Windows 8.1 release date, features, review, download

Now that Microsoft is finally ready to welcome Windows 8.1 into the world

Microsoft's Windows 8.1 update is now available to download. Windows 8 users will see a notification in the Windows Store with a prompt to upgrade to the new operating system. Microsoft has added a number of improvements with this update, including built-in Bing search, smart SkyDrive syncing, and visual changes to the Start Screen and application snapping.

The upgrade will be free for those who already have Windows 8 , but users who have an older OS (such as XP, Vista or 7) will have to pay up to £200 for the upgrade.

Users will be able to download the upgrade from the Windows Store today at noon in the UK.

Those with the preview of the OS, and those with older versions of previous systems, will need to reinstall apps on their machines.

Controversially, they are bringing back the Start Button, which was missing from Windows 8 last year.

The Windows 8.1 Start screen now features a variety of tile sizes including a new large and new small tile, and Microsoft have made it easier to name groups and rearrange tiles.

Apps such as Mail, Calendar, Xbox Video and SmartGlass have all been updated, with improvements to speed and performance.

Fresh Paint has been completely overhauled, with watercolor support and a new user interface.

Microsoft has announced that all PCs sold after October 17 will come with Windows 8.1 pre-installed.

Windows 8.1 contains a grip of new features, including new built-in applications, fresh user-interface changes, and a more powerful search technology that elevates Bing as a component of the Microsoft services suite. SkyDrive also has a prominent place in Windows 8.1, as Microsoft works to ensure that it continues to manage its users’ files wherever they are stored.

• UI changes
  

1. subtle improvements
2. tips for navigating between apps or around the OS after the initial demo during setup
3. The Weather tile can now expand to show three different cities and three days of forecasts at the same time, and Calendar will display all of your events for the day.
4. The Windows Store tile is also animated now
5. colorful tiles instead of just app icons

• Start button and Snap Views

1. 
   

   1. the return of the ultra-familiar Start Button
   
2. 
   

   1. ability to organize Windows 8-style apps in snapped views.
   
   These new views, which let Windows 8.1 users select how much of an app takes up a snapped part of the entire view, include a change to let more applications snap alongside each other. Small tablets only get a 50 / 50 split, but a 27-inch monitor will support up to four apps side by side.
   
   

   1. If you’re a heavy desktop user, this makes the Windows 8-style apps more useful to snap alongside other apps.

• Search

1. If you search for "Store" in Windows 8.1 it will still show you the app, but now it also reaches out to Bing's web engine to find results. Search is now a separate app gathering documents and data stored locally or in SkyDrive, system settings, and even web results all in a single interface.

• SkyDrive sync and Internet Explorer 11

1. Microsoft's cloud-based storage system really powers Windows 8.1 this time around. The sync engine is built directly in, and Microsoft has made some smart improvements to the way that files sync to Windows 8.1 PCs. Instead of pulling down the entire SkyDrive storage to a local PC, it loads icons, and just enough information required to identify the file. When you open the file, it downloads it on the spot. You can set folders and files to download fully so they're available offline, or just set an entire SkyDrive instance to remain offline on the PC.
2. Microsoft is also making use of its cloud-sync technology to improve Internet Explorer with version 11. IE supports unlimited tabs and it switches their placement to the bottom to make them easier to use on a smaller Windows 8.1 tablet. It’s much faster and more intuitive, and you can also sync tabs between Windows 8.1 machines alongside favorites and history. In a future Windows Phone update this will extend to syncing across to phones, but for now it's just PCs and tablets.
3. Microsoft has also enabled WebGL support with IE11, allowing developers to target the browser with powerful web-based games.

• Apps and the Windows Store
  

1. improved navigation
2. Mail app has been completely redesigned
3. Outlook.com users naturally get the best experience — Microsoft has added in support for favorites, a flagged emails section, and separate filters for newsletters and social emails. Microsoft has also added in the new window option for Mail in 8.1, allowing you to snap messages side by side. Coupled with the new Calendar app, which comes with a redesign and new "what's next" view, improvements to the People app, and some keyboard improvements for quick number entry, the built-in Mail experience is light-years ahead of what was available in Windows 8.

Source : verge.com