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Microsoft Windows 8.1 Comes Free for Windows 8 Owners, Others to Shell $120 for the Windows 8.1 Update

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Windows 8 which is the latest operating system from Microsoft has been consistently losing popularity since the time it was launched. Hence, Microsoft has been working from quite some time to roll out an update to fix all the issues. Few months ago, Microsoft had announced that they will be releasing the update which was codenamed as Windows Blue in this year.

Windows 8.1 is the official name of the Windows Blue update. According to Microsoft, the update will be available completely free for users who already own Windows 8. For other users who use Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, the price of the new update will be $120 for them. The Windows 8.1 Pro update is priced at $200 for Windows users who do not own Windows 8.

Microsoft-Windows-8.1

The Windows 8.1 prices that have been announced by Microsoft is for the download from Windows.com website or for original Windows 8.1 DVD that are sold at retail outlets. The charges of the new update are the same Microsoft had charged previously for Windows users to upgrade their system with Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro upgrades.

This time around, Microsoft is selling Windows 8.1 as a full version software that means it is not necessary to have a previous version of Windows present on your system. Previously, Microsoft had offered an upgrade version for people who already had a previous version of Windows on their system and for others, they offered the full version.

According to Microsoft, the new change that they have brought with regards to making full version of the software available for users is mainly based on the feedback that they have received from the customers. Microsoft claims that this will definitely help users who wish to build their PCs right from the scratch or for users who want to execute Windows 8.1 virtual-machine environment.

Users who are already using the consumer preview version of Windows 8.1 are required to reinstall all their apps when migrating to the retail version of Windows 8.1. However, if you did not install the consumer preview version on your Windows 8 PC, you can directly opt for the Windows 8.1 update without the need of reinstalling apps. Also, users who will be upgrading from an older version of Windows like Windows 7 are also required to reinstall their apps. All your files remain intact when switching from older versions of Windows to Windows 8.1 but you are required to install all the apps again.

Users who are using Windows XP and Windows Vista can also avail the Windows 8.1 upgrade. However, Microsoft is not advertising the upgrade for these users. This does not mean that users of older Windows versions [up to Windows X] will not be able to install the upgrade or Microsoft will not be offering support to them. Only thing is Microsoft is just not advertising about this fact mainly because older PCs will not be able to produce optimal Windows 8.1 experience.

Users who wish to switch to Windows 8.1 from Windows XP or Vista are advised not to download the upgrade but to get retail DVD and then perform a clean install of Windows 8.1. Microsoft announced that those buy new PCs with Windows 8.1 running on it, they will be able to avail the Windows 8.1 Pro Pack only for $100. As of now, Microsoft does not wish to offer any sort of limited discount for Windows 8.1 for users that using older version of Windows.

Microsoft Windows 8.1 Ready for Consumers, Release to Manufacturing Rolled Out

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The release to manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 8.1 is ready. The last build number is 9600.16384.130821-1623. Microsoft had already announced that before the August month comes to an end, they would be rolling out the RTM Windows 8.1 and they have done it.

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For those who are clueless on the meaning of Release to Manufacturing, we would like to enlighten you that RTM is nothing but a version of software that is in ready condition to be provided to the customer. The announcement on RTM Windows 8.1 was made through Tweet by SuperSite editor named Paul Thurrot.

Interesting thing is that Microsoft has not confirmed officially on the arrival of RTM Windows 8.1. However a report on ZDNet reveals that Windows 8.1 reached RTM status on 23rd of August. By the way consumers can lay their hands on the Windows from 18th October onwards. This is the time when the Windows 8.1 will be officially released.

Microsoft has already shared the preview edition of Windows 8.1. So, if you are eager to try the Windows 8.1, you can use the preview version of the software. Also, it is not clear whether the Windows 8.1 will be made available to groups like TechNet and MSDN before it is officially released on October 18. Previously, it has been seen that TechNet and MSDN members were able to get updates from Microsoft soon so that the build could be tested before it could be released officially to the public.

When the Windows 8 was released with all the hullabaloo, people had a lot of expectations from the operating system. Sadly, it got removed some of the frequently used feature like Start button and access to the desktop screen and many more. The popularity of Windows 8 is not that great and this is the reason why it has received many negative feedback. Based on the customer feedback, the developers have created the Windows 8.1 update which aims to fix all the issues of Windows 8.

Windows 8.1 is codenamed as Windows Blue and it brings number of modifications to the Windows 8 OS to make it more user-friendly. The Windows Blue will bring missing features like Start button, boot to desktop option, in-built Help tutorials, enhanced Windows Store and many more. The Windows 8.1 update will be available as a free download through Windows Store. We hope that the new update truly makes it much easier to use the Windows 8 OS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Windows 8.1 Release Date, Features Looks Inspired From Windows Phone 8 OS for Intuitiveness

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The Windows 8.1 release date is scheduled on October 18th and the last build shows that it is quite a stable operating system compared from what it used to be. Windows 8.1 which will go live in after few weeks is expected to offer better user experience out of the box.

Analysts who have reviewed the last build of Windows 8.1 feel that the developers have taken many ideas from their very own Windows Phone 8 OS. The Windows 8.1 will come with several new changes which will make the operating system even more user-friendly.

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Windows 8.1 which is codenamed as Windows Blue will offer three dots like the Windows Phone 8 OS which will show up the application bar with more settings and options for various apps like Mail, People, Calendar and other preloaded apps. The OS also offers tips on using pre-loaded apps that are to be used by swiping.

The developers of Windows 8.1 are also introducing a new feature called ‘Help + Tips’ which will allow users to see video tutorials so that they can easily get around the OS, view desired files and perform basic actions and use the settings. Help + Tips comes with plenty of videos, visuals and text that will make the users understand what makes the Windows 8 different from all the previous Windows OS editions.

The introduction of Help + Tips is a great move by Microsoft because users of Windows 8 were not aware of many of the features that were actually present on the OS. Another interesting about the Windows 8.1 update is that Microsoft is supply Skype as one preloaded apps for the OS.

The most desired change to the Windows 8 OS will also arrive through the Windows 8.1 update. Instead of booting to the Metro Interface, the ‘boot to desktop’ option will allow users to directly land up on desktop when they start their PC.

Another striking feature of the Windows 8.1 update is that the developers will bring back the good old ‘Start’ button. Instead of letting you access your applications as it used to be in the previous Windows versions, the Start button will offer better customization. It features different tile sizes like large, wide, medium and small and through it you will be to arrange your tiles and give name to the groups.

The Windows 8.1 update can be downloaded and installed for free through the Windows Store. By the time Windows 8.1 actually arrives on October 18th, you can still use the preview edition of the new update. Once it arrives, even future Windows 8 powered PCs will come with Windows 8.1 preloaded on it.

Find out Why Windows 8 Tablets are Better than iPad and Android

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Even though the Google Nexus 7 has recently and has received rave ratings from the tech world, the iPad is still the unprecedented leader of the tablet space. Still, Android tablets are very competitive and in some aspects like price and features easily outshines the iPad. However, the Windows 8 tablets are not that bad and in many aspects are better than iPad and Android powered tablets.

Windows 8 tablet

Here are some highlighted features of Windows 8 tablets which you need to be aware of:

Multiple User Accounts
Tablets are portable devices that can easily shared by many users. If you have personal content on your tablet, you may not want others to access it. Unlike iPad and Android tablets, Windows allows users to create multiple user accounts. By creating your own profile, you can make certain files and tablet settings exclusively available to you.

Hook up Many Peripherals
Windows 8 tablets allow users to virtually hook up any kind of hardware that connects to the standard connectors. As far as connecting wide variety of peripherals are concerned, the Windows 8 tablet is undoubtedly better than iPad and Android tablets.

Smooth functioning of Snap View
Windows 8 allows users to view two apps side-by-side. This feature is known as Snap View. So, if you are working on two programs at the same time. This feature will help you manage between two apps easily. iPad does not offer such a feature and on only few Android tablets like Samsung Galaxy Android tablets, a similar called multiview is available. However, the multiview feature is not that intuitive as Snap View on Windows 8.

Windows File Manager
Many of us has been using File Manager on Windows on our desktops and laptops and we know it very well that it allows users to manage files pretty well. The same feature has been made available for tablet users through Windows 8 OS. The third party file manager on Android and iOS are not that easy to use and powerful as Windows File Manager is.

Encryption Feature
Security is paramount when it comes to protecting your computer, be it your desktop, laptop, smartphone or a tablet. Windows 8 allows you to encrypt files to protect it from getting accessed by unauthorized users. The Bitlocker feature is an encryption method that allows you to encrypt even entire drives. If such a tablet is stolen, the tablet will be useless for the robber/finder.

Pen Input Support
Since Windows 8 OS has been developed mainly to work on touchscreen enabled tablets, it offers good support for handwriting input. Windows has been offering pen support since a long time and now it has come to Windows 8 powered tablets. The automatic text recognition makes it possible to understand and show up even poorly written texts.

Install Any Browser
Users are not just restricted to one or two web browsers on Windows. In fact, you can choose from wide range of options such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari from Apple, Opera and the good old Internet Explorer. Android also allows users to install multiple web browsers. However, the versions of different internet browsers are not that easy to use as you can find on Windows 8 powered tablets.

 

Windows Phone 8 – LG to Launch Windows Phone in Near Future

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Soon H Kwon who is the Managing Director of LG for the Indian market revealed that the firm is working on a Windows Phone device. He also added that even at their home country (South Korea), the company working on a Windows Phone smartphone. However, he did not reveal any more info on the product and when it will be launched.

LG

At present, all the new smartphones from Nokia are running on Windows Phone OS. HTC is the next brand that offers a few Windows Phone devices. Also, Samsung and Huawei are also offering few Windows Phone devices. However, the number of phones running on Windows Phones is quite less as compared to Android smartphones. Android and iOS are currently ruling the smartphone market. Windows Phone is on the third position followed by BlackBerry.

Since the number of Windows Phone powered devices are less in the market, the popularity of Windows Phone smartphones are also less. Microsoft should team up with other brands and roll out wide range of Windows Phone smartphones. LG is the new name to join the bandwagon for producing Windows Phone devices. The Windows Phone has been around since the past three years and in the worldwide smartphone market, it only occupies 3.2% share.

Kwon also added that even though they are considering offering Windows Phone OS powered devices, their main focus will remain on manufacturing many Android phones. The reason behind it is that Android has become popular across the globe. Kwon said the company is currently assessing the market. In the past, LG had launched Windows Phone 7 devices but after that they stayed away from the operating system. So, LG is yet to release their Windows Phone 8 handset.

The popularity of Windows Phone operating system is consistently growing. In the first quarter of 2012, the market share was 1.9% for Windows Phone. However, in the first quarter of 2013, the market shared jumped to 2.9%. If major companies like Samsung, HTC and Sony roll out wide range of Windows Phone 8 OS, the market share will shoot up considerably.

At present, LG is now focusing on Android products. The LG G2 (possibly Optimus G2) is going to be released in the next month. The flagship product from LG will be unveiled first in Korea in this month. The phablet device from LG sports a 5inch display that supports 1080p full HD display, Snapdragon 800 CPU, 3GB RAM, and 13MP camera and it will come with plenty of exclusive features from LG. Well, at the Nokia camp, the Lumia 1020 is currently the hottest smartphone. Powered with Windows Phone 8 OS, the phone comes with a mindboggling 41MP camera lens.

The smartphone world is currently ruled by Samsung and Apple. LG is nowhere in competition with these giants. Nokia has managed to establish itself as a company that specializes in manufacturing Windows Phone powered devices. It is all thanks to the cozy relationship it has with Nokia. So, LG has to do something unique to stay in competition with these giants.

What Can Microsoft Do to Revive Windows 8 for Better User Experience?

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Windows 8 came out with an entirely new user interface. However, many users were confused with the sudden change in the appearance of the operating system. Even Microsoft knows about it pretty well and that is the reason why CMO Tami Reller recently revealed that a free update called the Windows Blue is on the way. The official name for the update is Windows 8.1

There are several things Microsoft needs to fix in Windows 8. We have listed down some issues that need to be fixed. Hopefully, Windows 8.1 update that is going to happen in the coming summer fixes most of these issues.

Windows-8.1

Desktop Mode Missing
The operating system should be able to detect whether the device is a tablet or a regular desktop/laptop. If the device is regular desktop/laptop, it should boot a desktop screen like the one present on Windows 7.

Start Menu Missing
The good old Start Menu was an exclusive feature from Windows. People are accustomed to use it to access and search desired programs. With the start menu missing, users have to spend time learning on how to access the desired programs new way.

Switching Between Apps
Currently it is not easy to find multiple apps that you have kept open. It requires you to swipe through each app or access a list of open windows every time you want to switch between launched apps. We hope that the Windows 8.1 update will allow users to open and access up to four windows easily.

Internet Explorer Issue
There are two versions on Internet Explorer onboard namely the Windows 8 side and the desktop side. The two versions are not connected to each other. If you open a tab on one, the same cannot be seen in the other browser. If you happen to mark certain site as bookmark in one, it won’t reflect as bookmark in the other.

Difficult to Close Apps
Microsoft claims that there is no need to close apps in Windows 8. The opened apps don’t consume resources and the OS automatically shuts them down eventually. That’s good. However, we felt that having a good old ‘x’ symbol to close apps would be better.

Windows 8.1 Update for Windows 8 Users is Free of Cost by Microsoft

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In the previous week, Microsoft had made announced that were working on the first major update for Windows 8. The update has been codenamed as Blue. The official name for the update has been confirmed by Microsoft CMO and CFO Tami Reller as Windows 8.1. Still, there is no precise information on the release date of Microsoft.

At the JP Morgan’s Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference, Tami Reller announced that the Windows 8.1 update will be available for the users through the Windows Store for free. The update will be available for Windows 8 and Windows RT.

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On June 26th, Microsoft will be releasing preview version of Windows 8.1 Reller did not reveal the release date of Windows 8.1 but made it clear that Microsoft may eye on releasing the update during the holidays. Reller stated that people who are currently using Windows 8 devices or who are planning to buy Windows 8 device in the near future will be able to seamlessly update to Windows 8.1

Reller has mentioned that the update is based on the ‘customer feedback’ that they received by users of Windows 8 and Windows RT. However, Microsoft did not reveal what new changes will be seen in Windows 8.1. More information on the update is expected to be released during the Build conference which will be held in the next month.

We believe that the Windows 8.1 may bring back the good old Start button in the Desktop mode. The reason behind it is that it allows users to easily navigate through the OS. However, it will not have the Start menu which was available in previous versions like Windows 7 and Windows XP. The Start button will take users to the Start screen which contains the Tiles and Modern user interface of Windows 8.

If you do not have touchscreen or if you do not like the Tiles feature of Windows 8, the Windows 8.1 update may bring you a boot option that allows you to directly boot to the desktop.

Microsoft claims that Windows 8 is a very popular operating system and recent records show that have sold more than 100 million licenses. Some tech analysts feel that Microsoft’s move in making the Windows 8.1 update available for free indicates that Microsoft feels that users are not satisfied with the experience of using the OS. Reller is quite positive about the update as she stated that the update will improve the overall performance of the OS and provide more options for work and play.

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