14 DAY TRIAL // One of the improvements that Microsoft made in Windows 8.1 is the deeper integration of SkyDrive, the company’s very own cloud-based storage service that allows users to access their files from any device.
SkyDrive is now easily accessible from both the Modern UI and the desktop and allows users to download and upload files to and from their accounts with just a few taps.
Microsoft says that all these improvements have been made to make SkyDrive the core of Windows, as the service gives extra space, while also adding new functionality to the operating system.
“Today, consumers want more from their tablets: the ability to access files from any device, and the affordance to do so without running out of disk space on these low-storage devices. As a result, many consumers and developers have turned to cloud storage services to store files and deliver a continuous experience across devices,” Microsoft explained in a lengthy blog post detailing the integration of SkyDrive in Windows 8.1.
“With Windows 8.1, SkyDrive is built at the core of Windows, which gives both consumers and developers unprecedented flexibility for achieving these goals.”
Microsoft then goes on to say that libraries, which have also been improved in Windows 8.1, are also providing one-click access to files stored in either the SkyDrive account or on the local drives.
“Consumers can easily save and open files on SkyDrive directly from their apps, by using the file picker or adding content to their libraries. Libraries seamlessly aggregate files from the local PC and SkyDrive, which gives apps a common entry point to access all of the user’s content,” Microsoft said.
Microsoft is offering 7GB of free storage on SkyDrive to all users, while additional space is available based on plans that can be purchased via the Microsoft account.