Those who are using Windows OS since the time they became computer literate, are very much used to the Start’button. In fact, the orb is so familiar to us, that whenever we see it, we immediately picture a start-up menu popping up from it.
If the internet leaks are to be believed, for Windows 8.1 or fondly known as ‘Blue’, we can have the old Start button and its menu. However, this doesn’t mean that it will have an older look. It will still carry Metro/Modern UI. There will be definitely plenty of happy people if the Start button reappears.
Microsoft officially acknowledged Windows 8.1 as Windows Blue on March 26, 2013. This was the internal code name for a coordinated cycle of updates across multiple platforms and services, including Windows 8. ‘Blue’ is expected to be released later in 2013.
The recent internet leaks all over the place, have released some internal information about this update. As per these leaks:
- A ‘Start’ button will appear. Apart from that “all apps” button will also appear on the start screen as well as additional touch gestures such to access to all apps
- There will be more size options available for the tiles. This will be an extra-large size and a new small size.
- There will be more color options on the Start screen, which now allows users to customize a color and a shade of one’s own choice instead of choosing from limited colors
- Options such as Control Panel are also included in this update, which were previously excluded.
- Snapped apps may occupy half of the screen. Additionally, more than apps may be snapped at once
- There will be a new addition of “Take screenshot” option which will be seen in the Share charm
- “Play” option in the Devices charm for playing content to another device
- Users will be happy to know about the additional apps such as a alarm clock, calculator, video editing app, sound recorder and a file manager
- It will also exhibit Internet Explorer 11, which includes WebGL and SPDY support.
A Start Button and an option to boot into the desktop or start screen, would be most welcome!
So, then…
…if somone buys a DELL notebook (with Windows 8 on it) now, will Windows 8.1 be a normal update/upgrade for free? I mean, will it just be like a service pack, or something? I know that there’s probably no one absolutely guaranteed-to-be-correct answer yet, but I’m just wondering what anyone’s heard.
Gregg L. DesElms
Napa, California USA
gregg at greggdeselms dot com
Its my bet that the update would be free.
It would be a safe bet to say that with all the disgruntled Windows 8 users that this update will be free.
More U-turns than a road in the Alps then? Makes you wonder why they bother with beta testing. They were told over and over again that they’d never sell it to desktop users with everything that made W7 good banished to the waste bins and still went ahead with it anyway. In my opinion those who were mug enough to fall for the marketing should not only get a free update but a full refund for goods sold not fit for purpose.