What’s New in Windows 8.1?

Microsoft caught strong criticism for the changes that it made to the traditional Windows experience on Windows 8. On Windows 8.1, Microsoft apparently decided to address some of the issues that critics complained about. The new OS brings back many traditional features that went missing on Windows 8 and revamps the most problematic of the features that introduced on Windows 8.





Windows 8.1 is a free update

The update is available to anyone running Windows 8. To upgrade from Windows 7 you need to pay to upgrade to Windows 8 first then grab the free 8.1 update. If you have the Windows 8.1 Preview on your computer, you need to downgrade back to Windows 8 first and then get the full 8.1 update.


The changes introduced in version 8.1 aren't much. They do enough to smooth some of the rough edges seen on version 8, though.


Here's a look at the most important changes that you'll find on Windows 8.1

There's a new Start screen : The tiles on the Metro interface are now larger and they now display more on-tile information. Sorting apps based on frequent usage is possible now, too.  New colors and designs for the Start screen background are available and customization choices that you make on the Start screen are reflected on every PCsharing the same Windows account.



Booting to Desktop: One of the most annoying parts of the Windows 8 interface was that it forced you to go through the Metro Start screen each time you booted up. People who just needed to go to their Windows 8 Desktops found the Start screen to be an unnecessary detour on their way there. On Windows 8.1, you get to boot straight to the Desktop if you don't want to see the Metro Start screen.


Start Button: Microsoft's decision to remove the Start button (or Start orb since Windows Vista) on Windows 8 turned out to be unpopular. Many found that using the Metro-style Start screen was slow and unproductive. On Windows 8.1, then, Microsoft brings the Start button back. It doesn't act like the traditional Windows Start button, though. It just launches the Metro screen. Nevertheless, this change has been welcomed by reviewers as a step in the right direction.


Easy access to most settings: In their quest for a clean and minimalist design, the designers of Windows 8 made the mistake of hiding many commonly used functions away behind multiple menu layers. The hidden power button was one of the most noteworthy examples of this problematic design method. On Windows 7, shutting a computer down used to be a two-click operation. On Windows 8, though, powering down the computer requires you to first open the Charm Bar by moving your mouse pointer to the bottom right of the screen, wait a second or two in hover mode for the fly-out Charm Bar to activate, click on Settings, click on the Power button and then shut down the computer.


Happily, on Windows 8.1, all you have to do is to right-click on the new Start button and then click on Shut Down .



The Windows 8.1 update brings performance improvements for Windows 8 lovers and UI improvements for people who like the Desktop approach. It's a meaningful an well thought-out update.



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