Windows 8.1 Blue, a Deep Preview

Microsoft launched Windows 8 on last August, with a freshly designed user for the touch-based devices. Just after eight months, Microsoft is now keen to talk about some upcoming changes in Windows 8.1, entitled as Windows Blue, it sets the pace for changes to Microsoft's software that will continue in the future for both the x86 and RT versions of the OS.

Lets see some new and improved features of Windows 8.1 codenamed as Windows Blue.

Windows Start Button

The most important up-gradation in Windows Blue is the coming back of Windows Start Button in the left-hand corner of the Windows 8.1 to make it easier for non-touch screen users, Microsoft already got so many complaints and reports regarding the missing start button feature.

In addition to the start button, users will also be able to set and rename apps in “All Apps screen” (where Windows listed all installed applications on your system) as the default instead of the Start Screen. More details given below

All App screen (Default start screen)

As like Windows Phone Microsoft introduced small and larger live tiles in Windows Blue.

The size of tiles depend on the frequency of usage or the information you want to get from that app tile, if you are using an app so frequently size of the tile will become extra-large and for applications like weather app, it need to display more forecast data’s. Users also can redesign the size of the tiles

And new installed apps no longer automatically pin into default start screen, users have to manually pin it.

The best feature I liked in new tiles slide is, we can create four tiles (in the screenshot we can see video, game, music and photo) in a single tile space.

SkyDrive (cloud storage)

Microsoft’s cloud storage service, SkyDrive, is far more integrated than it was even in Windows 8, files can be saved directly to SkyDrive as like in windows office 2013. Users can access make SkyDrive files offline on PC.

Background image:

In default Start Screen, now we can set mirror image of Desktop Wallpaper, this feature will makes all app screen friendlier.

More color and texture:

Windows 8.1 offers a wider variety colors themes and textures, where Windows 8 had a limited number of colors and textures.

Freshly added features in Blue. 

Search:

"The boldest totally new feature that we've done in 8.1 is the Search feature," - Harris. As he said, MS improved build-in Search a lot more powerful in Windows Blue.

Microsoft pull result from a variety of sources, including the Web Results, Documents, Apps, SkyDrive and much more.


Customizable Snap views

Windows 8.1 brings variable, continuous size of snap views. You will have more ways to see multiple apps on the screen at the same time. You can resize apps to any size you want, share the screen between two Apps, or have up to four apps on screen.

If you have multiple displays connected, you can have different Windows Store Apps running on all the displays at the same time and the Start Screen can stay open on one monitor. This makes Multi-Tasking even easier. Also in Windows 8.1, you can have multiple windows of the same app snapped together – such as two Internet Explorer Windows.

Auto Updates: 

From Windows 8.1 there won't be any manual updates for apps, all installed apps will be automatically updates when new update releases for the app.

Better Multi-Monitor Support: 

A new Settings app, with moves several functions from the desktop to the modern user-interface, includes more options for Multi-Monitor setups and allowing users to set the resolution of secondary monitors manually if they wish.

IE Improvements:

Web browsing continues to be one of the most popular activities on any device. That’s why with Windows 8.1, you also get Internet Explorer 11 (IE11).

Internet explorer 11 builds on the advancements in IE10 and is the only browser that is built for touch. IE11 will offer even better touch performance, faster page load times and several other new features we think you will enjoy. For example, you can now adjust the appearance of modern internet explorer 11 to always show the address bar and you can have as many open tabs as you like. And you can access your open tabs in sync across your other Windows 8.1 devices.

Reading List: 

In any app with content (including IE), users will be able to save that content to a Reading List. It works with news apps like The New York Times and Microsoft's home-grown ones as well as web pages.

Active Lock Screen: 

The lock screen supports an intelligent slideshow that can do things like display photos from exactly a year ago. You'll also be able to take a Skype call without unlocking the device.

Photo Editing: 

The Photos app gets basic photo editing in Windows 8.1 Blue.

New Microsoft Apps:

Windows 8.1 introduces new Microsoft apps including a Calculator, and Alarm, Food & Drink (which has a nifty hands-free recipe mode that lets you wave your hand to advance to the next step) and Health & Fitness (with a WebMD-esque symptom tracker).

Users new to Windows 8 will probably get a lot of use out of Help & Tips, which will help walk them through the finer details of the modern user-interface.

App Syncing Across Devices: 

When you log into a second Windows 8.1 device, the same apps you have on your first one will automatically download and sync. Similar to iOS, you'll be able to opt individual apps and devices out of syncing.

Apps Enhancements: 

The Xbox-branded apps for Music, Video and Games all introduce new features that bring you to the content you interact with the most. News and Sports have similar enhancements, including customized sections and making stories and stats on your favorite teams more prominent.

When I get this update ?

The new Windows 8.1 will freely available from June 26 to all genuine Windows 8 users.

Are you satisfied with new Windows 8.1, please leave your valuable comments below