Windows 8.1 preview was shown at Microsoft’s annual developers build conference in San Francisco this week. It is now available for download by anyone and the final version update will be free later this year to anyone running Windows 8.
Launched eight months ago, Windows 8 was designed for touch screen tablets and conventional keyboard/mouse computers. It received a lukewarm reception for being too awkward to use, especially for office workers and consumers used to the simpler previous Windows 7.
Complaints centred around the two interfaces Windows 8 runs on: one enhanced with large icons for touch screens and the other featuring a traditional desktop, more suitable for mouse and keyboard.
Microsoft conceded Windows 8 had an initial learning curve but most users complained about the new functionality of the Start button on keyboards and onscreen, forcing desktop users to spend more time on the new enhanced screen, often hiding their desktop applications.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer characterized Windows 8.1 preview as a refined blend of the desktop, saying the Start button was back, to the applause of more than 5,000 developer attendants. “Should we call it a PC? Should we call it a Tablet? I call it Windows all the time,” he said.
So how much better is Windows 8.1?
The improvements will not please folks who just wanted the older Windows 7 desktop experience but will get users to what they want faster with fewer keystrokes. Here are my favourite improvements:
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-The new Start icon on the lower left corner of the screen when in Desktop mode has new functions resembling the old Windows 7 Start button. When right clicked or pressed longer with your finger on touchscreens, gives you choices to access common features including Shut Down with a choice of Sleep, Shut Down or Restart. It now takes less time to turn your PC off or put it to sleep.
-You can now have you computer boot directly into your desktop mode, bypassing the enhanced mode, this too saving time and aggravation. You also share the desktop background when in enhanced mode.
-Searching your PC in the current Windows 8 was awkward, forcing you to go through more layers to find stuff. In 8.1 Preview you now have the option to search for anything when in enhanced mode, not just apps but any file or application. Nice!
Windows 8.1 will offer more tools for developers to make programs run better. You can run more applications onscreen in the large icon mode and adjust their size. Faster sweep gestures for inserting text or simply turning on the camera and taking pictures come handy in Windows tablets. You can even turn pages by simply sweeping your hand across the screen without actually touching it.
The new Internet Explorer 11 use less memory, power and runs more GPU graphics computations for better response, like online 3D and video, using fewer resources as was shown in side by side comparisons with Google’s Chrome
Windows 8.1 runs nicely on new smaller 8-inch touch screens like the new Acer Iconia, shown at Build. It has an almost smartphone feel, with sweep gestures running full Windows. In essence a touch tablet with power for work and play.
Microsoft’s new Bing search is much improved and running across all phone, tablet computer and gaming devices. Its Smart Search does a good job of consolidating a variety of search results from mapping (also in 3D) to nearby restaurants, reviews, local concerts and automatically creating song lists from music web sites.
Will Windows 8.1 slow down declining computer sales?
Microsoft is betting the farm on blending all its devices like tablets, laptops and desktops under one OS. Compared that to Apple’s keeping its traditional keyboard and mouse computing OS separate from its touchscreen iPads and iPhones running iOS.
On paper Windows 8 sounds like a good plan, but in reality it will be an uphill climb for Microsoft to make its much improved hardware Windows Tablet experience catch up with iPads, which boast six times more apps to the 100,000 the Windows Store has now.
It’s not about “Windows Windows Windows” as Ballmer said in his keynote at Build. It’s about Apps Apps Apps and at more competitive prices to iPad apps.
Although Windows 8.1 preview is free and available to current Windows 8 users, your PC will have to be reset to its previous Windows 8 state (the 8.1 preview install saves that for you) in order to install the final free release of Windows 8.1 later this year.
Follow Steve’s weekly Tech Untangled segment on the Sunday and Monday Global Edmonton Morning News or though his online blog.
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