Microsoft has just released the latest update to its touch-centric desktop OS, Windows 8.1. The update is available to install for all devices running Windows 8 free of cost. The rollout started an hour ago at 4:30PM but it is a bit slow to reach Indian shores. We’ve figured out a workaround that makes it instantly downloadable for everybody currently running Windows 8 in India.
The Workaround
Go to the Control Panel and search for “Region”. Once Region settings pop-up, go to the location tab and change your location to the United States from the drop down menu. Click Apply and proceed to open the Windows Store. The Update should be right there, front and centre. Once you’ve started the 3.63GB download, go back to the region settings and change them back to India. Voila!
The Update
The most immediately noticeable difference in Windows 8.1 is the return of the much vaunted Start Button on the desktop. Be warned though, it does not mean that the Start Menu itself has returned. The Start Button simply acts as a shortcut to the Start Screen. Also, now you can set your Start Screen’s background to be the same as your desktop’s wallpaper, hence retaining a sense of coherence between the two environments.
Other new features include overhauled search functionality, which now has Bing search baked right into it. There’s also a new sortable All Apps view, which you can use to replace your Start Screen, if you want to use it much like an app drawer. Even multitasking in the metro environment has been rejiggered, with a new 50-50 split view as well as sufficiently high resolution desktop displays supporting up to 4 apps side by side. Snapping even works across multiple displays now. There’s also much improved Skydrive integration on offer, along with significant updates to nearly all first party apps.
On the backend, Windows 8.1 comes with better support for high pixel density displays with better scaling. It also supports screens for tablets as small as 8 inches.
Overall, Windows 8.1 is a series of minor changes, aimed at making people on traditional desktops and laptops more comfortable with the Operating System. We shall bring you more detailed impressions once we get our copy up and running!
