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Windows 8.1 Windows 8.1 Windows 8.1 Windows 8.1 –––– TopTopTopTop enhancementsenhancementsenhancementsenhancements for traditional PC usersfor traditional PC usersfor traditional PC usersfor traditional PC users
Blog Post Date: July 22, 2013 Category: Technology made easy Author: Ulrika Hedlund Source: http://www.businessproductivity.com/windows-8-1-top-enhancements-for-traditional-pc-users
With Windows 8 Microsoft made a huge bet on new, portable devices with touch screens.
The new Windows 8 interface is extremely cool if you have a touch-enabled tablet – but if
you don’t, Windows 8 can be a bit confusing, and switching between the new Windows 8,
touch-enabled interface and the traditional desktop interface can feel a bit schizophrenic.
Microsoft has listened to the feedback and later this year an update (previously known as
Windows Blue) is being released free of charge to all Windows 8 users. The Windows 8.1
Preview is currently available for those who want to try out the new functionality.
Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 8.1 will be released to manufacturing and made
available to system builders in late August, they have not yet confirmed the date for public
availability. Windows 8.1 is an overall operating system update, and as such there are a
number of enhancements for touch screen devices as well as traditional PCs, but in this blog
post I wanted to share with you my five favorite enhancements especially for those of you
who still have a traditional PC with a keyboard and mouse.
1.1.1.1. A Start button on the desktopA Start button on the desktopA Start button on the desktopA Start button on the desktop Some of us who have used Windows for a very long
time might feel a bit disoriented in Windows 8 since
there is no familiar Start button on the desktop. Even
if the Start screen thumbnail shows up when you
move your mouse cursor to the left corner, if you
don’t know it, and don’t see it, this isn’t too intuitive.
With Windows 8.1 the Start button is back – albeit
with a new, modern design. If you click on the Start
button you are taken to the Start screen, the full
screen page view of all your tiles/applications. If you
right-click on the Start button, more options are
available, such as shutting down your computer,
opening up the Control Panel or Search.
2.2.2.2. Easier to access and Easier to access and Easier to access and Easier to access and findfindfindfind applicationsapplicationsapplicationsapplications With Windows 8.1 it’s much easier and quicker to access the applications you have installed
on your computer. In addition to the Start button Microsoft have added a little arrow on the
Start screen which enables you to easier and quicker get to your applications. You can sort
your applications by name, by date installed, by most frequently used or by category.
3.3.3.3. Configure Windows 8.1 for desktop useConfigure Windows 8.1 for desktop useConfigure Windows 8.1 for desktop useConfigure Windows 8.1 for desktop use If you don’t have a touch screen device, and if you mostly use traditional desktop
applications on your computer, you have a number of options in Windows 8.1 to configure
your operating system so that it acts more like previous versions of Windows. For instance,
you can change the settings so that your computer always starts with the desktop view
(instead of opening up the Start screen). To change these settings, open up the “Taskbar and
Navigation properties” by right-clicking on the desktop toolbar.
Most of us are used to switching between open applications using the keyboard
combination Alt + Tab. In Windows 8 you can see and switch between open applications by
moving your mouse cursor to the top left corner of the screen. Similarly if you move your
mouse cursor to the top right corner you see the Charms. This can be extremely frustrating if
you are working in an application and these menus open up unwillingly. In Windows 8.1
you can change this behavior by unmarking these options in the “Corner Navigation”
settings.
Here you also have an option to set your desktop background picture on the Start screen as
well as on your desktop. This way you can better “blend” the desktop and Start screen
experience so that it doesn’t feel like you are switching between two different operating
systems.
4.4.4.4. Improved eImproved eImproved eImproved end to end search nd to end search nd to end search nd to end search If you want to search for something in Windows 8 you can start typing your search term
while on the Start screen, you can then select if you want to search in your apps, settings or
files. If you want to search on the Internet you have to select Internet Explorer which then
opens up with search results.
In Windows 8.1 Microsoft introduces so called universal search. You can choose to search “Everywhere” which includes your apps, settings, files, as well as sources on the Internet. A
new, nicely designed search page opens up which groups the search results in different
types, such as songs, videos and online articles.
5.5.5.5. Better SkyDrive integrationBetter SkyDrive integrationBetter SkyDrive integrationBetter SkyDrive integration The final improvement that I want to mention if you are using Windows 8.1 on a traditional
computer is the enhanced integration with SkyDrive. On Windows 8 you can download a
SkyDrive Metro app from the Windows store, in addition a Skydrive desktop application is
included in Windows 8 that enables you to take your SkyDrive files offline and keep them
synchronized to the cloud, but the experience isn’t seamless. In Windows 8.1 SkyDrive is an
integrated part of the operating system. You can access the SkyDrive settings from the
Charms - Settings menu. Here you can see how much space you have left in your account
and you can change your SkyDrive settings.
You can set SkyDrive to your default save location to make saving files to SkyDrive
effortless. In addition to files, you can synchronize your Windows settings, such as the tiles
on your Start screen, your lock screen and installed apps – all through SkyDrive. This way
you can easily switch between multiple devices and still have a consistent experience.
Microsoft gets Microsoft gets Microsoft gets Microsoft gets plusplusplusplus points for listening points for listening points for listening points for listening Trying to change and improve an operating system and make it work on a wide range of
different devices – new and old, is not an easy task – especially when the operating system
is used by over hundreds of millions of users worldwide. With Windows 8.1 I believe that
Microsoft have listened to the feedback from their customers and incorporated the changes
that have been requested. Getting used to Windows 8 (8.1) will still take some time, but with
the changes introduced in Windows 8.1 I think the transition will be easier for a lot of people.
There are still a few things missing, but with Windows 8.1 Microsoft is definitely on the right
track!
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