14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will introduce the second update for Windows 8.1 later this month, with people close to the matter suggesting that August 12 is most likely the date when this update is going to be released.
Now a new report published by ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley reveals that this new pack of improvements might actually be called “August Update,” and not Windows 8.1 Update 2 or Windows 8.2 as it was initially rumored.
While such news do make sense at some level, it could also be an indication that Microsoft might move to a faster release cadence for Windows, as the company is planning to keep users fully up-to-date with the latest improvements available for the operating system.
The same source reveals that Windows 8.1 August Update could come with minor design changes, but nothing too impressive, so at the first glance, you might not notice anything new in the operating system.
If you remember, Microsoft revealed at the BUILD 2014 developer conference that a second Windows 8.1 update would include the famous Start menu, as well as options to run Metro apps in their own windows right on the desktop. Since then, however, the company changed its mind and decided to implement all these features in the next full Windows release expected to come out in early 2015.
Windows 8.1 August Update will be rolled out via Windows Update, and since the release date is likely to be August 12, it could be shipped to users together with the other Patch Tuesday fixes supposed to address vulnerabilities in its software, including Office and Internet Explorer.
The same source says that August Update won’t be a mandatory update for those running Windows 8.1 Update, but you won’t be allowed to install it if you’re not running this very latest version of the operating system.
Windows 8.1 August Update could thus become more or less of a service pack, although the company doesn’t call it this way. The update will come with performance and stability improvements, so in terms of new features, there’s nothing too exciting in this OS version, as Microsoft is believed to focus more on the next full Windows release.
Keep in mind that all of these are just rumors for now, so don’t take them for granted. If the report is true, however, expect the company to share more information on Windows 8.1 August Update next week as we’re getting closer to the public launch.