14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft rolled out the first batch of Windows 8 updates a few days ago and the company revealed in a blog post that from now on it would keep the operating system totally up to date.
This is the first time when Microsoft rolls out a major update before the public debut of an operating system and it may actually signal the death of the service pack that has been around since Windows XP.
Windows 7 got one too in February 2011, but this may be the last one, as Microsoft might no longer release Service Packs starting with the Windows 8 OS.
Analysts believe that this is indeed a very good marketing strategy because it would allow users to stay completely up to date with the latest patches, instead of waiting for the release of a service pack.
“They want consumers and enterprises to believe that they don't have to wait for a service pack [to install Windows 8]. This is more of a statement of direction than anything. Microsoft's saying, 'We can get stuff to you on the fly, so as we discover, validate, fix and test, we now have a mechanism to release them,” Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft and former Microsoft program manager, told ComputerWorld.
The new batch of Windows 8 updates comes to improve the overall performance of the operating system, but also addresses battery issues that could affect users’ experience on tablet devices.
Furthermore, the company recently rolled out Windows 8 app updates to introduce new features for its integrated Modern Apps, including “SkyDrive,” “Mail” and “Bing.”