08-07-2015, 07:24 PM
My link shows Microsoft does consider 8.1 to be the most recent update for Windows 8 users. I honestly don't understand the distinction we are trying to draw.
Again, Windows 8 users are supposed to update to 8.1 just as XP users were supposed to update to SP3 eventually. As another example, Mac OS 10.10 users will stop getting most security updates if they stop upgrading the x.x.x releases. But once those users update to the latest x.x.x release, updates will continue to work just fine. Sure you can skip x.x.x release and Apple will still roll everything up as a new x.x.x release, but you can't just install random security patches to 10.10 or 10.10.1 and be up to date at this point in Yosemite's release cycle.
Again, Windows 8 users are supposed to update to 8.1 just as XP users were supposed to update to SP3 eventually. As another example, Mac OS 10.10 users will stop getting most security updates if they stop upgrading the x.x.x releases. But once those users update to the latest x.x.x release, updates will continue to work just fine. Sure you can skip x.x.x release and Apple will still roll everything up as a new x.x.x release, but you can't just install random security patches to 10.10 or 10.10.1 and be up to date at this point in Yosemite's release cycle.