Windows 8.1 Preview is here!

June 26, 2013. It’s been more than a month since the Windows 8.1 Preview  - codenamed “Windows Blue” has been available for tech enthusiasts, IT pros, and developers.  One noticeable change in Windows 8.1 is the ability of the tiles to be resized a quarter of the size of the medium tile like that of the Windows Phone 8 and a large tile for you to see more updates on that app.

Now let’s see what more Windows 8.1 have to offer.

• I can now make my desktop wallpaper as a background of my Start screen.  It gives smoother transition from my desktop to my Start screen, it’s like my apps / tiles is just floating in my desktop. Windows 8.1 also gives me more color options to personalize my experience.  Just go to the Settings charm and click / tap personalize.

• Missing the Start Menu button? Visit your desktop and the Start button is back! But no it wont give you the classic Start Menu, clicking / tapping it will direct you to the fast and fluid Start screen. But wait there’s more try Right clicking the Start button and it will give you the option to Shut down, sleep, or restart Windows 8.

               

• Searching something on my local drive, the web, and across my apps has never been this easy with Windows 8.1! With the unified search, one keyword and Windows will give me results from my files, the web and even from my apps!

• The Windows Store has been redesigned which includes app picks for the user, popular apps, and new releases. Of course you can still brose apps as per category.

• Talking about the browser, the first touch optimized and most secure browser has it’s new version! Checkout the preview version of Internet Explorer 11 built in on Windows 8.1 Preview.

• Windows 8.1 also gives me the ability to go directly to the desktop (bypassing the Start screen) after I sign in.

• Another noticeable change is on the PC Settings.  Most of not all of the tools in the classic Control Panel is already integrated. 

• Want to access your corporate network using your own device running Windows 8 or Windows 8 SL? Domain join is a feature native to Windows 8 Pro but on Windows 8.1, Microsoft introduced the Workplace join for a user to access the corp net even your device can’t join to the domain.  This is very useful on BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scenarios

Get to know and explore Windows 8.1 by visiting www.preview.windows.com