Good news for Windows 8 users who prefer working exclusively in desktop mode: It’s much easier to get rid of the “Metro” view on Windows 8.1 than it was to get rid of Clippy. ZDNet’s Ed Bott has written a very helpful and succinct “Metro hater’s guide” for the recently released Windows 8.1 preview that …
Although Google has a seedy reputation for collecting exhaustive amounts of its users’ data to deliver targeted advertisements, it looks like Microsoft is planning to do some “Scroogling” of its own. InfoWorld reports that changes Microsoft is implementing with the upcoming Windows 8.1 update are geared toward making it easier to Microsoft to collect users’ …
Windows chief Tami Reller announced on Monday that the company’s PC and tablet vendor partners will receive a near-final version of Windows 8.1 in late August. This will give PC makers enough time with the software to ready new devices that will launch before the holiday shopping season begins. The update to the oft-criticized Windows 8 operating …
The upcoming launch of Windows 8.1 isn’t expected to save the sliding PC industry. Loren Loverde of IDC believes that worldwide PC shipments could improve slightly in the second half of the year with the help of back-to-school specials and holiday shopping. The analyst noted that the results from May are “behind pace for achieving the …
The stakes are very high for Microsoft with Windows 8.1, the company’s latest attempt to merge traditional desktop functionality with the mobile features of smartphones and tablets. While it’s certainly too early to say whether Microsoft’s latest operating system is a hit or a flop, it’s pretty easy to see that the consequences of Windows …
There is no question that the weirdest thing about Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 debut on Wednesday was the Start button. It’s not weird that Microsoft would try to highlight the addition of a new Start button. The disappearance of that precious button has been a major point of contention ever since Microsoft debuted Windows 8 last …
Microsoft’s new Windows 8.1 update has one mission and one mission alone: Get users who were critical of Windows 8 and fearful of switching to an operating system designed primarily for touch input to finally embrace the new platform. In that regard, the Associated Press seems to believe that Windows 8.1 has failed. AP’s Ryan Nakashima “reviewed” …
Forget the Start button or the ability to boot up to desktop mode — Windows 8.1 has a much cooler feature than either of those things. As Ars Technica reports, Windows 8.1 will feature both a standard driver and an application programming interface designed specifically for 3D printing. What makes this so enticing, Ars notes, …
Microsoft on Wednesday kicked off its annual Build developer conference by making a free preview version of its brand new Windows 8.1 operating system available to download. Any current Windows 8 users can simply go to Microsoft’s Windows preview website and download the new update for free. Highlights from the new operating system include the return of …
Microsoft made some mistakes with Windows 8. The software, which was the first major step toward realizing Microsoft’s vision of a future where PC and tablet interfaces merge, was not well received by consumers or businesses. PC sales have slowed even more as a result, but Microsoft has shown that it is willing to take …
