Windows
13/08/2018
He arrived! The first major update of Windows 8 is already in the air.
Windows 8.1 is the first major upgrade to Windows 8. If you have: Windows XP, or Vista or 7, download the ISO file from Baixaki and burn it to a DVD.
Warning: If you already have Windows 8 on your machine, click here to upgrade to the free Windows Store .
It brings a lot of news, including the return of the Start button, and delve into some features started in the previous version. New applications, new features, new themes ... There are several unpublished items that Microsoft has adhered to its operating system, but without changing its face or how it is used. The Start screen is still here, and the focus of the system remains on using it as a tablet.
New customization possibilities are also present, with slideshow on the lock screen, as well as the chance to configure the system to start directly on the desktop. Cloud integration through SkyDrive is also a highlight of this update.
One of the great features of Windows 8.1 is the ability to enable automatic application update, thus avoiding the hassle of having to constantly check everything. It is now up to you to define whether apps installed via the Windows Store will be updated whenever new or not.
The system is also more straightforward, allowing initial boot directly to the desktop - until then, only boot on the Start screen was possible. You can now search Bing directly from within the system, just as you search for apps, folders, and settings.
The Start Up screen even gained a search bar, ideal to avoid the awkwardness of those not yet familiar with the Windows 8 search function (which started searching as soon as you started typing).
Search is one of the new features of the system, or rather a new view of the results. Previously, you typed in something and could choose from a variety of categories and applications, using it as a filter, with results appearing in the center of the screen.
From now on, just type in the results all appear directly in the search sidebar, saving space on the display. What's more, everything is related to your search, making it convenient and accurate without having to navigate between categories to find what you want.
The screens of Windows 8.1 also bring news. First, the lock screen introduces new customization options, with the ability to use a multi-photo slide show as a background. Plus, it now supports a larger number of apps that can be displayed there, allowing you to answer Skype calls and see notifications from social networks, for example.
The Start screen now has new organization options, such as new block sizes, and also the option of naming app groups that you create. It's a simple novelty, but it ensures a better organization of all content.
An interesting news, although not unprecedented (Ubuntu and Mac OS already worked with something similar), was the integration with SkyDrive. You have the option to enable direct upload of some file types, such as images, to your free Microsoft server account.
Additionally, you can use it to synchronize some settings between multiple machines. A SkyDrive directory is added to Windows Explorer, which syncs cloud files as soon as you log in to your account.
Some native applications have also been added or renewed in Windows 8.1. They are: Calculator, Alarms, Reading List, Recipes and Beverages, and Health and Fitness.
Windows 8.1 is enough to quench the curiosity of many, but one gets the impression it was a short step. Of course, even the fact that it still remains in version 8.x instead of launching “Windows 9”, for example, was a hint that this would not be the scene of major system changes at Microsoft, so we can give a discount accordingly.
Anyway, the little that was added to the OS leaves nothing to be desired. It can delve into some interesting features, such as the new search engine, the new Windows Store, the new native apps, and of course the general news added in many ways.
The presence of the Start button can generate almost as much controversy as its deletion, after all, the only thing it does is launch the Start screen, something that could be done by clicking on the lower left corner of the screen or even using the keyboard's Windows key. Finally, a detail that, until now, cannot be removed through a native configuration, only with a third party program.
System fluency, so to speak, was one of the great gains. Some options that once seemed more locked, with several steps, were simplified, such as the search (more complete and simplified) and also the chance to start the system directly on the desktop. At this point you can also indicate direct integration with SkyDrive as it is now easier to access the files you put there.
The update and installation were also very well worked out, since everything happens almost automatically, requiring few effective user actions in this process. Finally, a short but firm step towards a more fluid, broad and easy to use system.
Starting your download, wait...
Watch video?
Your download will start after the advertising.
){kind=link}
