Something I feel is underhanded is these "new" operating systems (Windows 8.1, 8.1 update 1) are being called new operating systems.
The only person I've ever heard or seen calling it a new operating system is you in the previous original Post on the subject of the 8.1 Update 1. The Blog post original detailing it referred to it as a new security baseline. And I've not been able to find any official statements that actually call it a new OS.
Security updates have always been dependent on one another. XP RTM could not be updated beyond a certain point; SP1a could not be updated past a certain point, etc. In addition updates often do not appear unless a prerequisite update has already been installed (as with the 8.1 update 1 itself, which has a requirement of another update before being applicable). The fact that future updates will depend on what is the 8.1 Update 1 is only a problem if you try to spin it as a "new OS" which is not really the case as per any actual documentation I can seem to find on it.
I read that somewhere. I think that the only path from XP, Vista and W7 to Windows 8.1 is to start at Windows 8 and use Windows Update from there. I'm not sure why they are doing that.
You still have to pay around $100 for Windows 7 disks. That's almost the same price as Windows 8. They should at least give a nice discount for 7 since it's no longer developed. That would get more people off of XP and on to a securely patched OS.
Partly true.
Windows 8.1, including the update, does have it's own Disc. Windows update is not required, though- you can slipstream a new disc or buy one soon.
XP has never been a supported upgrade for Windows 8. A system running Windows XP is unlikely to run Windows 8 very well; and those that do would be using XP only by conscious choice of their users, since it would mean they chose XP to install over Vista or 7 more recently. Systems that came with XP are not going to be, by and large, powerful enough to run Windows 8/8.1- it will require new hardware.
For Vista/7 You can upgrade to 8 and use Windows Update; for Companies with Volume Licenses can leverage the automated upgrade process available in VLK versions and swap out their existing 8 or 8.1 installation files and replace them with the files from the 8.1 Update ISO available from the Volume License Service Center.
Did you know you cannot revert back to 8 after the Update ? ?
This is not true. You can uninstall it just as with any other update.
eg. just to confirm that I:
-started Windows Update (Winkey+typing Windows Update).
-chose "View update history"
-Noticed the "to remove an update, choose "View Update History" and clicked that.
-Scrolled down to "Microsoft Windows". KB2919355 appears in the list. Right-clicking shows an uninstall option just as it does for everything else.
