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- Microsoft released its long-awaited Windows 8.1 upgrade as a free download
Thursday. It addresses some of the gripes people
have had with Windows 8, the dramatically
different operating system that attempts to bridge
the divide between tablets and PCs. Windows 8.1 still features the dual worlds that
Windows 8 created when it came out last October.
On one hand, it features a touch-enabled tile
interface resembling what's found in tablet
computers. On the other, there's the old desktop
mode where the keyboard and mouse still reign. The update adds some new finger- and gesture-
friendly shortcuts for touch-based apps, while
restoring some respect for the desktop mode that a
billion PC users have become accustomed to. The release comes as sales of traditional desktop
and laptop computers continue to decline because
consumers are spending money instead on the
latest smartphones and tablets. It also comes at a
time of transition for Microsoft as the Redmond,
Wash., company focuses on devices and services, not just software. Earlier this month, Microsoft
struck a deal to acquire Nokia's phone business
and patent rights for more than $7 billion. Microsoft
is also searching for a new CEO to replace Steven A.
Ballmer, who announced last month that he plans
to retire within the next year. The Window 8.1 update is free for current owners
of Windows 8. Downloads started at 7 a.m.
Thursday in New York, which corresponded to the
start of Friday in New Zealand. Simply go to the
Windows Store app to find it. It may take a few
hours for updates to reach everyone. Computers with Windows 8.1 already installed will go on sale
Friday local time. That's also when people will be
able to buy stand-alone copies of Windows 8.1. The changes range from the cosmetic to improved
functionality: Restoring Respect for the Desktop Start me up -- The Start button is back in desktop
mode, although not the way it was before
Windows 8 came along. In Windows 7 and before,
a click on Start would have brought up programs
and important folders in a list. Now, one tap on
Start flips you back to the new tile interface, where you can click or tap tiles to open programs. A long
press brings up crucial settings such as the Control
Panel. Boot to desktop -- You can now start up the machine in desktop mode, bypassing the tiles for a
short time. That removes some of the headache for
companies that want to use Windows 8 but don't
want to buy a touch-screen monitor for every
employee. Touch and Gesture Updates Onscreen keyboard swipes -- The onscreen keyboard now includes the ability to type numbers
or punctuation marks by swiping up or away from
certain keys on the standard "QWERTY" layout,
eliminating the need to toggle between numeric
and alphabetic layouts. You can also select from
suggested words mid-stream using side swipes and taps on the virtual spacebar. Gesture-enabled apps -- You can now wave in the air in front of the front-facing camera to get a
response. For example, in the new app Bing Food &
Drink, a right-to-left wave in "Hands Free Mode"
flips through pages of a recipe. Quicker tile organizing -- You can tap and hold Windows tiles with your finger to move them.
Another couple taps will allow you to resize them
in one of four sizes. In the previous version, you
had to go back to the mouse or touchpad and right-
click on tiles to do this, and you were limited to two
sizes. EASIER APPS ACCESS -- Finding all your apps takes just a swipe up on your start screen, as long as you
don't do it from beyond the bottom edge. Before,
you had to swipe up from the bottom edge, then
tap on the All Apps button. Related Stories
◾
Microsoft touts better battery life in new lineup of
Surface tablets ◾
The standout features of Windows 8.1 Small Conveniences Automatic updates -- Apps update in the background, replacing the constant reminders to
go to the Windows Store to update the apps
yourself. Smaller tablets -- Windows 8.1 now has a home screen that looks good in portrait mode on screens
measuring 7 inches to 8 inches diagonally. Lock screen access -- You can now answer Skype calls or take photos from the lock screen without
having to log in. Just swipe down. You can also set
other apps like Twitter to send notifications when
the screen is locked. Functional Changes Better multitasking -- In Windows 8.1, you can run up to four apps at once side by side, double the
previous amount, though you need a large, high-
resolution monitor to do so (On their own,
Microsoft's Surface tablets are not big enough for
more than two). You can resize panes using a slider
that moves side to side, instead of being limited to one larger window and one slender one. This is still
not as capable as Windows 7 or in desktop mode,
where you can open dozens of items in windows
that can be resized horizontally, vertically and
diagonally. And many app makers have yet to
adapt, meaning some apps still appear as a thin sliver, even if you want them to take up half the
screen. Global search -- Typing while on the tile-based start screen will pull up multiple search results -- if
applicable -- from your computer, the Web and the
Windows app store. If you're searching for a
musician, you'll see a list of popular songs you can
play using Xbox Music, and if it's someone famous
(like President Barack Obama) you'll see biographical details, videos and other information.
Before, you had to choose where to search: in
apps, settings, computer files or on the Internet. EMAIL UPDATE -- The standard-issue Mail app now has a "power pane" on left-hand side with folders
for updates from social networks like Facebook,
messages from favourite contacts and newsletters.
Some of these features work only with Microsoft
accounts such as Hotmail and Outlook.com, though.
A new "sweep" command deletes multiple messages with a couple taps. Better browsing -- No longer are you limited to 10 open tabs in the tile version of Internet Explorer.
Before, Web pages automatically closed without
prompts when you try to open more. You can open
as many as you want now. Better yet, you can
have two different websites displayed side by side,
the way you've long been able to before Windows 8 came along. Fun Stuff Xbox Music refresh -- The music streaming app now optimizes playback over discovery with a
layout that has more lists and smaller photos. It
also adds the ability to create playlists from any
website with a couple taps. When on a website
featuring artists, swipe in from the right edge and
tap the Share button followed by the Music button. It will create a song playlist based on those artists,
which you can then stream for free. Picture editing -- A picture editor with pre-set effects comes with the update, allowing for photo
touchups, cropping, contrast changes and other
features. Xbox One integration -- You can pick up where you left off if you start playing a video purchased on
Xbox Video on a tablet and then watch the rest on
Microsoft's upcoming game console, Xbox One.
Source: CTV news
Thursday. It addresses some of the gripes people
have had with Windows 8, the dramatically
different operating system that attempts to bridge
the divide between tablets and PCs. Windows 8.1 still features the dual worlds that
Windows 8 created when it came out last October.
On one hand, it features a touch-enabled tile
interface resembling what's found in tablet
computers. On the other, there's the old desktop
mode where the keyboard and mouse still reign. The update adds some new finger- and gesture-
friendly shortcuts for touch-based apps, while
restoring some respect for the desktop mode that a
billion PC users have become accustomed to. The release comes as sales of traditional desktop
and laptop computers continue to decline because
consumers are spending money instead on the
latest smartphones and tablets. It also comes at a
time of transition for Microsoft as the Redmond,
Wash., company focuses on devices and services, not just software. Earlier this month, Microsoft
struck a deal to acquire Nokia's phone business
and patent rights for more than $7 billion. Microsoft
is also searching for a new CEO to replace Steven A.
Ballmer, who announced last month that he plans
to retire within the next year. The Window 8.1 update is free for current owners
of Windows 8. Downloads started at 7 a.m.
Thursday in New York, which corresponded to the
start of Friday in New Zealand. Simply go to the
Windows Store app to find it. It may take a few
hours for updates to reach everyone. Computers with Windows 8.1 already installed will go on sale
Friday local time. That's also when people will be
able to buy stand-alone copies of Windows 8.1. The changes range from the cosmetic to improved
functionality: Restoring Respect for the Desktop Start me up -- The Start button is back in desktop
mode, although not the way it was before
Windows 8 came along. In Windows 7 and before,
a click on Start would have brought up programs
and important folders in a list. Now, one tap on
Start flips you back to the new tile interface, where you can click or tap tiles to open programs. A long
press brings up crucial settings such as the Control
Panel. Boot to desktop -- You can now start up the machine in desktop mode, bypassing the tiles for a
short time. That removes some of the headache for
companies that want to use Windows 8 but don't
want to buy a touch-screen monitor for every
employee. Touch and Gesture Updates Onscreen keyboard swipes -- The onscreen keyboard now includes the ability to type numbers
or punctuation marks by swiping up or away from
certain keys on the standard "QWERTY" layout,
eliminating the need to toggle between numeric
and alphabetic layouts. You can also select from
suggested words mid-stream using side swipes and taps on the virtual spacebar. Gesture-enabled apps -- You can now wave in the air in front of the front-facing camera to get a
response. For example, in the new app Bing Food &
Drink, a right-to-left wave in "Hands Free Mode"
flips through pages of a recipe. Quicker tile organizing -- You can tap and hold Windows tiles with your finger to move them.
Another couple taps will allow you to resize them
in one of four sizes. In the previous version, you
had to go back to the mouse or touchpad and right-
click on tiles to do this, and you were limited to two
sizes. EASIER APPS ACCESS -- Finding all your apps takes just a swipe up on your start screen, as long as you
don't do it from beyond the bottom edge. Before,
you had to swipe up from the bottom edge, then
tap on the All Apps button. Related Stories
◾
Microsoft touts better battery life in new lineup of
Surface tablets ◾
The standout features of Windows 8.1 Small Conveniences Automatic updates -- Apps update in the background, replacing the constant reminders to
go to the Windows Store to update the apps
yourself. Smaller tablets -- Windows 8.1 now has a home screen that looks good in portrait mode on screens
measuring 7 inches to 8 inches diagonally. Lock screen access -- You can now answer Skype calls or take photos from the lock screen without
having to log in. Just swipe down. You can also set
other apps like Twitter to send notifications when
the screen is locked. Functional Changes Better multitasking -- In Windows 8.1, you can run up to four apps at once side by side, double the
previous amount, though you need a large, high-
resolution monitor to do so (On their own,
Microsoft's Surface tablets are not big enough for
more than two). You can resize panes using a slider
that moves side to side, instead of being limited to one larger window and one slender one. This is still
not as capable as Windows 7 or in desktop mode,
where you can open dozens of items in windows
that can be resized horizontally, vertically and
diagonally. And many app makers have yet to
adapt, meaning some apps still appear as a thin sliver, even if you want them to take up half the
screen. Global search -- Typing while on the tile-based start screen will pull up multiple search results -- if
applicable -- from your computer, the Web and the
Windows app store. If you're searching for a
musician, you'll see a list of popular songs you can
play using Xbox Music, and if it's someone famous
(like President Barack Obama) you'll see biographical details, videos and other information.
Before, you had to choose where to search: in
apps, settings, computer files or on the Internet. EMAIL UPDATE -- The standard-issue Mail app now has a "power pane" on left-hand side with folders
for updates from social networks like Facebook,
messages from favourite contacts and newsletters.
Some of these features work only with Microsoft
accounts such as Hotmail and Outlook.com, though.
A new "sweep" command deletes multiple messages with a couple taps. Better browsing -- No longer are you limited to 10 open tabs in the tile version of Internet Explorer.
Before, Web pages automatically closed without
prompts when you try to open more. You can open
as many as you want now. Better yet, you can
have two different websites displayed side by side,
the way you've long been able to before Windows 8 came along. Fun Stuff Xbox Music refresh -- The music streaming app now optimizes playback over discovery with a
layout that has more lists and smaller photos. It
also adds the ability to create playlists from any
website with a couple taps. When on a website
featuring artists, swipe in from the right edge and
tap the Share button followed by the Music button. It will create a song playlist based on those artists,
which you can then stream for free. Picture editing -- A picture editor with pre-set effects comes with the update, allowing for photo
touchups, cropping, contrast changes and other
features. Xbox One integration -- You can pick up where you left off if you start playing a video purchased on
Xbox Video on a tablet and then watch the rest on
Microsoft's upcoming game console, Xbox One.
Source: CTV news
