Know About The Top 5 Windows 8.1 Features Introduced By Microsoft

By Author: Brooke Perry
Total Articles: 84
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Recently, Microsoft has released the preview of Windows 8.1, which is the upgrade of Windows 8, the latest Microsoft Windows operating system (OS) released in October 2012. In a bid to redress persistent consumer grievances and concerns cited by experts, Microsoft has released this upgrade in June this year. Microsoft claims to introduce many new and improved features with this edition of the Windows 8 update. Restoration of Start button is the main attraction of this OS update.

In this article you will come to know about the best 5 improvements made to this Windows 8 upgrade release. These features are important because it aims to increase user convenience and competitive edge offered by the OS.

Improved wireless support

Microsoft has released Windows 8.1 with various improvements in wireless technology which include support for NFC (Near Field Communication) print setup, wireless printing and improved support for wireless displays.

Windows 8.1 extends tap-to-pair support for printing whereas Windows 8 supported just a few NFC use cases. Now users would be able to configure their printers by simply tapping their Windows tablet onto an NFC-enabled printer.

Moreover, Microsoft has also introduced the new Windows 8.1 with the capability to print directly to Wi-Fi enabled printers without requiring any further drivers or software. Furthermore, the support for the Miracast wireless display technology provides users the capability to pair up a Miracast-enabled projector through Bluetooth or NFC. This technology helps users give a presentation wirelessly.

Resizable tiles and windows

The customizability of tiles and windows was the one feature that was felt missing by all Windows 8 users. With the release of Windows 8.1, Microsoft has tried to redress this shortcoming by letting users resize tiles and windows that appear together on the screen.

Moreover, users would be now able to choose the dividing line between two consecutive apps appearing on the desktop. Because of this new feature, two equal sized windows can be placed side-by-side. Now you can also have up to four apps on a single screen of Windows 8.

Security enhancements

Microsoft has introduced more security features with the release of Windows 8.1 for enterprise users. This has been implemented to make devices running on Windows 8 OS more secure than before.

After these changes, now device encryption will be enabled by default in all editions of Windows. Apart from this, the new OS will also have management capabilities for the users of Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise editions.

Microsoft has also improved the Windows Defender that will be rolled out with the final release of the Windows 8.1 Upgrade. Now the software is capable to monitor, detect and block malware and viruses while the Internet Explorer will scan extensions before harmful codes get an opportunity to get executed.

Boot to desktop

Previously, your Windows 8 PC was booting to the tiled interface but now after the Windows 8.1 upgrade has been released, all new and existing Windows 8 PCs will boot to the second desktop. In the current Windows 8 version every user has to first go to the tiled interface where tiles of all the apps are arranged as a mosaic even if the user wants to go to the traditional looking desktop. To move to the traditional desktop the user needs to press Windows button + D together. But now this problem has been taken care of by Microsoft and users can directly boot to the traditional desktop.

Options for customization of lock screen and start screen background

In the current Windows 8 version, users have limited options for the customization of Lock screen and Start screen. It is now limited to just a few options that let you change colors depending upon the themes. But now you can choose any picture which you want to set in the background of the Lock screen or Start screen without any such limitations. Although this is a very simple feature but it makes great addition to the experience of the user. You can also turn the background into a slideshow of photos that are special to you right in front of you always.

Above discussed are the five important changes that Microsoft has introduced with the Windows 8.1 preview. Apart from these five, the OS upgrade also offers some other changes to make the user-experience better than before. You can explore online to more features of the Windows 8.1 Preview.

Brooke M. Perry is an ardent technician associated with Qresolve online pc support, with wide experience of fixing issues with PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones. With a strong track record of devising effective ways of computer security and system security, she has so far helped thousands of users across the globe. Her writings on tech issues are the reflection of her in-depth interest and command she carries as a online technical support technician. Her blogs and articles have been rated high for their lucid style and easy to understand language.