14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will unveil the Preview version of Windows 8.1 in just a couple of weeks, while the stable build is very likely to see daylight in August.
And even though the tech company has significantly improved specific features, the new operating system is highly unlikely to save the collapsing PC industry and, consequently, Microsoft.
A research conducted by Citi and published by Win8China indicates that new PC sales will continue to go down after the new Windows 8.1 has been released, especially because the upcoming Windows 8 makeover is expected to experience a rather slow uptake.
Tablet sales, on the other hand, are very likely to skyrocket in the next couple of months, with 237 million units expected to be sold, up from 144 million last year.
As far as Microsoft is concerned, Windows 8.1 is going to be the major catalyst of a significant growth of the Windows ecosystem. The new operating system, specifically optimized for smaller devices, will spawn a new wave of devices, some of which are in the pipeline to hit the shelves before the end of the year.
Windows 8.1 will make it easier for owners of 7- and 8-inch devices to make the most of the Metro UI, including the Start screen, which will now offer improved support for portrait mode.
At the same time, Microsoft is also working on its own small tablet running Windows 8.1. Rumor has it that the company could launch it as soon as this month at the BUILD developer conference, alongside the preview flavor of the OS.
Even though Microsoft hasn’t said a thing about the new tablet, the company did mention several times that it planned to expand the Surface product family with new units, so a smaller device would pretty much makes sense. What’s more, insiders revealed that Microsoft worked together with partners to make the device as affordable as $249 (€210).