14 DAY TRIAL // One of the major drawbacks of Windows 8 was the confusion created around the Modern UI, with many users complaining that it’s very hard to perform some simple tasks such as shutting down the computer.
Of course, it all came down to the Start button, the old and yet very popular feature that actually provided quick access to the essential features of the operating system.
Now Microsoft has addressed these problems in Windows 8.1 and implemented not only a new Start button, but also several tutorials and help manuals to guide users as they discover the operating system.
The company presented all these improvements in a blog post, saying that stickers, the Help+Tips app, and the help manual of each app are all there to make it easier for users to get things done.
The so-called stickers pop out when you run the operating system for the first time, providing instructions on how to access the Start screen, the Start button, or other features implemented in Windows 8.1.
“Keep an eye out for them—you’ll see tips about how to navigate and find things, which go away once you do the action they’re telling you about,” Redmond said.
The Help+Tips app, on the other hand, comes with six different categories, namely Start and apps, Get Around, Basic actions, Your account and files, Settings, and What’s new.
“There are links to where you can get more details if you want them, but most of the essential info is right there in the app,” Microsoft added.
Finally, the help section of each app redirects users to Windows.com and the adjacent information where users can get support for particular features.
“We’ve tried to make it super-easy to get to those pages from within the app you’re using. To get help for the app you’re using, open Settings, then tap or click Help,” Microsoft concluded.