微软今天推出Windows 8.1

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　　微软公司(Microsoft Corp.)今天推出期待已久的Windows 8.1升级版,供免费下载。升级版解决了Windows 8用户的某些抱怨。视窗8尝试跨越平板电脑和个人电脑这两种不同的操作系统。

　　美联社报导,Windows 8.1仍跨越这两个介面,一方面是类似平板电脑的触控介面,另一方面是个人电脑旧的滑鼠和键盘介面。升级版替触控应用软体增加若干新的手指和手势触控捷径,同时恢复了十亿个人电脑用户习惯的桌面模式。

　　目前Windows 8的用户可免费升级,从美东时间上午7时起可以下载。装有Windows 8.1的电脑和单独销售的升级版软体明天起上市。

来源:@世界日报

immvan

Microsoft's Windows 8.1 update is now available to download. Windows 8 users will see a notification in the Windows Store with a prompt to upgrade to the new operating system. Microsoft has added a number of improvements with this update, including built-in Bing search, smart SkyDrive syncing, and visual changes to the Start Screen and application snapping. For a full overview of all the features see Windows 8.1 review.

Windows 8.1 Preview users will need to reinstall apps

If you're an existing Windows 8 user then moving to 8.1 should be relatively pain free. The update will retain all desktop and Windows 8-style apps, including files and settings. It's worth backing up just in case, but it should be like any other patch through Windows Update that Microsoft supplies on a monthly basis. Windows 8.1 Preview users will have a slightly different experience depending on how the Preview was originally installed. If you installed Windows 8.1 Preview from the Windows Store on top of Windows 8 then you can move straight to the final edition in the Store today. Personal files will be retained, but apps will need to be reinstalled.

If you clean installed Windows 8.1 Preview by using an ISO then you can update to the final version of Windows 8.1 using the Store today, but the system won't activate without a Windows 8.1 license key. Microsoft says existing Windows 8 keys will not work on systems that clean installed the Preview and update to 8.1. If you were previously  running Windows 8 then you'll need to reinstall that copy before moving to 8.1 to ensure you don't have to purchase a new key.

Microsoft has released a large number of built-in app updates for Windows 8.1 today, so expect to see those appear following the upgrade. The software maker is also releasing a final General Availability update patch today for existing Windows 8.1 users and those upgrading, so if you have any limitations on your monthly broadband bandwidth then bear that in mind before you update. Finally, if you're a Surface RT user then the Windows RT 8.1 update is also available today and details can be found at Microsoft's support pages.

Update: If you're having trouble finding the update in the Windows Store, simply visit this article on your Windows 8 deviceand click this link

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Update to Microsoft's operating system also includes better search functionality and improved multi-tasking

Microsoft has released Windows 8.1, the long-awaited update to its current operating system Windows 8. The update will be free to those already running Windows 8 but cost £75 for those running Windows 7.

(Click here to read our guide to installing Windows 8.1)
The new software, which is now available for download from the Windows Store, addresses several criticisms of Windows 8; restoring the start button and the option for a traditional desktop style interface.
Windows 8’s user interface was essentially a series of tiles, designed to unify the operating system’s aesthetic across multiple Microsoft platforms including mobile devices and the Xbox.
However, it’s reliance on touch as a navigation method proved unpopular, with critics and the public demanding the return of a more traditional interface. Windows 8.1 is still a compromise between traditional mouse and keyboard in put and touch, but Microsoft will be hoping that this time they've got the balance right.
The update comes at an uncertain time for the company, with CEO Steve Ballmer slated to retire in less than a year; a decision that was announced just two months after he outlined a vision for Microsoft’s future.
Ballmer’s ‘ One Strategy, One Microsoft’ plan hinges on focusing the company on “devices and services”, but its their key device, the laptop-tablet hybrid Surface, that has failed to take off with consumers.
It’s hoped that the update will improve sales of the new Surface 2 device as well as stem the general decline of PC sales, a market that has been overwhelmed by smartphones and tablets.
Windows 8.1 includes an update search function powered by Bing that aggregates online and computer-based content.
Windows 8.1: what’s new?

• The start button has returned but not as the traditional start menu – but users can click it to move back and forth between a desktop and tiled layout. One long press accesses system settings.
• A new app locker can be accessed by swiping down on the start screen – an arrangement familiar to Android users
• An upgraded search function (powered by Bing) lets you search your hard drive and the internet at the same time
• Better multi-tasking functionality allows users to view multiple apps at once, tweaking how much screen space each takes up
• Users can choose to boot to their app locker or their desktop – not just to the start menu
• The lock screen can be turned into a slideshow with pictures store on the hard drive or sky drive
• New customization options including backgrounds that move as you swipe the screen and extra colour themes
• Updated start screen gives more variation for tile sizes – including both an extra small and an extra large option
  

James Vincent


The Independent