Major change for the operating system include a revamped Start screen, that now provides more options for customization and layout. The upgrade also finally brings side-by-side multitasking of Windows 8 apps, which was another criticism of the original Windows 8 release. You can also now boot directly to the desktop, bypassing the Start screen altogether. This in particular is something enterprise users have been screaming for.
While the update is free for users upgrading from Windows 8, people coming from Windows 7 will need to simply buy the Windows 8 upgrade ($119, or $199 for Windows 8 Pro) and then make the upgrade for free.
Microsoft said that in-store customers will be able to buy a boxed version of the software from tomorrow, and that PCs sold from October 18 would come with 8.1 pre-installed. If for some reason you buy a new computer and it still hasn’t been updated to the newer version of the OS, you will of course be able to download it for yourself for free.
What's New with Windows 8.1
When Windows 8 was first introduced last year, many users resisted the touch-orientated changes that Microsoft had made to the platform, such as creating separate UIs for different working areas with the Desktop and Windows 8 modes.
It seems that the removal of the Start button displeased many people. And that’s putting it mildly. Personally I had no problem with this, but I am not the typical PC user.
With today’s official launch of Windows 8.1, it’s time to see if the changes that the company has made to the operating system iron out these issues, or indeed, raise new ones of its own.
For anyone familiar with Windows 8, making the jump across to Windows 8.1 will be a painless experience, and while there are plenty of changes under the hood, I will focus on all the newest, most useful changes here. You will still find the same general way of navigating such as the ‘Charms Bar’ (Search, Share. Start, Devices, Settings) which you get to by just swiping away on the right side of the screen. Swiping from the left still cycles you through apps and swiping up from the bottom usually brings up additional options for whichever app you are using. Naturally, all of this only applies when using it in Windows 8 mode, rather than the desktop.
Starting October 18, Windows 8.1 will be made available to Windows 8 users for free from the Windows Store, and downloading and installing will work just as they would for any other app. The company just announced that for non-Windows 8 users, the installer will be available on that date, and that as of October 2, you can pre-order full Windows 8.1 installation media (either download or disk) from Microsoft's online store.
Once Windows is installed and you are ready to go. The first thing you will want to do is link up your Microsoft account. If you don’t have one I recommend creating one. Skydrive will give you 7GB of free cloud storage and you will want access to the Microsoft Store so you can download apps.
No comments:
Post a Comment