Back again With another topic of the category of Microsoft's Latest Operating System Windows 8.1..
Windows 8.1 Preview has officially launched at the Microsoft Build developer conference in San Francisco on June 26. The final version will be available as a free downloadable Windows 8 update in Upcoming days...
So let us now talk or take a look about New Windows 8 Features...
1. Interface :
i. Make The Start Screen Yours..
Most of the changes in Windows 8.1 are visible straight from the Start
Screen. New sizes of Live Tiles that offer more information or reduce
clutter on screen, additional motion backgrounds, and the ability to set
any image as the Start Screen wallpaper make for an improved and
refined interface. The transition between desktop mode and "Metro" is a
lot less jarring now, and there are even options to boot to desktop or
set a new All Apps view as the default home page for the Start Screen.
Microsoft appears to be listening to its Windows 8 critics here, making 8.1 a more customizable experience that suits all needs. Altering the new Start Screen takes some getting used to if you're used to the old method, as you have to hold down on Tiles to move and change their size or position. It feels less intuitive than before, but it also prevents accidental swipes and movements so there's a tradeoff involved. The lock screen has also been tweaked to include quick access to the camera, the ability to quickly accept Skype calls, and a slideshow feature that pulls pictures from Sky Drive or the local PC. These features are minor, but good additions for upcoming 7- and 8-inch devices.
Microsoft appears to be listening to its Windows 8 critics here, making 8.1 a more customizable experience that suits all needs. Altering the new Start Screen takes some getting used to if you're used to the old method, as you have to hold down on Tiles to move and change their size or position. It feels less intuitive than before, but it also prevents accidental swipes and movements so there's a tradeoff involved. The lock screen has also been tweaked to include quick access to the camera, the ability to quickly accept Skype calls, and a slideshow feature that pulls pictures from Sky Drive or the local PC. These features are minor, but good additions for upcoming 7- and 8-inch devices.
ii. Return of Start Button..
The Start button returns to Windows 8, and if you want you can almost
combine it with the All Apps view to create a Start Menu of sorts. The
button is simply a visual element that takes you back to the Start
Screen, but you can also right click on it and access power user
commands and the shutdown or restart options. Its return should help
ease one of the usability complaints around Windows 8, but it does very
little to change the way you have to interact with the Charms or the
recently used apps with a mouse and keyboard. Fortunately the hot
corners can be disabled so if you want to totally avoid the "Metro"
world then it's possible to do so without third-party software now.
iii. Side by side, multi-monitor, Miracast
One of the biggest changes in Windows 8.1 is the ability to have greater
control over snapped applications. In Windows 8 apps could run
side-by-side, but it was rather limited with a roughly 30 / 70 percent
split. Microsoft is altering this dramatically in Windows 8.1, allowing
apps to snap in a new 50 / 50 mode. You can also change that percentage
to better control how much of an app you see on screen. This means it’s
possible to snap three, four, or more apps alongside each other. There’s
a limit, but it’s based on the number of 500 pixel increments you can
fit on a display. On 7- and 8-inch tablets, Windows 8.1 will support the
50 / 50 view in landscape mode, with the majority of improvements aimed
at portrait mode and reading scenarios.
Multiple monitor support for Windows 8-style applications has been
greatly improved in Windows 8.1. In our testing you can snap multiple
apps across multiple displays and even extend a machine wirelessly to a
Miracast-compatible display. Microsoft is supporting Miracast natively
and it has surfaced as part of the Devices Charm with the project
option. Snapping apps on multiple monitors is a little confusing, and
dragging apps between monitors doesn’t always have the desired effect. I
found that the Start Screen would often jump to the active monitor,
making it tricky to arrange apps. Still, the support is welcome and it
certainly makes Metro a lot more appealing on desktop and laptop
computers without a touchscreen.
iv. Access PC settings from Metro
With Windows 8, you had to use
the traditional Windows desktop Control Panel to adjust practically any
important setting on the computer, and if you're a power user or find
yourself troubleshooting computers often, that might still be the case.
But for most tablet users, the new touch-based PC settings will probably
be enough for most anything. It's still a bit of a mess of nested
options as of the Windows 8.1 preview build, and you might be better off
just searching for what you want, but if you're looking to change the
screen resolution or how long the computer will sit idle before it goes
to sleep, these new menus have you covered.
Screen Shot of New Lock Screen
2. Search
i. Built-in Bing search
Search has been totally
overhauled in Windows 8.1. Bing now powers the interface and underlying
algorithms used to discover and fetch data from local PCs and the web.
Microsoft has long been investing in desktop search, but it’s moved
forward significantly in the 8.1 preview. You can simply type on the
Start Screen and you’ll be able to instantly access web queries, recent
searches, system settings, files, and other information. If you want to
quickly launch an app then you can just type the first few letters and
you’ll be presented with it. The search interface appears to favor apps
over other content, but it also learns your search habits and adapts
accordingly.
Bing Heroes
Bing Heroes surfaces images, video, and audio content in a stylish wayPerhaps the biggest change to search here is a new hero interface powered by Bing. If you search for an artist like Rihanna you’re presented with a full-screen interface that surfaces images, video, and audio content. It’s done so in a useful but stylish way and it will even retrieve data from applications. One particularly impressive part of this search interface is that it shows web links with a thumbnail preview of the site you’re about to click on. If you want to play audio from a particular artist then it jumps straight into Xbox Music, or it will find YouTube videos from the web that are relevant.
News is also presented,
alongside key information from Wikipedia. The images can be expanded and
viewed separately, and there’s even the option to filter them by color
to find the exact image you need. Speaking of images, if you search for a
location the new Search experience can even find pictures you may have
taken there, surfacing them alongside web results. It’s clear Microsoft
has put a lot of thought and effort into this interface, and it has paid
off.
3.Apps
i. Mail and Office
Most of the Windows 8 apps are
being improved, but one that’s not part of the preview is the Mail app.
The company is demonstrating some of the improvements it’s working on,
including drag-and-drop support, sweep (which can remove large
quantities of older unwanted mail) and the ability to group social and
newsletters in one place. The Mail app is clearly starting to take shape
into something that’s more usable and powerful to use over on tablets
and even desktops. In the preview release the improvements aren’t ready,
but Microsoft tells us an updated app will ship with Windows 8.1 later
this year. One thing that does work well now is Mail's ability to pop
open an app, side-by-side with Mail, to quickly view a web link or
attached photo.
Metro Office is coming soon
I also saw a brief glimpse of
Windows 8-style Office applications which Microsoft is currently working
on. Described as an alpha build, Microsoft was only prepared to show
off a copy of PowerPoint running a presentation, but the suite should
launch for Windows 8.1 tablets later this year.
ii. Spin for better photography
Microsoft
has some pretty intriguing user experiences for snapping shots and
editing photos in Windows 8.1. With Photosynth, part of the Camera app,
you can take a whole 360 degree photosphere — an entire room floor to
ceiling — just by moving the tablet around, as if each image is filling
in the pieces of a virtual jigsaw puzzle. The Photosynth software
stitches them all together, and the results are surprisingly good.
Meanwhile, the Photos app lets you enhance or mute colors through a
different circular procedure: you drop a pin on any spot, then rotate a
radial dial (which reminds me of OneNote) to adjust the intensity.
iii. Internet Explorer 11
Internet Explorer 11 largely
looks the same as its IE10 counterpart. The tab interface has been moved
to the bottom, and Microsoft is catching up to the competition with tab
sync across Windows 8.1 devices and Windows Phone. WebGL is also
supported in Internet Explorer 11, and website owners can create
separate Live Tiles that can be pinned to the Start Screen to access RSS
feeds.
Unfortunately there are still
separate desktop and Metro versions of IE11, and the tabs don't appear
to keep in sync between the two. It's an odd disconnect given
Microsoft's focus on cloud syncing in 8.1. IE11 will also detect phone
numbers on sites so you can call them using apps like Skype, and the app
fully supports the new Reading List feature that will let you bookmark
web pages for later reading.
iv. Much More like..
Right out of the box, there are a number of new apps in Windows 8.1.
Metro-style versions of Alarms, Calculator, and Sound Recorder are all
available and the company is also adding Bing Health & Fitness and
Bing Food & Drink. Bing’s Food & Drink app is perhaps the most
interesting addition. Designed as a recipe book, it includes a unique
hands-free mode that lets you swipe between recipe notes to avoid
touching a screen with messy fingers. It simply uses a webcam and it
will be interesting to see whether this makes its way into additional
Windows 8.1 apps.
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