Microsoft Windows 8.1 : A List of Changes & New Features

If you’re an hard follower of an technology, then i think that you might be knowing the update for Windows 8 i.e., Windows 8.1 is made available for public on 18 October, 2013. If you have got the RTM (Preview) version already, then you are awesome! So I am not going to tell you how to get it now, we will just talk about the new features and changes that Microsoft has added in this major update to its Windows 8 operating system.

Microsoft’s Windows 8 Operating System received huge negative reviews. All credit to them for its Modern UI start screen which alienated users from its older versions. Frankly and personally speaking, I never had a complaint on Windows 8 OS, I still love it. Of course, getting used to a start-button-less desktop took time, but then again, it wasn’t such a big deal for me.
Coming to the Windows 8.1 release now, it is a major update because Microsoft has taken all these negative reviews and has addressed majority of the issues mentioned by sad people all around the world. Let’s dig deep.

What’s New in Windows 8.1

1. Start Button Returns

One of the most confusing and irritating changes in Windows 8 was that the removal of Start Menu. In fact, the Start button was completely gone, although there was an invisible clickable area where it used to be. Windows 8.1 brings back the Start button, but stops short of resurrecting the menu. Clicking on the button opens the Windows 8.1 Start screen, but a right click does give you access to some common functions like the control panel, task manager and the ability to shut down or restart the computer.

2. Boot to Desktop

Users who don’t use touchscreens interfaces with Windows 8 were not too pleased with Windows 8’s insistence on booting into the revamped, tile-based Start screen UI. Instead of clicking on that desktop icon on the Modern UI, users wanted to boot to desktop directly. In Windows 8.1 has made the option to boot directly to desktop available.

3. The Windows Store

The new Windows Store UI is cleaner and has larger images of the apps. Currently installed apps can also auto-update in the background. Hopefully this get developers more excited about making things for Windows 8.

4. Souped up Metro Control Panel

For touchscreen users, one of the biggest changes in Windows 8.1 is a massively beefed up Metro Control Panel. No longer will you have to fall back to the Desktop Control Panel to change a large number of system settings!

5. 3D printing support

In a rare example of Microsoft being cool, Windows 8.1 now has a 3D printing API, allowing you to print directly to 3D printers from the Charms bar.

6. More Help Everywhere

Microsoft has even brought a lot more help at hand for people to get themselves comfortable with the new interface and actions. These straight-forward tutorials provide help and tips on how to control your machine properly.

7. More Apps at Once

In Windows 8 you were able to snap open only two apps together with a 75/25 split screen. With Windows 8.1, you can now snap 3 apps together with dynamic sizing option.
Apart from all these change in features, there are more options in the settings menu, new hidden features, enhanced lock screen, new wallpapers, updated default apps and lots more in the back-end. And yeah, the good old “Computer” or “My Computer” has been renamed to “This PC“.