neuer 3D-Oberfläche?,weblink winfuture.de, September 27, 2021, de, December 9, 2010, Two milestone releases of Windows 8 and one of Windows Server 2012 leaked to the general public. Milestone 1, Build 7850, was leaked on April 12, 2011.WEB,weblink Windows 8 Build 7850 has leaked, April 12, 2012, December 28, 2012, Brad, Sams, Neowin, It was the first build where the title of a window was written centered instead of aligned to the left. It was also probably the first appearance of the Metro-style font, and its wallpaper had the text shhh. let's not leak our hard work. However, its detailed build number reveals that the build was created on September 22, 2010.WEB,weblink Windows 8 Build 7850 M1 Has Been Leaked, April 12, 2011, December 28, 2012, Redmond Pie, Taimur, Asad, The leaked copy was Enterprise edition, with other editions leaking later. In 2020, it was discovered that Metro existed in this build, after disabling the Redpill feature lockout. The start screen was very primitive, being a screen with a white background and gray tiles. The charms bar was also included, but was unusable. The OS still reads as "Windows 7". Milestone 2, Build 7955, was leaked on April 25, 2011. The traditional Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) was replaced by a new black screen,WEB,weblink Windows 8 build 7955 sporting new 'Black' Screen of Death, April 27, 2012, December 28, 2012, Adrian, Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet, CBS Interactive, although it was later reverted to a different blue color. This build introduced a new ribbon in Windows Explorer. The "Windows 7" logo was temporarily replaced with text displaying "Microsoft Confidential". Both builds 7850 and 7955 leaked alongside Windows Server 2012 build 7959. On June 17, 2011, build 7989 64-bit edition was leaked. It introduced a new boot screen featuring the same Betta fish as the default Windows 7 Beta wallpaper, which was later replaced, and the circling dots as featured in the final build (although the final version comes with smaller circling dots throbber). It also had the text Welcome below them, although this was scrapped.WEB,weblink Windows 8 Milestone 3 build 7989 leaks, April 27, 2012, December 28, 2012, Tom, Warren, Winrumors, November 1, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121101133257weblink">weblink dead, The boot screen was not new to this build though – it came from build 7973, a slightly earlier build. Most of these leaks "hid" the main Metro UI features that were to come in the aforementioned Redpill feature lockout in order to prevent relevant leaks. An unlocker tool named Redlock was necessary to reveal the new Metro UI as well as the redesigned Start Screen, Lock Screen and apps.WEB, Redlock,weblink 2023-12-09, BetaWiki, en, Although several other unlocker tools have tried to replicate this patch as closely as possible before Redlock, it is the most accurate, supporting the enabling of builds' Metro UI from 7814 to 8056. It also worked on the Developer Preview.{{Cn|date=April 2023}}This build also leaked in the x86 architecture as a debug build, with the setup having a slight change – the theme was now Windows Basic in setup, rather than Classic.{{Cn|date=April 2023}}Build 8008 was the first build to remove the User Tile. A new wallpaper was introduced and Metro was updated to be more like the final version of Windows 8.WEB, Windows 8 build 8008,weblink 2023-12-09, BetaWiki, en, On June 1, 2011, Microsoft unveiled Windows 8's new user interface, as well as additional features at both Computex Taipei and the (All Things Digital|D9: All Things Digital) conference in California.WEB, Live from Microsoft's Windows 8 preview event at Computex 2011.,weblink Engadget, AOL, June 1, 2011, February 28, 2012, PRESS RELEASE, Previewing 'Windows 8',weblink Microsoft, June 1, 2011, February 28, 2012,weblink March 7, 2012, The "Building Windows 8" blog launched on August 15, 2011, featuring details surrounding Windows 8's features and its development process.WEB, Sinofsky, Steven,weblink Welcome to Building Windows 8 Blogs, Microsoft, August 15, 2011, September 8, 2011,

Previews

(File:Windows8102MultiMonitorAndApp.png|thumb|A screenshot of Windows Developer Preview running on a multi-monitor system, showcasing some features)Microsoft would unveil more Windows 8 features and improvements on the first day of the first build conference on September 13, 2011.WEB,weblink Windows 8 Developer Preview Guide, September 16, 2011, Microsoft, dead,weblink October 7, 2011, The first public beta build of Windows 8—Windows Developer Preview (build 8102)—was released at the event. A Samsung tablet running the build was also distributed to conference attendees.{{Cn|date=April 2023}}The build was released for download later that day in 32-bit and 64-bit variants, and a special 64-bit variant which included SDKs and developer tools (Visual Studio Express and Expression Blend) for developing Metro-style apps.WEB,weblink Home—BUILD, Microsoft, February 29, 2012, The Windows Store was also announced during the presentation, but was not available in this build.WEB, Windows 8 Developer Preview Available Tonight,weblink PC Magazine, Chloe, Albanesius, Ziff Davis, LLC, September 13, 2011, May 29, 2013, WEB, Microsoft releases Windows 8 Developer Preview, announces Windows Store (update: it's out early!),weblink The Verge, September 13, 2011, May 29, 2013, According to Microsoft, there were about 535,000 downloads of the developer preview within the first 12 hours of its release.WEB,weblink Steve Ballmer touts 500,000 Windows 8 downloads in less than 12 hours, Donald, Melanson, September 14, 2011, Engadget, AOL, September 16, 2011, Originally set to expire on March 11, 2012, in February 2012 the Developer Preview's expiry date was changed to January 15, 2013.WEB,weblink An update that postpones the expiration date of Windows 8 Developer Preview and Windows 8 Server Developer Preview is available, Microsoft, February 16, 2012, May 5, 2012, 20 April 2012,weblink dead, On February 17, 2012, Microsoft unveiled a new logo for Windows 8. Designed by Pentagram partner Paula Scher, the Windows logo was changed to resemble a set of four window panes. Additionally, the entire logo is now rendered in a single solid color.WEB, February 17, 2012, Redesigning the Windows Logo,weblink February 18, 2012, On February 29, 2012, Microsoft released Windows 8 Consumer Preview, the beta version of Windows 8, build 8250. Alongside other changes, the build brought over the big change from build 8195: removing the Start button from the taskbar for the first time in a public build since its debut on Windows 95; according to Windows manager Chaitanya Sareen, the Start button was removed to reflect their view that on Windows 8, the desktop was an app itself, and not the primary interface of the operating system.WEB, Microsoft's Chaitanya Sareen gets candid on the evolution of Windows 8,weblink CNET, CBS Interactive, April 5, 2014, WEB, Windows 8: Microsoft unveils consumer preview,weblink BBC, February 29, 2012, March 1, 2012, Windows president Steven Sinofsky said more than 100,000 changes had been made since the developer version went public. The day after its release, Windows 8 Consumer Preview had been downloaded over one million times.WEB,weblink Windows 8 Consumer Preview hits one million downloads in a day, Engadget, AOL, March 1, 2012, Brian, Heater, March 4, 2012, Like the Developer Preview, the Consumer Preview expired on January 15, 2013.{{Cn|date=April 2023}}Many other builds may exist or were released until Japan's Developers Day conference when Sinofsky announced that Windows 8 Release Preview (build 8400) would be released during the first week of June.WEB, Musil, Steven,weblink Windows 8 'release preview' due in early June, CNET, CBS Interactive, April 23, 2012, June 11, 2012, On May 28, 2012, Windows 8 Release Preview (Standard Simplified Chinese x64 edition, not China-specific variant, build 8400) was leaked online on various Chinese and BitTorrent websites.WEB, Warren, Tom,weblink Windows 8 Release Preview leaks out ahead of official debut, The Verge, May 29, 2012, June 11, 2012, On May 31, 2012, Windows 8 Release Preview was released to the public by Microsoft.WEB, Warren, Tom, Windows 8 Release Preview now available to download,weblink The Verge, Vox Media, May 31, 2012, October 27, 2012, Major items in the Release Preview included the addition of Sports, Travel, and News apps, along with an integrated variant of Adobe Flash Player in Internet Explorer.WEB, The Windows 8 Release Preview & Windows Upgrade Offer,weblink Windows Experience Blog, Microsoft, LeBlanc, Brandon, May 31, 2012, March 26, 2021, October 11, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121011050701weblink">weblink dead, Like the Developer Preview and the Consumer Preview, the release preview expired on January 15, 2013.{{Cn|date=April 2023}}

Release

File:Windows 8 launch event at Pier 57 in New York City 20121025.jpg|thumb|right|Windows 8 launch event at Pier 57Pier 57On August 1, 2012, Windows 8 (build 9200WEB, Warren, Tom, Microsoft completes Windows 8 development, announces release to manufacturing,weblink August 5, 2012, The Verge, Vox Media, August 1, 2012, ) was released to manufacturing with the build number 6.2.9200.16384,WEB, August 1, 2012, Windows 8 has reached the RTM milestone,weblink August 1, 2012, Microsoft, and Microsoft planned to hold a launch event on October 25, 2012WEB,weblink Microsoft: Come 'celebrate' Windows 8 on Oct. 25, CNET, CBS Interactive, September 17, 2012, Reisinger, Don, before releasing it for general availability the next day.WEB, July 18, 2012, Windows 8 will be available on…,weblink dead,weblink September 19, 2012, July 18, 2012, Microsoft, However, only a day after its release to manufacturing, a copy of the final version of Windows 8 Enterprise N (a variant for European markets which lacks bundled media players to comply with an antitrust ruling) was leaked online, followed by leaks of the final versions of Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise a few days later.WEB, Keizer, Gregg, Windows 8 Leaked in Final Form,weblink August 9, 2012, Computerworld, IDG, August 3, 2012, August 5, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120805232513weblink">weblink dead, WEB, Crothers, Brooke, Windows 8 final version allegedly leaks out already,weblink August 9, 2012, CNET, August 2, 2012, On August 15, 2012, Windows 8 was made available to download for MSDN and TechNet subscribers,WEB, Warren, Tom, Windows 8 now available to download for MSDN and TechNet subscribers,weblink August 16, 2012, The Verge, Vox Media, August 15, 2012, and was made available to Software Assurance customers on August 16, 2012.WEB,weblink Windows 8 Is Ready For Your Enterprise, Springboard Series Blog, Microsoft, August 16, 2012, August 16, 2012, Rose, Stephen, August 18, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120818224724weblink">weblink dead, It was made available for students with a DreamSpark Premium subscription on August 22, 2012, earlier than advertised.WEB, Lee, Stott,weblink Visual Studio 2012 and Windows on DreamSpark, Microsoft UK Faculty Connection, Microsoft, August 18, 2012, August 24, 2012, Windows 8 became generally available for download to all MSDN and TechNet customers on August 15 and for retail purchase on October 26, 2012.{{Cn|date=April 2023}}Relatively few changes were made from the Release Preview to the final version. These included updated versions of bundled apps, the renaming of Windows Explorer to File Explorer, the replacement of the Aero Glass theme from Windows Vista and 7 with a new flat and solid-color theme as seen in build 8432, and the addition of new background options for the Start screen, lock screen, and desktop.WEB, Bott, Ed, Surprise! What you can expect from Windows 8 RTM,weblink ZDNet, CBS Interactive, August 27, 2012, August 15, 2012, Prior to its general availability on October 26, 2012, updates were released for some of Windows 8's bundled apps, and a "General Availability Cumulative Update" (which included fixes to improve performance, compatibility, and battery life) was released on Tuesday, October 9, 2012. Microsoft stated that due to improvements to its testing infrastructure, general improvements of this nature were to be released more frequently through Windows Update instead of being relegated to OEMs and service packs only.WEB, Cunningham, Andrew, Post-RTM fixes improve Windows 8's performance and battery life,weblink Ars Technica, October 9, 2012, Condé Nast Publications, Condé Nast Digital, October 21, 2012, WEB, Windows 8 App Update: Mail, Calendar, People And Messaging,weblink Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows, Penton (company), Penton, October 21, 2012, October 10, 2012, Paul, Thurrott, October 12, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121012233600weblink">weblink dead, Microsoft began an advertising campaign centered around Windows 8 and its Surface tablet in October 2012, starting with its first television advertisement premiering on October 14, 2012.WEB, Windows Reimagined,weblink All Things Digital, Dow Jones & Company, October 21, 2012, The advertising budget of US$1.5–1.8 billion was significantly larger than the US$200 million campaign used to promote Windows 95.WEB,weblink Microsoft Betting BIG on Cloud with Windows 8 and Tablets, Einstein, Dave, October 11, 2012, Forbes, October 27, 2012, As part of its campaign, Microsoft set up 34 pop-up stores inside malls to showcase the Surface product line, and provided training for retail employees in partnership with Intel. In an effort to make retail displays of Windows 8 devices more "personal" by exemplifying real-world usage, Microsoft developed a character known in English-speaking markets as "Allison Brown", whose fictional profile (including personal photos, contacts, and emails) was featured on in-store demo units of Windows 8 devices.NEWS, Microsoft Dives into the Retail Scene,weblink Wall Street Journal, October 22, 2012, Dow Jones & Company, August 22, 2013, (File:Windows 8 Pro DVD.jpg|thumb|Windows 8 Pro DVD case, containing a 32-bit and a 64-bit installation disc)In May 2013, Microsoft launched a new television campaign for Windows 8 illustrating the capabilities and pricing of Windows 8 tablets in comparison to the iPad, which featured the voice of Siri remarking on the iPad's limitations in a parody of Apple's "Get a Mac" advertisements.WEB, Microsoft recruits Siri to bad-mouth the iPad in new Windows 8 tablet ad,weblink The Verge, May 22, 2013, Vox Media, October 26, 2013, WEB, Microsoft turns Siri against Apple in hilarious new Windows 8 ad,weblink PC World, IDG, October 26, 2013, On June 12, 2013, during game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals, Microsoft premiered the first ad in its "Windows Everywhere" campaign, which promoted Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and the company's suite of online services as an interconnected platform.WEB, First Windows 8.1 ad features the return of the Start button,weblink The Verge, September 29, 2013, Vox Media, November 3, 2013, WEB, New Microsoft 'Windows Everywhere' ad crosses product boundaries,weblink ZDNet, CBS Interactive, November 3, 2013, Microsoft also announced that it would partner with electronics store chain Best Buy to convert PC departments at locations in the United States and Canada into a Windows-branded store-within-a-store that would showcase Microsoft products, services, and Windows devices.NEWS, July 17, 2017, Why the grim reaper of retail hasn't come to claim Best Buy,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170728063658weblink">weblink July 28, 2017, July 28, 2017, Los Angeles Times, WEB, Keizer, Gregg, 2013-06-13, Microsoft seizes floor space in Best Buy for Windows mega mini-stores,weblink 2024-02-01, Computerworld, en, WEB, Warren, Tom, 2013-06-13, Microsoft and Best Buy team up to create a 'Windows Store' inside 600 retail locations,weblink 2024-02-01, The Verge, en,

New and updated features

New features and functionality in Windows 8 include a faster startup through UEFI integration and the new "Hybrid Boot" mode (which hibernates the Windows kernel on shutdown to speed up the subsequent boot),WEB, Woods, Ben,weblinkweblink October 17, 2011, Windows 8 'hybrid' mode brings faster boot, ZDNet, CBS Interactive, September 9, 2011, January 27, 2012, a new lock screen with a clock and notifications,WEB,weblink Windows 8 Secrets: Welcome Screen, SuperSite for Windows, Paul, Thurrott, April 10, 2011, April 10, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110410072207weblink">weblink dead, and the ability for enterprise users to create live USB variants of Windows (also known as Windows To Go).WEB, Mackie, Kurt,weblink Windows 8 Will Run on Thumb Drive, Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine, 1105 Media, September 16, 2011, January 27, 2012, WEB, Take, First,weblink Windows 8: Windows To Go, ZDNet, CBS Interactive, September 20, 2011, January 27, 2012, dead,weblink October 6, 2011, It also includes native support for USB 3 devices, which allow for faster data transfers and improved power management with compatible devices,WEB,weblink Building robust USB 3.0 support, Microsoft, August 22, 2011, WEB,weblink Microsoft to provide USB 3.0 support for better battery life in Windows 8, ZDNet, CBS Interactive, August 2011, October 21, 2012,weblink September 26, 2011, dead, and hard disk 4KB Advanced Format support,WEB, Advanced format (4K) disk compatibility update (Windows),weblink November 28, 2012, January 3, 2013, Microsoft, as well as support for near field communication to facilitate sharing and communication between devices.NEWS, Windows 8 spurs new touchscreen hybrid PC designs,weblink BBC News Online, August 30, 2012, BBC, October 21, 2012, Windows Explorer, which has been renamed to File Explorer, now includes a ribbon in place of the command bar. File operation dialog boxes have been updated to provide more detailed statistics, the ability to pause file transfers, and improvements in the ability to manage conflicts when copying files.WEB, Paul, Iam, Microsoft Overhauls Windows Explorer in Windows 8,weblink PC World, IDG, February 10, 2012, A new "File History" function allows incremental revisions of files to be backed up to and restored from a secondary storage device,NEWS, Using File History, Windows 8's built-in backup tool,weblink ExtremeTech, July 11, 2012, Ziff Davis Media, September 4, 2012, Anthony, Sebastian, while Storage Spaces allows users to combine different sized hard disks into virtual drives and specify mirroring, parity, or no redundancy on a folder-by-folder basis.WEB, Sinofsky, Steven, Virtualizing storage for scale, resiliency, and efficiency,weblink Microsoft, For easier management of files and folders, Windows 8 introduces the ability to move selected files or folders via drag and drop from a parent folder into a subfolder listed within the breadcrumb hierarchy of the address bar in File Explorer.WEB,weblink Windows 8 drag and drop icons into breadcrumb links, Amobi, Onuora, Nnigma Inc., Eye on Windows, April 28, 2011, December 27, 2016, December 27, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161227130241weblink">weblink dead, Task Manager has been redesigned, including a new processes tab with the option to display fewer or more details of running applications and background processes, a heat map using different colors indicating the level of resource usage, network and disk counters, grouping by process type (e.g. applications, background processes and Windows processes), friendly names for processes and a new option which allows users to search the web to find information about obscure processes.WEB,weblink The Windows 8 Task Manager, Microsoft, October 13, 2011, Additionally, the Blue Screen of Death has been updated with a simpler and modern design with less technical information displayed.WEB, Kooser, Amanda, Windows 8 Blue Screen of Death gets sad face :(,weblink CNET, CBS Interactive, September 16, 2011, May 15, 2013, WEB,weblink Windows 8 BSoD ditches confusing error codes for uninformative frowny face, Terrence, O'Brien, Engadget, AOL, September 14, 2011, May 20, 2012,

Safety and security

New security features in Windows 8 include two new authentication methods tailored towards touchscreens (PINs and picture passwords),WEB, Goodin, Dan, Experts: Windows 8 features make account passwords easier to steal,weblink Ars Technica, October 18, 2012, Condé Nast, October 20, 2012, the addition of antivirus capabilities to Windows Defender (bringing it in parity with Microsoft Security Essentials).WEB, Windows 8's built-in AV to be security of last resort,weblink Computerworld, June 4, 2012, IDG, October 20, 2012, SmartScreen filtering integrated into Windows,WEB, Tung, Liam, Win8 SmartScreen nudges software sellers to buy code signing certs,weblink CSO, International Data Group, IDG, September 12, 2012, November 2, 2013,weblink dead, Family Safety offers parental controls, which allows parents to monitor and manage their children's activities on a device with activity reports and safety controls.WEB,weblink Keeping your family safer with Windows 8, Microsoft, May 14, 2012, June 11, 2012, WEB,weblink Windows 8 'Family Safety' feature chaperones underage users through the World Wild Web, AOL, Engadget, May 14, 2012, June 11, 2012, WEB,weblink Microsoft: Win8 Simplifies, Improves Parental Monitoring of Kids Computer Activities, PC World, International Data Group, IDG, June 11, 2012, Windows 8 also provides integrated system recovery through the new "Refresh" and "Reset" functions,WEB, Making the lives of IT easier: Windows 8 Refresh, Reset, and Windows To Go,weblink Ars Technica, September 18, 2011, Conde Nast, October 20, 2012, including system recovery from USB drive.WEB, Shultz, Greg, Create a Recovery Drive in Windows 8,weblink TechRepublic, CBS Interactive, April 12, 2013, February 13, 2013, Windows 8's first security patches would be released on November 13, 2012; it would contain three fixes deemed "critical" by the company.WEB, John P., Mello,weblink Windows 8 security patches to be released, PC World, International Data Group, IDG, November 10, 2012, November 19, 2012, Windows 8 supports a feature of the UEFI specification known as "Secure boot", which uses a public-key infrastructure to verify the integrity of the operating system and prevent unauthorized programs such as bootkits from infecting the device's boot process.WEB,weblink Hardware Design and Development for Windows 8, MSDN, Microsoft, December 21, 2011, August 3, 2012, Some pre-built devices may be described as "certified" by Microsoft; these must have secure boot enabled by default, and provide ways for users to disable or re-configure the feature. ARM-based Windows RT devices must have secure boot permanently enabled.

Online services and functionality

Windows 8 provides tighter integration with online services from Microsoft and others. A user can now log into Windows with a Microsoft account, which can be used to access services and synchronize applications and settings between multiple devices. A client app for Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud storage service allows apps to save files directly to SkyDrive. However, a SkyDrive client for the desktop and File Explorer is not included in Windows 8, and must be downloaded separately.WEB, Windows 8 and the Cloud: SkyDrive,weblink PC Magazine, Ziff Davis Media, September 9, 2012, Bundled multimedia apps are provided under the Xbox brand, including Xbox Music, Xbox Video, and the Xbox SmartGlass companion for use with an Xbox 360 console. Games can integrate into an Xbox Live hub app, which also allows users to view their profile and Gamerscore.WEB, Case, Loyd, Test Driving Windows 8 RTM,weblink PC World, August 15, 2012, IDG, September 9, 2012, September 15, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120915061720weblink">weblink dead, Other bundled apps provide the ability to link Flickr and Facebook. Due to Facebook Connect service changes, Facebook support is disabled in all bundled apps effective June 8, 2015.WEB, Facebook Connect is no longer available,weblink Microsoft, June 8, 2015, Internet Explorer 10 is included as two variants – a desktop program and a touch-optimized app. It also includes increased support for HTML5, CSS3, and hardware acceleration. The app does not support plugins or ActiveX components, but includes a variant of Adobe Flash Player that is optimized for touch and low-power usage. Initially, Adobe Flash would only work on sites included on a "Compatibility View" whitelist; however, after feedback from users and additional compatibility tests, an update in March 2013 changed this behavior to use a smaller blacklist of sites with known compatibility issues instead, allowing Flash to be used with most sites by default.WEB,weblink Rob, Mauceri, Flash in Windows 8, IEBlog, Microsoft, March 11, 2013, March 24, 2013, The desktop variant does not contain these limitations.WEB,weblink Dean, Hachamovitch, Windows Release Preview: The Sixth IE10 Platform Preview, Microsoft, May 31, 2012, June 7, 2012, Windows 8 also incorporates improved support for mobile broadband; the operating system can now detect the insertion of a SIM card and automatically configure connection settings (including APNs and carrier branding), and reduce its Internet usage to conserve bandwidth on metered networks. An integrated airplane mode setting enables users to globally disable all wireless connectivity. Carriers can also offer account management systems through Windows Store apps, which can be automatically installed as a part of the connection process and offer usage statistics on their respective tile.WEB, Engineering Windows 8 for mobile networks,weblink Building Windows 8, Microsoft, October 21, 2012,

Windows Store apps

File:Windows 8 - Xbox Music and Photos together.png|thumb|250px|Snap feature: Xbox Music, alongside Photos snapped into a sidebar to the right side of the screen]]File:Wikipedia App snapped to Windows 8 desktop.png|thumb|250px|Snap feature: Desktop, along Wikipedia AppWikipedia AppWindows 8 introduces a new style of application, Windows Store apps. According to Microsoft developer Jensen Harris, these apps are optimized for touchscreen environments and are more specialized than current desktop applications. Apps can run either in a full-screen mode or be snapped to the side of a screen. Apps can provide toast notifications on screen or animate their tiles on the Start screen with dynamic content. Apps can use "contracts"; a collection of hooks to provide common functionality that can integrate with other apps, including search and sharing. Apps can also provide integration with other services; for example, the People app can connect to a variety of different social networks and services (such as Facebook, Skype, and People service), while the Photos app can aggregate photos from services such as Facebook and Flickr.WEB, Windows 8 review, August 29, 2012,weblink Pocket Lint, September 9, 2012, Windows Store apps run within a new set of APIs known as Windows Runtime, which supports programming languages such as C, C++, Visual Basic .NET, C#, along with HTML5 and JavaScript. If written in some "high-level" languages, apps written for Windows Runtime can be compatible with both Intel and ARM variants of Windows, otherwise they are not binary code compatible. Components may be compiled as Windows Runtime Components, permitting their use by all compatible languages.WEB, Using the Windows Runtime in JavaScript,weblinkweblink June 5, 2013, Microsoft Developer Network, Microsoft, August 30, 2023, To ensure stability and security, apps run within a sandboxed environment, and require permissions to use certain other functionalities, such as accessing the Internet or a camera.WEB, Microsoft talks Windows Store features, Metro app sandboxing for Windows 8 developers,weblink The Verge, May 17, 2012, Vox Media, September 8, 2012, Retail variants of Windows 8 are only able to install these apps through Windows Store – a namesake distribution platform that offers both apps, and listings for desktop programs certified for comparability with Windows 8.WEB, Rosoff, Matt, Here's Everything You Wanted To Know About Microsoft's Upcoming iPad Killers,weblink Business Insider, February 10, 2012, dead,weblink January 22, 2013, A method to sideload apps from outside Windows Store is available to devices running Windows 8 Enterprise and joined to a domain; Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT devices that are not part of a domain can also sideload apps, but only after special product keys are obtained through volume licensing.WEB, How to Add and Remove Apps,weblink Microsoft TechNet, TechNet, Microsoft, May 31, 2012, October 4, 2012, To enable sideloading on a Windows 8 Enterprise computer that is not domain-joined or on any Windows® 8 Pro computer, you must use a sideloading product activation key. To enable sideloading on a Windows® RT device, you must use a sideloading product activation key. For more information about sideloading product activation keys, see Microsoft Volume Licensing., The term "Immersive app" had been used internally by Microsoft developers to refer to the apps prior to the first official presentation of Windows 8, after which they were referred to as "Metro-style apps" in reference to the Metro design language. The term was phased out in August 2012; a Microsoft spokesperson denied rumors that the change was related to a potential trademark issue, and stated that "Metro" was only a codename that would be replaced prior to Windows 8's release.WEB, Microsoft advises developers to stop using 'Metro' name in apps following possible trademark dispute,weblink The Verge, August 2, 2012, Vox Media, August 3, 2012, Following these reports, the terms "Modern UI-style apps",WEB, Microsoft now using 'Modern UI Style' to refer to Windows 8 'Metro Style' apps, August 10, 2012,weblink August 10, 2012, "Windows 8-style apps",WEB, Windows 8: The Metro Mess,weblink PC Magazine, September 8, 2012, September 19, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120919015026weblink">weblink dead, and "Windows Store apps" began to be used in various Microsoft documents and material to refer to the new apps. In an interview on September 12, 2012, Soma Somasegar (vice president of Microsoft's development software division) confirmed that "Windows Store apps" would be the official term for the apps.WEB, Microsoft finally comes clean(er) on post-Metro naming plans,weblink ZDNet, CBS Interactive, September 13, 2012, An MSDN page explaining the Metro design language uses the term "Modern design" to refer to the language as a whole.WEB, Modern design,weblink MSDN, Microsoft, December 28, 2013,

Web browsers

Exceptions to the restrictions faced by Windows Store apps are given to web browsers. The user's default browser can distribute a Metro-style web browser in the same package as the desktop variant, which has access to functionality unavailable to other apps, such as being able to permanently run in the background, use multiple background processes, and use Windows API code instead of WinRT (allowing for code to be re-used with the desktop variant, while still taking advantage of features available to Windows Store apps, such as charms). Microsoft advertises this exception privilege "New experience enabled" (formerly "Metro-style enabled").The developers of both Chrome and Firefox committed to developing Metro-style variants of their browsers; while Chrome's "Windows 8 mode" (discontinued on Chrome version 49) uses a full-screen version of the existing desktop interface, Firefox's variant (which was first made available on the "Aurora" release channel in September 2013) uses a touch-optimized interface inspired by the Android variant of Firefox. In October 2013, Chrome's app was changed to mimic the desktop environment used by ChromeOS.WEB, Windows 8 browsers: the only Metro apps to get desktop power,weblink TechRadar, March 27, 2012, Future Publishing, November 13, 2012, WEB, Newman, Jared, Google Chrome Gets Early Metro-Style App for Windows 8,weblink PCWorld, June 12, 2012, IDG, June 13, 2012, September 9, 2012,weblink dead, WEB, Mozilla previews 'Metro'-ized Firefox for Windows 8,weblink Computerworld, October 8, 2012, IDG, November 13, 2012, WEB, Developing a new experience enabled desktop browser,weblink Microsoft, November 15, 2012, October 22, 2012, WEB, Firefox for Windows 8 enters Aurora channel with touch and gesture support,weblink Engadget, September 21, 2013, September 21, 2013, WEB, Google is building Chrome OS straight into Windows 8,weblink The Verge, October 5, 2013, October 5, 2013, Development of the Firefox app for Windows 8 has since been cancelled, citing a lack of user adoption of the beta versions.WEB, Nightingale, Johnathan, Update on Metro,weblink Firefox Future Releases Blog, March 14, 2014, March 14, 2014,

Interface and desktop

Windows 8 introduces significant changes to the operating system's user interface, many of which are aimed at improving its experience on tablet computers and other touchscreen devices. The new user interface is based on Microsoft's Metro design language and uses a Start screen similar to that of Windows Phone 7 as the primary means of launching applications. The Start screen displays a customizable array of tiles linking to various apps and desktop programs, some of which can display constantly updated information and content through "live tiles".WEB, Build: More Details On Building Windows 8 Metro Apps,weblink PC Magazine, February 10, 2012, Michael, Miller, As a form of multi-tasking, apps can be snapped to the side of a screen. Alongside the traditional Control Panel, a new simplified and touch-optimized settings app known as "PC Settings" is used for basic configuration and user settings. It does not include many of the advanced options still accessible from the Control Panel.WEB, Windows Blue: a video preview of what's next for Windows 8,weblink The Verge, March 25, 2013, Vox Media, March 26, 2013, A vertical toolbar known as the charms (accessed by swiping from the right edge of a touchscreen, swiping from the right edge of a touchpad, or pointing the cursor at hotspots in the right corners of a screen) provides access to system and app-related functions, such as search, sharing, device management, settings, and a Start button.WEB, Charms: Search, share, start, devices, and settings,weblinkweblink dead, September 30, 2013, Microsoft Surface documentation, Microsoft, May 21, 2013, WEB, Otey, Michael, Top 10: Windows 8 Keyboard and Mouse Survival Guide,weblink Windows IT Pro, Penton (company), Penton, May 21, 2013, September 2, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130902120556weblink">weblink dead, The traditional desktop environment for running desktop applications is accessed via a tile on the Start screen. The Start button on the taskbar from previous versions of Windows has been converted into a hotspot (or "hot corner") in the lower-left corner of the screen, which displays a large tooltip displaying a thumbnail of the Start screen. Windows 8.1 added the start button back to the taskbar after many complaints, but removed the preview thumbnail.WEB, Windows 8: Farewell Start button?,weblink February 10, 2012, The New Zealand Herald, February 10, 2012, Swiping from the left edge of a touchscreen or clicking in the top-left corner of the screen allows one to switch between apps and Desktop. Pointing the cursor at the top-left corner of the screen and moving down reveals a thumbnail list of active apps.WEB, A Guide to Getting Around the Windows 8 Beta With a Mouse, March 2012,weblink PC World, September 8, 2012, Aside from the removal of the Start button and the replacement of the Aero Glass theme with a flatter and solid-colored design, the desktop interface on Windows 8 is similar to that of Windows 7.WEB,weblink RIP Aero Glass; Windows 8 Sticks a Fork in Familiar UI, May 19, 2012, PC Magazine, May 20, 2012,

Removed features

Several notable features were removed in Windows 8; support for playing DVD-Video was removed from Windows Media Player due to the cost of licensing the necessary decoders (especially for devices which do not include optical disc drives at all) and the prevalence of online streaming services. For the same reasons, Windows Media Center is not included by default on Windows 8, but Windows Media Center and DVD playback support could be purchased in the "Pro Pack" (which upgrades the system to Windows 8 Pro) or the "Media Center Pack" add-on for Windows 8 Pro. As with prior versions, third-party DVD player software can still be used to enable DVD playback.WEB,weblink Microsoft Dropping DVD Playback Support in Windows 8, Chloe, Albanesius, PC Magazine, Ziff Davis, May 4, 2012, May 20, 2012, Backup and Restore, the backup component of Windows, was deprecated. It still shipped with Windows 8 and continues to work on preset schedules, but it was pushed to the background and can only be accessed through a Control Panel applet called "Windows 7 File Recovery".{{Rp|76|date=November 2012}} Shadow Copy, a component of Windows Explorer that once saved previous versions of changed files, no longer protects local files and folders. It can only access previous versions of shared files stored on a Windows Server computer.{{Rp|74|date=November 2012}} The subsystem on which these components worked, however, is still available for other software to use.WEB,weblink Windows and Windows Server Developer Preview Compatibility Cookbook, Microsoft, March 27, 2012, October 26, 2012, {{Rp|74|date=November 2012}}

Hardware requirements

PCs

The minimum system requirements for Windows 8 are higher than those of Windows 7. The CPU must support the Physical Address Extension (PAE), NX bit, and SSE2. Windows Store apps require a screen resolution of 1024×768 or higher to run; a resolution of 1366×768 or higher is required to use the snap functionality.WEB, Upgrade to Windows 8,weblink Microsoft, October 25, 2012, To receive certification, Microsoft requires candidate x86 systems to resume from standby in 2 seconds or less.WEB,weblink Windows 8 Secrets: PC and Device Requirements, Withinwindows.com, January 16, 2012, April 22, 2012, May 2, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120502174309weblink">weblink dead, {{Better source needed|reason=Cite actual MS website instead of just a blog|date=May 2013}}{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center;margin:autoweblink Windows Help, Microsoft, December 15, 2012, !Component!Minimum!Recommended!ProcessorGigahertz>GHz clock rateIA-32 or x64 architectureSupport for Physical Address Extension, NX bit>NX and SSE2HTTPS://MSDN.MICROSOFT.COM/EN-US/LIBRARY/WINDOWS/HARDWARE/HH975398.ASPX>TITLE=PAE/NX/SSE2 SUPPORT REQUIREMENT GUIDE FOR WINDOWS 8WORK=WINDOWS HELPMICROSOFT>ACCESS-DATE=DECEMBER 15, 2012, |x64 architectureSecond Level Address Translation (SLAT) support for Hyper-V!Memory (RAM)IA-32 edition: 1 Gigabyte>GBx64 edition: 2 GBGigabyte>GB!Graphics CardDirectX 9 graphics deviceWindows Display Driver Model>WDDM 1.0 or higher driver|DirectX 10 graphics device!Display screen|{{N/A}}|1024×768 pixels!Input deviceComputer keyboard>Keyboard and mousemulti-touch Computer monitor>display screen!Hard disk spaceIA-32 edition: 16 Gigabyte>GBx64 edition: 20 GB|{{N/A}}!Other|{{N/A}}|UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B with Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in its databaseTrusted Platform Module (TPM)Internet connectivityMicrosoft's Connected Standby specification, which hardware vendors may optionally comply with, sets new power consumption requirements that are higher than the above minimum specifications.WEB,weblink Introduction to Connected Standby, September 28, 2012, Microsoft, Included in this standard are a number of security-specific requirements designed to improve physical security, notably against Cold Boot Attacks.32-bit SKUs of Windows 8 only support a maximum of 4 GB of RAM. 64-bit SKUs, however, support more: Windows 8 x64 supports 128 GB while Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise x64 support 512 GB.WEB,weblink Memory Limits for Windows and Windows Server Releases, MSDN, Microsoft, Physical Memory Limits: Windows 8, In January 2016, Microsoft announced that, effective July 17, 2018, it would no longer support Windows 8.1 or 7 on devices using Intel's Skylake CPU family, and that all future CPU microarchitectures, as well as Skylake systems after this date, would only be supported on Windows 10. After the deadline, only critical security updates would be released for users on these platforms.WEB, Skylake users given 18 months to upgrade to Windows 10,weblink Ars Technica, January 16, 2016, Condé Nast, January 16, 2016, WEB, Bott, Ed, Microsoft updates support policy: New CPUs will require Windows 10,weblink ZDNet, CBS Interactive, January 16, 2016, WEB, Skylake support on Windows 7 and 8.1 given a one-year extension,weblink Ars Technica, March 18, 2016, Condé Nast, March 18, 2016, WEB, Microsoft backtracks on Windows 7 support deadline,weblink Computerworld, March 18, 2016, IDG, March 18, 2016, When this new policy faced criticism from users and enterprise customers, Microsoft partially retracted the change and stated that both operating systems would remain supported on Skylake hardware through the end of their extended-support lifecycle. Windows 8.1 remains officially unsupported on all newer CPU families, and neither AMD or Intel will provide official chipset drivers for Windows operating systems other than Windows 10.WEB, AMD: Sorry, there will be no official Ryzen drivers for Windows 7,weblink PC World, February 8, 2017, IDG, April 23, 2017, However, in August 2016, Microsoft again extended the Skylake support policy until the end of support for Windows 7 and 8.1 (2020 and 2023, respectively).WEB, Larsen, Shad, Updates to Silicon Support Policy for Windows,weblink Windows, May 9, 2017, en, August 11, 2016, April 25, 2017,weblink dead, NEWS, Jo Foley, Mary, Microsoft extends again support for Windows 7, 8.1 Skylake-based devices,weblink May 9, 2017, August 11, 2016, en,

Tablets and convertibles

Microsoft released minimum hardware requirements for tablet and laplet devices to be "certified" for Windows 8 and defined a convertible form factor as a standalone device that combines the PC, display, and rechargeable power source with a mechanically attached keyboard and pointing device in a single chassis. A convertible can be transformed into a tablet where the attached input devices are hidden or removed, leaving the display as the only input mechanism.WEB, Crothers, Brooke,weblink Microsoft lays out Window 8 tablet hardware requirements, Nanotech, CNET News, January 17, 2012, April 22, 2012, dead,weblink Aug 31, 2012, WEB, Newman, Jared,weblink Windows 8 Tablet Requirements Revealed, PCWorld, January 27, 2012, April 22, 2012, On March 12, 2013, Microsoft amended its certification requirements to only require that screens on tablets have a minimum resolution of 1024×768 (down from the previous 1366×768). The amended requirement is intended to allow "greater design flexibility" for future products.WEB, New Windows 8 hardware specs hint at 7-inch tablets and a Microsoft Reader,weblink ZDNet, March 29, 2013, {|class=wikitable style=margin:autoMSDN, Microsoft, April 22, 2012, !Graphics card|DirectX 10 graphics device with WDDM 1.2 or higher driver!Storage|10 GB free space, after the out-of-box experience completes!Standard buttonsPower}}, {{Key pressWindows key}}, {{Key pressVolume down}}!Screen|Touch screen supporting a minimum of 5-point digitizers and resolution of at least 1024×768. The physical dimensions of the display panel must match the aspect ratio of the native resolution, which can be greater than 1024 (horizontally) and 768 (vertically). Minimum native color depth is 32-bits. If the display resolution is below 1366×768, disclaimers must be included in documentation to notify users that the Snap function is not available.!Camera|Minimum 720p!Accelerometer|3 axes with data rates at or above 50 Hz!USB 2.0|At least one controller and exposed port.!ConnectWi-Fi and Bluetooth low energy>Bluetooth 4.0 + LE (low energy)!OtherComputer speaker>Speaker, microphone, magnetometer and gyroscope.If a mobile broadband device is integrated into a tablet or convertible system, then an assisted GPS radio is required. Devices supporting near field communication need to have visual marks to help users locate and use the proximity technology. The new interrupt button combination, to replace Ctrl + Alt + Del, is Windows Key + Power.Updated certification requirements were implemented to coincide with Windows 8.1. As of 2014, all certified devices with integrated displays must contain a 720p webcam and higher quality speakers and microphones, while all certified devices that support Wi-Fi must support Bluetooth as well. As of 2015, all certified devices must contain Trusted Platform Module 2.0 chips.WEB, Lee, Nicole, Microsoft sets new hardware certification requirements for Windows 8.1,weblink Engadget, AOL, July 12, 2013, July 12, 2013, July 15, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130715043927weblink">weblink dead, WEB, New Bluetooth, audio, TPM requirements coming for Windows 8 devices,weblink ZDNet, CBS Interactive, September 18, 2013,

Editions

Windows 8 is available in three different editions—Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 Enterprise—were sold at retail in most countries, with Windows 8, the most basic, being pre-loaded on new computers. Each edition of Windows 8 includes all of the capabilities and features of the edition preceding it, and add additional features oriented towards their market segments. For example, Pro added BitLocker, Hyper-V, the ability to join a domain, and the ability to install Windows Media Center as a paid add-on. Users of Windows 8 can purchase a "Pro Pack" license that upgrades their system to Windows 8 Pro through Add features to Windows. This license also includes Windows Media Center.WEB,weblink Microsoft Reveals Windows 8 Upgrade Price, InformationWeek, July 3, 2012, July 4, 2012, Paul, McDougall, July 5, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120705211514weblink">weblink dead, WEB,weblink Windows 8 Secrets, Beyond the Book: Guide to Product Editions, Supersite for Windows, Penton, July 24, 2015, July 25, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150725062405weblink">weblink dead, WEB,weblink Announcing the Windows 8 Editions, Microsoft, April 16, 2012, April 17, 2012, August 2, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140802140736weblink">weblink dead, Windows 8 Enterprise contains additional features aimed towards business environments, and is only available through volume licensing. A port of Windows 8 for ARM architecture, Windows RT, is marketed as an edition of Windows 8, but was only included as pre-loaded software on devices specifically developed for it.Windows 8 was distributed as a retail box product on DVD, and through a digital download that could be converted into DVD or USB install media. From its launch until January 31, 2013, as part of a launch promotion, Microsoft offered Windows 8 Pro upgrades at a discounted price of US$39.99 online, or $69.99 for a retail box; afterward the Windows 8 price has been $119.99 and the Pro price $199.99.WEB,weblink Upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99, The Windows Blog, July 2, 2012, July 29, 2012, Microsoft, Brandon, LeBlanc, WEB,weblink Update: Microsoft confirms $15 Windows 8 upgrade, Computerworld, IDG, July 1, 2012, July 4, 2012, Gregg, Keizer, Those who purchased new PCs pre-loaded with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate between June 2, 2012, and January 31, 2013, could digitally purchase a Windows 8 Pro upgrade for US$14.99.WEB,weblink Windows 8 Pro PC Upgrade Cost Is Just $15, Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows, Penton (company), Penton, May 14, 2012, July 4, 2012, Paul, Thurrott, Paul Thurrott, July 2, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120702033234weblink">weblink dead, Several PC manufacturers offered rebates and refunds on Windows 8 upgrades obtained through promotions on select models, such as those of Hewlett-Packard (in the U.S. and Canada on select models) and Acer (in Europe on selected Ultrabook models).WEB, Acer Offering Free Windows 8 Pro Upgrades for Ultrabook Buyers,weblink PC Magazine, September 18, 2012, WEB, HP offering Windows 8 upgrade refund on select PCs, August 27, 2012,weblink TechSpot, September 18, 2012, During these promotions, the Windows Media Center add-on for Windows 8 Pro was also offered for free.Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 8 was distributed at retail only under "Upgrade" licenses, which require an onboard version of Windows to install. The "full version software" SKU, which was more expensive but could be installed on computers without an eligible OS or none at all, was discontinued. In lieu of a full version, a specialized "System Builder" SKU was introduced. The "System Builder" replaced the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) SKU, which was only allowed for use on PCs meant for resale but added a "Personal Use License" exemption that officially allowed its purchase and personal use by users on homebuilt computers.WEB, Moses, Asher, Windows 8 upgrade boxes 'mislead' customers,weblink Sydney Morning Herald, November 28, 2012, Fairfax Media, November 29, 2012, WEB, Whitney, Lance, Windows 8 moves to BIOS-based product keys,weblink CNET, November 29, 2012, Retail distribution of Windows 8 has since been discontinued in favor of Windows 8.1. Unlike Windows 8, 8.1 is available as "full version software" as both a packaged DVD and online for download, and does not require a previous version of Windows in order to be installed. Pricing for these new copies remains identical with that of Windows 8.WEB, Pricing and Packaging for Windows 8.1,weblink Blogging Windows, Microsoft, September 18, 2013, September 20, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130920164641weblink">weblink dead, With the retail release of Windows 8.1 returning to being full version software, the "Personal Use License" exemption was removed from the OEM SKU, meaning that end users building their own PCs for personal use must use the full retail variant in order to satisfy the Windows 8.1 licensing requirements.WEB, Bott, Ed, Everything you need to know about your Windows 8.1 upgrade options,weblink ZDNet, January 26, 2015, October 4, 2013, Windows 8.1 with Bing is a special OEM-specific SKU of Windows 8.1 subsidized by Microsoft's Bing search engine.

Software compatibility

The three desktop editions of Windows 8 support 32-bit and 64-bit architectures; retail copies of Windows 8 include install DVDs for both architectures, while the online installer automatically installs the variant corresponding with the architecture of the system's existing Windows installation.WEB, Windows 8 Pro Retail Box,weblink Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows, September 18, 2013, September 13, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130913143811weblink">weblink dead, The 32-bit variant runs on CPUs compatible with the 3rd generation of the x86 architecture (known as IA-32) or newer, and can run 32-bit and 16-bit applications, although 16-bit support must be enabled first.WEB, Callaham, John, Microsoft: Windows 8 32-bit can still run 16-bit apps,weblink Neowin.net, Neowin, December 16, 2012, May 16, 2012, WEB, Windows 8 will run 16-bit apps, says Microsoft,weblink WinBeta, December 16, 2012, May 16, 2012, February 28, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130228023059weblink">weblink dead, (16-bit applications are developed for CPUs compatible with x86 2nd generation, first conceived in 1978. Microsoft started moving away from this architecture after Windows 95.)The 64-bit variant runs on CPUs compatible with the 8th generation of x86 (known as x86-64, or x64) or newer, and can run 32-bit and 64-bit programs. 32-bit programs and operating system are restricted to supporting only {{nowrap|4 gigabytes}} of memory, while 64-bit systems can theoretically support {{nowrap|2048 gigabytes}} of memory.WEB, 32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions,weblink Windows Support portal, Microsoft, December 16, 2012, 64-bit operating systems require a different set of device drivers than those of 32-bit operating systems.Windows RT, the only edition of Windows 8 for systems with ARM processors, only supports applications included with the system (such as a special variant of Office 2013), supplied through Windows Update, or Windows Store apps, to ensure that the system only runs applications that are optimized for the architecture. Windows RT does not support running IA-32 or x64 applications.WEB,weblink Building Windows for the ARM processor architecture, Microsoft, February 9, 2012, February 14, 2012, Windows Store apps can either support both the x86 and ARM architectures, or can be compiled to support another specific architecture.WEB,weblink Welcome to Windows 8—The Developer Preview, Microsoft, March 11, 2012, Support for IE10 on Windows Server 2012WEB, December 2015, Nearly 370M IE users have just 6 weeks to upgrade,weblink December 12, 2015, Computerworld, IDG, WEB,weblink Lifecycle FAQ - Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge, docs.microsoft.com, and Windows Embedded 8 StandardWEB, Internet Explorer Support Lifecycle Policy FAQ,weblink April 10, 2016, Microsoft Lifecycle Support Website, ended on January 31, 2020.

Reception

File:TorontoMicrosoftStore.JPG|thumb|Windows 8 ultrabooks device showcase in a Microsoft Store in alt=

Pre-release

Following the unveiling of Windows 8, Microsoft faced criticism (particularly from free software supporters) for mandating that devices receiving its optional certification for Windows 8 have secure boot enabled by default using a key provided by Microsoft. Concerns were raised that secure boot could prevent or hinder the use of alternate operating systems such as Linux. In a post discussing secure boot on the Building Windows 8 blog, Microsoft developer Tony Mangefeste indicated that vendors would provide means to customize secure boot, stating that "At the end of the day, the customer is in control of their PC. Microsoft's philosophy is to provide customers with the best experience first, and allow them to make decisions themselves."WEB,weblink Protecting the pre-OS environment with UEFI, Tony, Mangefeste, September 22, 2011, Building Windows 8, October 17, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120802042640weblink">weblink August 2, 2012, dead, WEB,weblink Windows 8 Secure Boot: The Controversy Continues, PCWorld, IDG, Katherine, Noyes, January 18, 2012, August 3, 2012, Microsoft's certification guidelines for Windows 8 ultimately revealed that vendors would be required to provide means for users to re-configure or disable secure boot in their device's UEFI firmware. It also revealed that ARM devices (Windows RT) would be required to have secure boot permanently enabled, with no way for users to disable it. However, Tom Warren of The Verge noted that other vendors have implemented similar hardware restrictions on their own ARM-based tablet and smartphone products (including those running Microsoft's own Windows Phone platform), but still argued that Microsoft should "keep a consistent approach across ARM and x86, though, not least because of the number of users who'd love to run Android alongside Windows 8 on their future tablets."WEB,weblink Windows 8 ARM devices won't have the option to switch off Secure Boot, Tom, Warren, The Verge, January 16, 2012, August 3, 2012, MAGAZINE, Garling, Caleb,weblink Windows 8 Secure Boot Sparks Linux Furor, and a Microsoft Response, Wired.com, Condé Nast, September 23, 2011, August 3, 2012, WEB, Jon, Brodkin,weblink Microsoft mandating Secure Boot on ARM, making Linux installs difficult, Ars Technica, Condé Nast, January 16, 2012, August 3, 2012, No mandate was given regarding the installation of third-party certificates that would enable running alternative programs.WEB,weblink Is Microsoft Blocking Linux Booting on ARM Hardware?, Glyn, Moody, January 12, 2012, Computerworld, IDG, WEB,weblink Why Microsoft should lift the possible ban on Linux booting on Windows 8 ARM devices, Computerworld, IDG, January 13, 2012, January 27, 2012, dead,weblink May 18, 2012, NEWS, James, Niccolai,weblink Windows 8 on ARM: You can look but you can't touch, Computerworld, IDG, January 13, 2012, January 27, 2012, Several notable video game developers criticized Microsoft for making its Windows Store a closed platform, subject to its own regulations, as it conflicted with their view of the PC as an open platform. Markus "Notch" Persson (creator of the indie game Minecraft),NEWS, Minecraft creator attacks Microsoft's Windows 8 plan,weblink BBC, BBC News, September 28, 2012, October 16, 2012, Gabe Newell (co-founder of Valve and developer of software distribution platform Steam),WEB, Valve's Gabe Newell on the Future of Games, Wearable Computers, Windows 8 and More,weblink All Things D, Dow Jones & Company, October 27, 2012, and Rob Pardo from Activision Blizzard voiced concern about the closed nature of the Windows Store.WEB, Blizzard's Rob Pardo: Windows 8 is "not awesome" for the company,weblink Neowin, Neowin, LLC, October 27, 2012, However, Tom Warren of The Verge stated that Microsoft's addition of the Store was simply responding to the success of both Apple and Google in pursuing the "curated application store approach."

Critical reception

Reviews of the various editions of Windows 8 were mixed to negative. Tom Warren of The Verge said that although Windows 8's emphasis on touch computing was significant and risked alienating desktop users, he felt that Windows 8 tablets "[make] an iPad feel immediately out of date" due to the capabilities of the operating system's hybrid model and increased focus on cloud services. David Pierce of The Verge described Windows 8 as "the first desktop operating system that understands what a computer is supposed to do in 2012" and praised Microsoft's "no compromise" approach and the operating system's emphasis on Internet connectivity and cloud services. Pierce also considered the Start Screen to be a "brilliant innovation for desktop computers" when compared with "folder-littered desktops on every other OS" because it allows users to interact with dynamic information.WEB,weblink This is my next: Windows 8, Pierce, David, August 16, 2012, Vox Media, The Verge, March 14, 2015, In contrast, an ExtremeTech article said that Windows 8 was Microsoft "flailing",NEWS,weblink Windows 8: Is Microsoft flailing?, Cardinal, David, Extremetech, October 14, 2011, April 17, 2013, and a review in PC Magazine condemned the Metro-style user interface.WEB,weblink Microsoft Stops, Drops, and Rolls with Metro, Dvorak, John, September 15, 2011, April 17, 2013, Some of the included apps in Windows 8 were considered to be basic and lacking in functionality, but the Xbox apps were praised for their promotion of a multi-platform entertainment experience. Other improvements and features (such as File History, Storage Spaces, and the updated Task Manager) were also regarded as positive changes.WEB, Warren, Tom, Windows 8 review,weblink The Verge, October 23, 2012, Vox Media, October 26, 2012, Peter Bright of Ars Technica wrote that while its user interface changes may overshadow them, Windows 8's improved performance, updated file manager, new storage functionality, expanded security features, and updated Task Manager were still positive improvements for the operating system. Bright also said that Windows 8's duality towards tablets and traditional PCs was an "extremely ambitious" aspect of the platform as well, but criticized Microsoft for emulating Apple's model of a closed distribution platform when implementing the Windows Store.The user interface of Windows 8 has been the subject of negative reaction. Bright wrote that its system of hot corners and edge swiping "wasn't very obvious" due to the lack of instructions provided by the operating system on the functions accessed through the user interface, even by the video tutorial added on the RTM release (which only instructed users to point at corners of the screen or swipe from its sides). Despite this "stumbling block", Bright said that Windows 8's interface worked well in some places, but began to feel incoherent when switching between the "Metro" and desktop environments, sometimes through inconsistent means.WEB, Bright, Peter, Windows, reimagined: A review of Windows 8,weblink Ars Technica, October 25, 2012, Condé Nast, October 26, 2012, Tom Warren of The Verge wrote that the new interface was "as stunning as it is surprising", contributing to an "incredibly personal" experience once it is customized by the user, but had a steep learning curve, and was awkward to use with a keyboard and mouse. He noted that while forcing all users to use the new touch-oriented interface was a risky move for Microsoft as a whole, it was necessary in order to push the development of apps for the Windows Store. Others, such as Adrian Kingsley-Hughes from ZDNet, considered the interface to be "clumsy and impractical" due to its inconsistent design (going as far as considering it "two operating systems unceremoniously bolted together"), and concluded that "Windows 8 wasn't born out of a need or demand; it was born out of a desire on Microsoft's part to exert its will on the PC industry and decide to shape it in a direction—touch and tablets—that allows it to compete against, and remain relevant in the face of Apple's iPad."WEB, Kingsley-Hughes, Adrian,weblink Final thoughts on Windows 8: A design disaster, ZDNet, CBS Interactive, June 7, 2012, November 27, 2012, In 2013, Frank X. Shaw, a Microsoft corporate vice president, said that while many of the negative reviews were extreme, it was a "good thing" that Microsoft was "listening to feedback and improving a product".WEB, Crothers, Brooke,weblink Microsoft responds to 'extreme' Windows 8 criticism, CNET News, CBS Interactive, May 11, 2013, May 15, 2013, The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) reported a decline in Microsoft's customer satisfaction, the lowest it has been since Windows Vista.WEB,weblink The American Customer Satisfaction Index, The American Customer Satisfaction Index,

Market share and sales

Microsoft says that about 4 million users upgraded to Windows 8 over the weekend after its release,WEB, Vormack, Lindsay, Microsoft confirms 4 million Windows 8 upgrades over opening weekend,weblink IT PRO, Dennis Publishing, October 31, 2012, October 31, 2012, WEB, Kingsley-Hughes, Adrian, Microsoft's Ballmer not ready to reveal Windows 8, Surface sales,weblink ZDNet, CBS Interactive, October 30, 2012, October 31, 2012, which CNET says was well below Microsoft's internal projections and was described inside the company as disappointing.WEB, Crothers, Brooke, Windows 8 sales 'well below' projections, report claims,weblink CNET, CBS Interactive, November 19, 2012, November 16, 2012, On November 27, 2012, Microsoft announced that it had sold 40 million licenses of Windows 8 in the first month, surpassing the pace of Windows 7.WEB, Windows 8—40 Million Licenses Sold,weblink Blogging Windows, Microsoft, Brandon, LeBlanc, November 27, 2012, November 27, 2012, However, according to research firm NPD, sales of devices running Windows in the United States had declined 21 percent compared to the same time period in 2011.WEB, Albanesius, Chloe, Windows 8 Sees 'Slow Start,' Analysts Say,weblink PC Magazine, Ziff Davis, November 29, 2012, December 4, 2012, As the holiday shopping season wrapped up, Windows 8 sales continued to lag, even as Apple reported brisk sales.WEB,weblink Windows 8 Sales Disappoint in Shaky PC Market, December 28, 2012, December 23, 2012, Nick, Wingfield, The New York Times, The market research firm IDC reported an overall drop in PC sales for the quarter, and said the drop may have been partly due to consumer reluctance to embrace the new features of the OS and poor support from OEM for these features.WEB,weblink Windows 8 Update: IDC blames bad quarter for PC sales on Windows 8, Network World, International Data Group, IDG, January 11, 2013, March 24, 2013, Tim, Greene, April 4, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130404021517weblink">weblink dead, This capped the first year of declining PC sales to the Asia Pacific region, as consumers bought more mobile devices than Windows PCs.WEB, Muncaster, Phil,weblink APAC PC shipments FALL for first time ever in 2012, The Register, Situation Publishing, January 23, 2013, March 24, 2013, Windows 8 surpassed Windows Vista in market share, with a 5.1% usage rate, according to numbers posted in July 2013 by Net Applications, with usage on a steady upward trajectory.WEB, Harvey, Cynthia,weblink Net Applications: Windows 8 Captures 5.1% Market Share, Datamation, Quinstreet, July 1, 2013, July 8, 2013, However, intake of Windows 8 still lagged behind that of Windows Vista and Windows 7 at the same point in their release cycles. Windows 8's tablet market share also grew steadily, with 7.4% of tablets running Windows in Q1 2013, according to Strategy Analytics, up from nothing just a year before. However, this was still well below Android and iOS, which posted 43.4% and 48.2% market share respectively, although both operating systems had been on the market much longer than Windows 8.WEB, Natasha, Lomas,weblink Windows 8 Wins 7.4% Share of Global Tablet OS Market in Q1 – "Niche" Portion Still Beats Windows Phone's Smartphone Share, TechCrunch, AOL, April 25, 2013, May 20, 2013, Strategy Analytics also noted "a shortage of top tier apps" for Windows tablets despite Microsoft strategy of paying developers to create apps for the operating system (in addition to those for Windows Phone).In March 2013, Microsoft also amended its certification requirements to allow tablets to use the 1024×768 resolution as a minimum; this change is expected to allow the production of certified Windows 8 tablets in smaller form factors—a market which is currently dominated by Android-based tablets. Despite the reaction of industry experts, Microsoft reported that they had sold 100 million licenses in the first six months. This matched sales of Windows 7 over a similar period.Windows 8 hits 100 million sales, tweaks for mini-tablets in works {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719205803weblink|date=July 19, 2021}}, Reuters, May 7, 2013 This statistic includes shipments to channel warehouses which now need to be sold in order to make way for new shipments.WEB,weblink Windows 8 hype has hurt PC makers and distributors – Gartner, The Register, Channel Register, June 25, 2013, June 29, 2013, In January 2014, Hewlett-Packard began a promotion for desktops running Windows 7, saying that it was "back by popular demand". Outside sources have suggested that this might be because HP or its customers thought the Windows 8 platform would be more appropriate for mobile computing than desktop computing, or that they were looking to attract customers forced to switch from XP, who wanted a more familiar interface.WEB, HP brings back Windows 7 'by popular demand',weblink The Verge, January 20, 2014, January 20, 2014, WEB,weblink Ouch: HP brings Windows 7 'back by popular demand', January 20, 2014, PC World, IDG, January 20, 2014, In February 2014, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft would be lowering the price of Windows 8 licenses by 70% for devices that retail under US$250; alongside the announcement that an update to the operating system would allow OEMs to produce devices with as little as 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage, critics felt that these changes would help Windows compete against Linux-based devices in the low-end market, particularly those running ChromeOS. Microsoft had similarly cut the price of Windows XP licenses to compete against the early waves of Linux-based netbooks.WEB, Microsoft announces 'spring' update for Windows 8.1,weblink The Verge, February 23, 2014, Vox Media, February 23, 2014, WEB, Microsoft combats Chromebooks by cutting Windows licensing fees by 70 percent,weblink The Verge, February 21, 2014, February 23, 2014, Reports also indicated that Microsoft was planning to offer cheaper Windows 8 licenses to OEMs in exchange for setting Internet Explorer's default search engine to Bing. Some media outlets falsely reported that the SKU associated with this plan, "Windows 8.1 with Bing", was a variant which would be a free or low-cost variant of Windows 8 for consumers using older versions of Windows.WEB, Leaked help files reveal details on Windows 8.1 Update, and Windows 8.1 with Bing,weblink BetaNews, March 6, 2014, March 6, 2014, On April 2, 2014, Microsoft ultimately announced that it would be removing license fees entirely for devices with screens smaller than 9 inches,WEB, Microsoft making Windows free on devices with screens under 9 inches,weblink The Verge, April 2, 2014, April 2, 2014, and officially confirmed the rumored "Windows 8.1 with Bing" OEM SKU on May 23, 2014.WEB, Helping our hardware partners build lower cost Windows devices,weblink Windows Experience Blog, Microsoft, May 23, 2014, May 23, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140523225224weblink">weblink dead, Based on information gathered by Net Applications, the market share of Windows 8 had consistently dropped below the 1% mark by June 2022.WEB, Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide,weblink 2024-01-27, StatCounter Global Stats, en,

Chinese government ban

In May 2014, the Government of China banned the internal purchase of Windows 8–based products under government contracts requiring "energy-efficient" devices. The Xinhua News Agency claimed that Windows 8 was being banned in protest of Microsoft's support lifecycle policy and the end of support for Windows XP (which, as of January 2014, had a market share of 49% in China), as the government "obviously cannot ignore the risks of running an OS without guaranteed technical support." However, Ni Guangnan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences had also previously warned that Windows 8 could allegedly expose users to surveillance by the United States government due to its heavy use of Internet-based services.NEWS,weblink Paul, Carsten, G, Crosse, Christopher, Cushing, China bans use of Microsoft's Windows 8 on government computers, Reuters, May 20, 2014, May 20, 2014, NEWS,weblink Mark, Ward, XP – the operating system that will not die, BBC News, March 5, 2014, March 25, 2014, WEB,weblink China Warns of Risks in Plan to Retire Windows XP, The New York Times, March 24, 2014, Ramzy, Austin, March 9, 2014, live,weblink Oct 31, 2014, WEB,weblink China bans government purchases of Windows 8, surprising Microsoft, Michael, Kan, International Data Group, IDG, PCWorld, May 20, 2014, live,weblink Jul 24, 2021, In June 2014, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) broadcast a news story further characterizing Windows 8 as a threat to national security. The story featured an interview with Ni Guangnan, who stated that operating systems could aggregate "sensitive user information" that could be used to "understand the conditions and activities of our national economy and society", and alleged that per documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the U.S. government had worked with Microsoft to retrieve encrypted information. Yang Min, a computer scientist at Fudan University, also stated that "the security features of Windows 8 are basically to the benefit of Microsoft, allowing them control of the users' data, and that poses a big challenge to the national strategy for information security." Microsoft denied the claims in a number of posts on the Chinese social network Sina Weibo, posts which stated that the company had never "assisted any government in an attack of another government or clients" or provided client data to the U.S. government, never "provided any government the authority to directly visit", or placed any backdoors in its products and services, and that it had never concealed government requests for client data.WEB,weblink June 6, 2014, Lance, Whitney, Microsoft, China clash over Windows 8, backdoor-spying charges, CBS Interactive, June 6, 2014, CNET, live,weblink Jun 9, 2014, NEWS,weblink Apple, Microsoft Targets of Chinese Media in U.S. Spat, Bloomberg News, June 5, 2014, June 6, 2014, WEB,weblink Microsoft retaliates to China's Windows 8 spying claims, TechTarget, June 6, 2014, ComputerWeekly,

Windows 8.1

A feature update to Windows 8, known as Windows 8.1, was officially announced by Microsoft on May 14, 2013.WEB,weblink Looking Back and Springing Ahead, The Official Microsoft Blog: News & Perspectives, Microsoft, March 26, 2013, July 17, 2013, Frank X., Shaw, July 2, 2013,weblink dead, WEB, Brandon, LeBlanc,weblink Windows Keeps Getting Better, Blogging Windows, Microsoft, May 14, 2013, May 15, 2013, May 15, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130515142421weblink">weblink dead, Following a presentation devoted to it at Build 2013, a public beta version of the upgrade was released on June 26, 2013.WEB, Microsoft releases Windows 8.1 Enterprise preview with VDI, Windows to Go support,weblink PC World, August 6, 2013, WEB, Thurrott, Paul, Download and Install the Windows 8.1 Preview,weblink Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows, Penton (company), Penton, Paul Thurrott, June 26, 2013, March 26, 2021, October 29, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171029043459weblink">weblink dead, Windows 8.1 was released to OEM hardware partners (RTM) on August 27, 2013, and released publicly as a free upgrade through Windows Store on October 17, 2013.WEB, LeBlanc, Brandon, Mark your calendars for Windows 8.1!,weblink Blogging Windows, Microsoft, August 14, 2013, WEB,weblink Windows 8.1 update coming October 18, CNN Money, August 14, 2013, Time Warner, August 14, 2013, Volume license customers and subscribers to MSDN Plus and TechNet Plus were initially unable to obtain the RTM version upon its release; a spokesperson said the policy was changed to allow Microsoft to work with OEMs "to ensure a quality experience at general availability."NEWS, Microsoft confirms Windows 8.1 RTM, but expect a large bug-fixing patch on release,weblink ExtremeTech, Ziff Davis Media, September 2, 2013, Sebastian, Anthony, August 27, 2013, WEB, Windows 7 SP1 RTM is out for MSDN and TechNet customers,weblink TheNextWeb.com, The Next Web, September 2, 2013, Alex, Wilhelm, February 16, 2011, However, after criticism, Microsoft reversed its decision and released the RTM build on MSDN and TechNet on September 9, 2013.WEB, Windows 8.1 now available on MSDN and TechNet following developer complaints,weblink The Verge, September 9, 2013, Vox Media, September 10, 2013, Windows 8.1 addressed a number of criticisms faced by Windows 8 upon its release, with additional customization options for the Start screen, the restoration of a visible Start button on the desktop, the ability to snap up to four apps on a single display, and the ability to boot to the desktop instead of the Start screen. Windows 8's stock apps were also updated, a new Bing-based unified search system was added, SkyDrive (now OneDrive) was given tighter integration with the operating system, and a number of new stock apps, along with a tutorial, were added.WEB, Evan, Rodgers,weblink Windows 8.1: a first look at what Microsoft is changing, The Verge, Vox Media, June 26, 2013, August 6, 2013, WEB, Windows 8.1 review: The great compromise,weblink PC World, September 24, 2013, WEB, Hands-On with Windows 8.1: New Utility Apps,weblink Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows, September 24, 2013, September 27, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130927191716weblink">weblink dead, WEB, Thurrott, Paul, In Blue: Windows Store 2.0,weblink Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows, Penton Media, Penton, June 18, 2013, Paul Thurrott, June 17, 2013, June 20, 2013,weblink dead, Windows 8.1 also added support for 3D printing,WEB, Windows 8.1 to support 3D printing through native API,weblink Engadget, June 26, 2013, August 6, 2013, WEB, 3D Printing Support in Windows 8.1 Explained,weblink Extreme Windows, Microsoft, August 22, 2013, August 22, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130822184811weblink">weblink dead, Miracast media streaming, NFC printing, and Wi-Fi Direct.WEB,weblink Modern Business in Mind: Windows 8.1 at TechEd 2013, Windows for your business, Microsoft, June 3, 2013, June 3, 2013, June 3, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130603182625weblink">weblink dead, Microsoft marketed Windows 8.1 as an "update" rather than as a "service pack", as it had done with such revisions for previous versions of Windows.WEB, When is a Windows update not an update? When it's an upgrade,weblink Computerworld, August 2, 2013, October 19, 2013, Nonetheless, Microsoft's support lifecycle policy treats Windows 8.1 similarly, to previous Windows service packs: With the exception of Windows Embedded 8 Standard users, upgrading to 8.1 has been required to maintain access to mainstream support and updates after January 12, 2016.WEB, Microsoft mandates Windows 8.1 upgrade,weblink Computerworld, July 30, 2013, IDG, November 28, 2013, WEB, Singh, Manish, Microsoft Ends Support for Windows 8 on Tuesday,weblink January 20, 2016, Gadgets 360, January 12, 2016, Although Windows 8 RTM is unsupported, Microsoft released an emergency security patch in May 2017 for Windows 8 RTM, as well as other unsupported versions of Windows (including Windows XP and Windows Server 2003), to address a vulnerability that was being leveraged by the WannaCry ransomware attack.WEB, Microsoft issues 'highly unusual' Windows XP patch to prevent massive ransomware attack,weblink The Verge, May 13, 2017, Vox Media, May 13, 2017, WEB, Customer Guidance for WannaCrypt attacks,weblink Microsoft, May 13, 2017, Updates to apps published on Windows Store after July 1, 2019, are no longer available to Windows 8 RTM users.WEB,weblink Microsoft Kills Off Windows 8 App Updates Earlier than Anticipated, Popa, Bogdan, softpedia, April 19, 2019, en, April 19, 2019, Retail and OEM installations of Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows RT can be upgraded through Windows Store, free of charge. However, volume license customers, TechNet or MSDN subscribers, and users of Windows 8 Enterprise must acquire standalone installation media for 8.1 and install through the traditional Windows setup process, either as an in-place upgrade or clean install. This requires an 8.1-specific product key.WEB, Small biz admins squawk over Windows 8.1 updates,weblink Computerworld, October 18, 2013, IDG, October 18, 2013, WEB, Why can't I find the update in the Store?,weblink Windows portal, Microsoft, October 18, 2013, WEB, Windows 8.1 Upgrade Woes,weblink Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows, October 19, 2013, October 18, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131018210816weblink">weblink dead, WEB, Windows 8.1 Tip: Upgrade from Windows 8 Enterprise,weblink Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows, October 21, 2013, October 21, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131021154838weblink">weblink dead,

See also

• List of operating systems
• Features new to Windows 8

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

• WEB,weblink Downgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 7: What you need to know, PC World, International Data Group, IDG, November 20, 2012, November 21, 2012, Ian, Paul, —Analysis of Windows 8 downgrade rights

{{Microsoft Windows family}}{{Windows tablets}}{{Authority control}}