About 10 months after the release of the highly anticipated Windows 8, Microsoft has announced another update to the operating system, Windows 8.1. Since the launch of Windows 8 there had been numerous complaints where the users were unable to perform very basic tasks with the modern UI, such as finding recent documents etcetera. It should be noted that Windows 8 was mainly targeted for Tablets and Mobile devices, where there is no specific use of a desktop.
However, as it turned out, most of the users of Windows 8 are on laptop or desktop computers where the modern UI hardly makes sense and is quite difficult for old school users of Windows to adapt after years of working with the start button menu. So after breaking things down, basically there are no fundamental changes in the new OS. Rather it’s a refinement of the Windows 8, removing its flaws and patching things up a bit.
The new Interface:
To begin with, Windows 8.1 features the return of the beloved Start Button. So the users will have some familiarity when using the Windows. Secondly, the way the OS handles multiple apps windows has been highly optimized. For example, now when you open the Charms bar, the search suggestions don’t open in a distracting window, but in panes of the same window along with app settings.
Search:
The search system has been dramatically improved. Now when you search it term, it is searched everywhere on the system irrespective of its file type and even on the internet. The type of results returned are dependent of the nature of your query. A shortcut is added for search, the old school Window+ S shortcut.
Snap Views:
Now you can open multiple apps at the same time on your screen. For example, in a 10” Microsoft Surface, you can display two apps on the screen. You can resize one a view to a quarter of the screen size, but you will still be able to view only two apps at a time. On a larger screen you can display more than two apps a time.
Depending on the app you are using, some might not give you the freedom of customizing the window size and open in a default window. If your screen is already busy with open apps, it will wait until you drag it to the screen position.
PC Settings:
A whole lot of settings have found their way to the PC settings app, so now you won’t have to visit the control panel unless and until it’s a code red situation (advanced settings).
Customization:
Windows 8.1 provides a whole lot of customization options to the users. You can choose from a variety of hues for your start screen and an image for lock screen. Furthermore, a new tab has been added called navigation. It can be found by right clicking over the tool bar and clicking properties. The Navigation settings fixed a whole lot of complaints with windows 8.
All in all, it’s no new windows, just another patch for the previously released Windows 8. But if you were experiencing issues, you should try the preview version of Windows 8.1.
Ali Kareem
About the Guest Author:
Ali Kareem is a 19 year old tech geek who loves to write on technical stuff. He loves to write reviews especially on Games and Movies. He has been doing freelancing for different technical websites and praised by many professional bloggers. Writing is his hobby and programming is his passion. If you would like to meet him then ping him on ali.kareem.raja@gmail.com
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