Why are we forced to update to 8.1?

Don't know where you got all that from.

Windows 8.1 upgrade will NOT "expire" on 4-8-15, and Windows 10 is going to be a FREE upgrade from 8.1.

is it true that the upgrade I was pushed to get  from windows 8 to 8.1 is merely a preview copy and will be inactive on 4-8-15? Are we also to understand that we must buy Window 8.1 for an average price of $119.99 ?

I actually made the mistake of asking for the upgrade last week. Now MS won't take it and my computer is basically worthless. One of my monitors doesn't work at all and the other isn't seen by the software. My video card is worthless and I need a new one. I hate MS but they own the world.

There are lot of things to benefit from in Windows 8.1, including security updates going forward, ability to better customer the interface etc.

So what are these benefits? The ability to no longer use Wifi - is that one of them? Computers slowing down to a crawl? Daily crashes? Want me to go on? And before you say ANYTHING, the PC I'm using has more than enough memory and storage, and the processor is more than fast enough, to use Windows 8.1. And if this pathetic OS actually worked properly, it would still be installed on my PC. I would not have downgraded to Windows 8 after months of trying to fix the problems that came installed with 8.1.

Now Microsoft has the gall to release an(other) malfunctioning operating system. Microsoft has the nerve to shove 8.1 down users' throats with threats or to secretly slip it past us by calling it an "essential" update. Are you people dumb enough to think that threatening your user base with indescribable security problems will bring you goodwill? How's this going to go over in the EU, I wonder?

If Microsoft spent as much time fixing Windows 8.1's problems as it has on creating propaganda about it, you might actually have a useable OS. Microsoft has released **** OSes before, but between forcing Win 8.1 on users with subterfuge, lies and threats (and, to boot, changing Office to a rental plan), Microsoft has turned into a tech **** with a protection racket. MS has already earned some deservedly negative publicity about its latest moves. Remember, this is not 1995. It's a much different tech world now, with MS, as usual, running a little late. Hey, how's the Zune business going? Where are your phablets? And, please, what on God's green earth does your phrase "ability to better customer the interface" mean?

Sorry, web address is corrected.