With its Windows 8.1 Update, announced today,
is looking in the rearview mirror—and putting the car in reverse. But for all the people who have wanted Windows 8 to work more like Windows 7, that’s the right direction.
On April 8—coincidentally
the same day that Microsoft cuts off Windows XP support—a free Windows 8.1 Update will bring mouse and keyboard users some much needed relief with some small but useful system tweaks.
“Our goal is to bring back the familiar,” Chaitanya Sareen,
Microsoft Principal Program Manager Lead on Windows, told me as he demonstrated some of the new features last week.
There are three that I think will significantly aid people making the transition from a traditional version of Windows, including XP or 7, to Microsoft’s now slightly-less-brave new world.
1. Automatically go to the desktop after booting or unlocking. If you are using a laptop or a desktop PC, Windows 8.1 will now automatically boot to the traditional desktop. No more grid of colorful tiles when you first boot or wake up the machine. Computer makers will control the out-of-the-box experience, but most non-touch PCs will boot straight to the desktop. If your machine doesn’t at first, you can always set it to do so.
Note: For now, when you hit the Start button, you’ll be taken to the Start screen, but Microsoft promised that it would soon release a classic-style Start menu. This—combined with booting into the desktop—could be the final nail in the Modern interface’s coffin.
2. A taskbar revival. The taskbar along the bottom of the classic desktop will now be more useful—you can pin all types of apps, including new Windows apps from the Windows Store, and even a shortcut to the Windows Store itself. You’ll also be able to use the taskbar to switch between apps. Push the cursor down to the bottom of the screen in an app and the taskbar will appear.
3. “Close” and “Minimize” buttons within apps. Welcome back the close (X) and minimize (–) icons in the upper right corner of all apps! Instead of having to figure out that you can drag the app to the bottom of the screen to close it, mouse and keyboard users will see the standard Windows tile bar along the top of all apps.
There are other small tweaks, too, like the ability to search and shutdown right from the Start Screen—no need to access the side charms or other menus. You can also right click on tiles on the Start Screen to move them around and make other tweaks. And, while not a mouse or keyboard trick, Microsoft has finally put an arrow along the bottom of the Start Screen to indicate that if you swipe up you can get to the All Apps menu. Like I said, small but useful tricks for the traditionalists.
