

With no early Windows 8.1 RTM bits, what's a developer to do? - wslh
http://www.zdnet.com/with-no-early-windows-8-1-rtm-bits-whats-a-developer-to-do-7000019910/

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wslh
My company was pissed off with these new Microsoft policies. One of our bigger
customers, Trend Micro, uses our components in their Titanum Security Solution
(million users audience). They found an issue in the Windows 8.1 (build 9477)
but we don't have access to it as MSDN subscribers! only to the "official
preview" (build 9431). We saw new changes in the UIRibbon.dll that triggered
the bug in our software.

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orionblastar
You have to have a Technet (soon to be removed) or MSDN subscription to get
early access to Windows 8.1 RTM ISOs.

Germany has banned Windows 8 and I assume that applies to 8.1 as well:
[http://greatdox.com/wordpress1/2013/08/28/germany-bans-
windo...](http://greatdox.com/wordpress1/2013/08/28/germany-bans-
windows-8-cites-backdoors-and-security-risks/)

The future of Microsoft is sketchy now that Ballmer is retiring and Microsoft
made many mistakes: [http://greatdox.com/wordpress1/2013/08/28/steve-ballmer-
to-l...](http://greatdox.com/wordpress1/2013/08/28/steve-ballmer-to-leave-
microsoft-microsoft-is-a-big-train-wreck/)

Your best bet is to keep developing for Windows 7 until Microsoft fixes the
issues with 8.1, and it seems to be good advice. Always try to stay one
version behind with Microsoft products and then only upgrade to a new
Microsoft product after you know most major bugs are fixed. If not, you could
be stuck with a lot of support issues and Microsoft bugs your customers
complain about but you cannot fix as they are part of the operating system.

If you can make 8.1 apps, all the better for you, you should get a head start
over others. But be aware that since 8.1 comes out in October a lot of your
clients and customers might still be using the preview version and not have
full access to your RTM version.

~~~
wslh
_You have to have a Technet (soon to be removed) or MSDN subscription to get
early access to Windows 8.1 RTM ISOs._

We are MSDN subscribers... I updated this fact in my comment.

Also, these top customers needs to be updated because they have million of
customers that use our components.

~~~
orionblastar
Difficult to do that if you have the MSDN access and they don't. It would be
piracy to give them access to your MSDN Windows 8.1 RTM when they only have
the 8.1 Preview the public gets. Yet still they would have to wait until
October to download the 8.1 update. I remember having issues with other
Microsoft products like this going way back when since before the 21st
century. Microsoft never learned from this and it puts software makers in a
big jam before the RTM becomes public.

~~~
wslh
It's the reverse: my customer started to test our components with their QA
army with a Windows 8.1 version that is not available in the MSDN.

The central point of my rant is that Microsoft is harming their own customers.

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Defraties
Thanks

