Microsoft has just decided to officially present all the details of the new Windows 8.1, emphasizing that the new version is specifically designed to respond to customer feedback.
In addition, it has added several improvements and new features in key areas, such as personalization, the Windows Store, built-in applications, and search, the company said in a press release issued today.
First of all, Microsoft has significantly improved the personalization of the operating system. From now on, users will be able to completely change their Windows 8 tablets, such as the Microsoft Surface RT or Pro, as they will be able to add frames to the lock screen to display photos in a slideshow.
The new feature will support both local folders and SkyDrive accounts, the company said. Users will also be able to take photos with the built-in camera without having to log in.
The new Start screen will bring a number of improvements. The company confirmed that users will be able to use the desktop wallpaper as their home screen background and also change the color scheme.
"You will be able to run multiple apps at the same time, resize them, uninstall them, or change their layout. Also, the Start screen icons in Windows 8.1, right-clicking them will be able to be moved.".
In case you are the type of user who has installed too many apps, the start screen will allow you to filter them by name, or by installation date, or by which one is used the most, or by category.
The built-in search feature will also be powered by Bing and will allow you to search virtually everything, such as your local files, folders, apps, SkyDrive, the web.
The new Windows Store will bring a major redesign, with detailed lists of the top free apps, new releases, and top picks in each category.
Microsoft says in the Windows 8.1 release notes that it will also improve the built-in Metro apps, such as Mail, SkyDrive, Camera, and Music. Each of these will come with new features, as well as support for the brand new 50-50 snap view mode.
Also coming is Internet Explorer 11, which will officially launch with Windows 8.1. It will offer even better performance on touch screens, according to Microsoft.
Last and perhaps what everyone has been waiting for is the Start button. It will be where we always knew it from older versions when using desktop mode.
With so much advertising and so many rumors that have preceded it, Microsoft's announcement seems outdated and quite poor..
Its presentation, with art, shows us a personalization of our desktop like the discovery of America. My personal opinion is that the success of an operating system is not due to a beautiful decoration of the screen elements or to how easily the icons change position. As optimistic as Microsoft is, the sales numbers of Windows 8 are a little higher than its most unsuccessful operating system called Vista. Now we will see how much this reality can change with a Start Button. But I think that the era when we saw Windows 95 and were ecstatic is gone forever.
