14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 8.1 Update was officially introduced last week at the BUILD 2014 developer conference, but until now, only MSDN subscribers have been allowed to download and install the new release.
It appears that Windows 8.1 Update comes with a completely new Windows Store design that makes it much more desktop-friendly and easier to use with a mouse and keyboard.
As McAkins Online reports, Microsoft disclosed the changes in a video session posted on Channel 9, revealing that the Windows Store will have its very own icon pinned to the desktop taskbar in Windows 8.1 Update, in an attempt to make it easier to access on the traditional PC.
The new Windows Store design includes a menu at the top of the screen with drop-down options to quickly open specific categories. Some new sections, such as Top Charts and Collections, as also available.
The new Windows Store improvements are part of Microsoft plan to make the operating system more appropriate for desktop computers, as the entire platform has been tweaked to be used easier with a mouse and a keyboard.
“The Windows 8.1 Update delivers a collection of refinements designed to give people a more familiar and convenient experience across touch, keyboard and mouse inputs. It also brings improvements for business customers, really accelerates opportunity for developers, and enables device makers to offer lower cost devices,” Microsoft said at the BUILD conference in San Francisco.
“On the Start screen, on select devices you will now find Power and Search buttons at the upper-right corner next to your account picture. You can now more quickly shut down your PC if you need to and do a search right from the Start screen. If you like using the desktop, you will be happy to know that select devices will now boot to desktop as the default setting.”
Windows 9 is set to complete Microsoft’s round of improvements for the traditional desktop with new options that would allow users to run Metro apps right on the desktop in their very own dedicated windows.
Microsoft’s increased focus on touch has been heavily criticized by users ever since the debut of Windows 8, as the company pushed lots of features that were more appropriate for tablets and devices with touch capabilities, such as the Start screen and the Windows Store. The company has however pledged to address all complaints in future updates, so Windows would even get a new Start menu sometime in the future to make the desktop more user-friendly.