Windows
8 is quickly approaching its first anniversary since launching in October
2012. According to the market analytics firm Net Applications,as we went to
press, its market share stood at 5.42%, behind Mac’s 7.28%, Windows XP’s 37.02%,
and Windows 7’s 44.5%. We’re going to go out on a limb here and
speculate that Microsoft had higher hopes for Windows 8’s first year than to
simply stomp Linux
(1.26%) and Windows Vista (4.26%). But it’s still very early in the operating
system’s lifespan, and many businesses make it a point to hold off on upgrading
to the next OS until after the first big update. If this is you or your
business, then this article is for you. Windows 8’s first big update is almost
upon us, and it’s called Windows 8.1. Read on for everything you need to know about
how Windows 8.1 makes a compelling case for an upgrade.
1. Windows
8 Reset
Anytime
Microsoft endeavors to update its latest OSes, it usually looks to patch
security vulnerabilities, squash any post-release bugs, streamline user
interfaces, add support for the
latest technologies, and respond, where possible, to customer feedback. This
time around is
no
different.
Microsoft’s
goals for Windows 8.1 include filling out the Windows Store with more apps you
know
and
love, enhancing and improving the Bing-powered Search charm, speeding up
startup and shutdown times, improving overall system performance, and more.
2. Get
Windows 8.1
When it
becomes available, possibly by the time you’re reading this, it’ll be very easy
to obtain the Windows 8.1 update. Microsoft is treating it like an app in the
Windows Store. Just launch the Windows Store by clicking or tapping its tile from
the Start screen, then tap or click the large Windows 8.1 tile on the Windows
Store main page to download and install the update. You can back out of the
Store and continue to use your device while the update downloads and installs.
If
you’re reading this prior to 8.1’s official launch, you can download the Windows
8.1 Preview (just Google “Windows 8.1 preview.”) Click the Get It Now icon and follow the
onscreen prompts to install the update. During installation experience involved a couple
of restarts before the update is successfully applied.
3. Window 8.1 In
Action
The first
thing you’ll notice upon restarting your Windows 8.1 device is the return of
the Start Button. This is a familiar Windows logo that appears in the
lower-left corner of the screen when in Desktop mode. Click it to display the
Start screen apps. But rather than pulling you out of Desktop mode like Windows
8 does, the new version simply overlays the app tiles on your Desktop, which
makes traversing
the two modes a much less jarring experience. Windows 8.1 also gives you a lot of
control over what happens when your put your cursor into the four corners of
the screen. Don’t like that the
Charms bar or app switching bars appears when you move your cursor to the right
or left corners? You can change that.
Another
feature that many Win8 detractors begged for is also available in the update:
You can now boot
directly to the screen you want, for instance, Desktop mode or the Apps view.
From the start screen, you can also swipe down from the Start screen to view
the Apps screen; here you’ll find all apps you have installed, including those
that are not pinned to the Start screen.
You can
add photos to a cycling collage that appears on the Windows 8 Lock Screen.
Photos that
populate
the slideshow can come from either the local folders or from the SkyDrive
cloud-based folders.
In this
way, you can keep your Lock Screen looking fresh on virtually any computer or
device. Another feature that falls in the eye-candy category is a host of new Start
screen backgrounds and the ability to tweak the background’s primary and
secondary colors to give your system a much more customized appearance. Some of the new
backgrounds will act like live wallpapers, responding to the movement of tiles
and other elements. Windows 8.1 also brings with it the ability to keep your
Desktop background consistent between screens, applying it to the Start screen
as you see fit.
Prior to
the update, tiles on the Start screen could be either wide or narrow, but after
the update, you’ll also be able to make tiles large (essentially the size of
two wide tiles) and small, which makes the tile roughly a quarter the size of a
square tile in Windows 8. To resize a tile, just tap and hold your finger on a
tile, or right-click the tile, click Resize from the menu that appears at the
bottom of the screen, then choose a size.
Although
pre-update Windows 8 let you group and name columns of apps on the Start
screen, it’s much simpler in Windows 8.1. You can also select and resize,
uninstall, or group multiple apps at once.
The new
update also makes sure that apps and Web pages display properly on a variety of
screen sizes, aspect ratios, and resolutions.
4. Tech
Injection
Windows
8.1 adds support for a variety of new technologies, including Bluetooth 4.0 LE,
which stands for Low
Energy; it essentially lets your Windows 8.1 device interface with select
Bluetooth devices in a much more energy-efficient way. If you have a Windows 8.1
device with access to mobile broadband, the OS will now boot and resume from a
sleep state more quickly. Additionally, a new
features called InstantGo maintains a network connection to keep your Start
screen live tiles, apps, and other data in sync and up-to-date, even when the
device is in a connected standby state. Microsoft claims that devices that
support this feature can go from a connected Standby mode to
a fully operational mode in less than 300 milliseconds. The suspended power
state is also energy efficient enough to allow two week-long standby battery
life.
5. A New
Browser
If
Windows 8.1 were to show up riding a motorcycle, Internet Explorer would be in
the sidecar. This new browser version features a number of enhancements,
including improved touch performance, faster page load times, and the ability
to display the address bar at all times. IE11 also lets you have as many
simultaneous tabs open as you want. And if you use multiple Win8.1 devices,
you’ll be able to access those tabs from any of them. Windows 8.1 also supports
new touch-based gestures, and Internet Explorer 11 follows suit. From the
browser, you can use gestures to select text and
correct spelling even faster than before. If you have a Windows 8.1 device with
a touchpad, then you’ll be able to perform familiar touchscreen gestures there.
Better Search The new Windows 8.1 search tool is significantly enhanced. It’s powered
by Bing, and it gives you near-instant access to the Web, your files, apps,
SkyDrive files, and more. Using the Search charm from Desktop mode also keeps
you in Desktop Mode rather than moving your view to the Start screen.
6. Multitasking
Guru
Windows
8.1 also offers a handful of new Snap modes, or the ability to display two or
more windows
or apps
simultaneously. You can resize and display up to three apps onscreen at a time,
and those with multiple-monitors will appreciate the ability to run the Start
screen on one display and multiple apps on secondary or tertiary screens. 8 Point
Wonder In this article, we’ve only just scratched the surface of what Microsoft
has crammed into this update. So far, we can say with confidence that the OS is
significantly easier to use, better looking, and more business friendly, thanks
to the enhancements. For the full scoop, check out Smart Computing’s coverage
following Windows
8.1’s
official release.
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