Windows 8.1 - not quite yet!

If you are running Windows 8, you may have already seen, or may see shortly, a pesky blue band pop up on your screen telling you to go to the Windows Store and update to Windows 8.1. Typically we’d advise going ahead with this, since there are many things to like about 8.1 (http://lifehacker.com/all-the-new-stuff-in-windows-8-1-587098156). However, recent client experience leads us to a more cautious position: wait a bit. Windows 8.1 includes Internet Explorer 11, and many web sites have problems with IE11 at this point. Some web-based applications will simply not work at all with IE11 yet. This will no doubt get resolved, but for now, discretion being the better part of valor, everyone should politely decline to update to Windows 8.1. Give it a month or so to settle in. If you have a line of business web-based application, wait until your application provider tells you it’s OK.

We’ve made our position on the browser wars clear on several occasions (see other posts in this blog). Right now, Internet Explorer is the way to go. But not IE11; at least, not yet.

If you are concerned about this and want help, call us!

If you are a rugged individualist who likes managing his/her own computers (and gosh, who doesn’t?? Now, where did I leave that scalpel?), you might look here:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1-windows_install/how-do-i-stop-windows-81-upgrade-message/d6abfe4d-429d-48b4-a37f-e591524dc17a

Or call us. That might be better.