14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8.1 August Update doesn’t bring anything exciting, but in addition to the features announced by Microsoft last week, this pack of improvements also comes with some minor improvements for the Modern UI.
For example, as Rod Trent of WindowsITPro has discovered, the Windows Update screen in the Modern UI now displays more information about the installed updates, namely the most recent check for new updates and the date when the last items were installed.
While this is nothing to be excited about, it’s pretty clear that Microsoft remains focused on the Modern UI, and despite rumors that the company might actually give up on its touch-optimized interface, there’s no doubt that Metro is here to stay.
In Windows 9, for example, Microsoft is expected to make some changes that would better make a difference between SKUs designed for tablets and PCs. Devices with a touch-capable device would thus boot directly to the Start screen, while on PCs with a mouse and keyboard the desktop would be the first thing to see.
Nothing is confirmed so far, but it appears that Microsoft is also pondering an option that would enable users to disable the Charms bar and thus make the Modern UI a thing of the past on PCs.