windows 8.1 review

 

WINDOWS 8.1

Programs

Use them the way you always have. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other programs you count on work the way you're used to. Use a mouse and keyboard and organize your stuff in folders on the desktop.

Security

Windows Defender and Windows SmartScreen can help guard your PC against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software in real time. Family Safety gives your kids some independence while still keeping tabs on them.

Mouse and keyboard

You can use a mouse and keyboard to work on your Windows desktop the way you always have. And things you do with touch, like using apps from the Windows Store and getting around on your Start screen, can also be done with a mouse and keyboard.

Help+Tips

The new Help+Tips app that debuts in Windows 8.1 addresses the top criticism of Windows 8—that it's confusing to use. Actually, Windows 8 could not be simpler to use for a lot of things—what's so hard about clicking a big tile with the name of an app on it to run it? But some essential activities of the OS are less obvious. Things like using the Charms (an always-accessible menu button bar along the right side of the screen), switching apps, and moving between desktop and new-style interface are all covered in the

Search once, go anywhere

Bing smart search gives you results from your PC, your apps, and the web. Results are in a clean, graphic view so you can quickly get to what you're looking for. (Certain features unavailable in some regions.)

 

Your Windows, everywhere

It goes where you go.

Use your Microsoft account to sign in to any of your devices running Windows 8.1, and you'll see the same layout, apps, and settings. Signing in with your Microsoft Account (which is simply an email address and password of your choice) also gives you access to a world of apps from the Windows Store, and lets you save, view, and edit your documents and photos online with SkyDrive.

SkyDrive

Your files are always with you

SkyDrive is free online storage that's built into Windows 8.1. Save documents, photos, and other files to SkyDrive automatically, and get to them anytime, from any of your PCs or devices. And you can use SkyDrive to protect your files if something happens to your PC.

You can also use SkyDrive to share and collaborate with others, and see your stuff on mobile and non-Windows devices.

Internet Explorer 11

Fast, fluid, built for touch

Internet Explorer 11 is built for touch—now with larger tabs, simpler controls, and fluid response to gestures. Internet Explorer harnesses the power of hardware acceleration, so sites load faster and browsing’s smoother.

Skype

Video, voice, and instant messaging

The always-on app that makes staying in touch with all your contacts easier than ever. Keep in touch with video and voice calls and instant messaging, all from one app. Call any phone quickly and easily. All Skype-to-Skype video and voice calls are free, and your messages are delivered straight to you no matter what you're doing. Snap Skype left or right and do more while you IM, video call, or keep an eye on your home screen.

Windows Store

Load up on apps

Open the Windows Store right from your Start screen to browse and download apps for cooking, photos, sports, news, and a lot more—many of them free. Sort by price, rating, and category. Find old favorites and hot new apps.

Start Button and Boot to Desktop

Two features that longtime Windows users cried out for after Windows 8's original release have made their way into Windows 8.1—the Start button and the ability to boot to the desktop, where standard Windows programs can run just as they have for the last few versions of the OS. The Start button Microsoft has included, however, isn't quite what the longtime users were hoping for, since it opens the new-style Start screen.

But really, if you think of this as a full-screen start button menu, you'll use Windows 8.1 just as swiftly as its predecessors.

New Start Tile and Window Options

The tile-based Start screen has gotten more flexible, now with four size choices instead of Windows 8's two. Added are a huge square, for apps with a lot of live info to display, like mail, and a tiny one, for apps with nothing to update live. Not all apps have all size choices, depending on what the app developer deems sensible.

The Start screen gets more than just new tile sizes. It also can now display animated backgrounds, or use the same background as the desktop wallpaper, for a more unified interface experience. So that the Start screen doesn't get overwhelmingly cluttered with app tiles, now apps only are automatically added to the All App screen, not to the Start screen, but in Windows 8.1, you can get to this All Apps list simply by swiping up on the Start screen.

As to new-style app windowing, more than two modern apps can now share the screen. No longer are you restricted to a large window and one slender side panel, but two apps can each take up half the screen, or, depending on what the app's developer has allowed, any portion you choose. The number of apps depends on how large the screen is and its pixel density.
Apps can even sprout a second new-style window when it makes sense such as the new Reading List app, which keeps the list in a narrow left-side panel while the content you want to read takes up most of the screen. With multiple monitors, you can further augment the number of windows. Speaking of external monitors, Windows 8.1 supports Miracast, which lets you send video over Wi-Fi to large HDTVs and the like.
The Lock screen also has new tricks: It can act as a slideshow display of your photos, rather than just showing a static picture. The slides are chosen with some intelligence, too, rather than simply rotating through all your photos; for example, you may see photos from around the same time of year in previous years. Another big help, especially for small tablets, is access to the camera without the need to log in. The same goes for answering Skype