Microsoft will release Windows 8.1 Update 1 following Build 2014, ZDNet reveals, making the operating system more appealing to users who still choose the mouse and keyboard when it comes to interacting with the operating system — especially on those older Windows computers that don’t even have a touchscreen display. Developers who have MSDN subscriptions will receive Windows 8.1 Update 1 on April 2nd, once the company unveils the new features in Update 1. Everyone else will receive the update beginning April 8th.
“Microsoft will be providing Windows 8.1 users who interact primarily with a mouse and keyboard a task bar and other visual cues to make navigating Windows 8.1 easier, according to sources and those who downloaded the leaked bits,” the publication writes. While it appears the actual Start button isn’t coming back, many reports have recently revealed the kind of changes Windows 8 users are expected to find more than useful once Windows 8.1 Update 1 arrives.
The same report revealed that Microsoft will share some details about Windows 9 during its Build event, announce a touch-first version of Microsoft Office, reveal Windows Phone 8.1 features and launch plans, and detail the steps it has taken towards a “more unified dev world,” when it comes to app development for Windows and Windows Phone.
