Build 2022 keynote: Microsoft unveils Windows 8.1, pledges ‘rapid release’ schedule - gouldsump1974
Microsoft formally unveiled Windows 8.1 to developers on Wednesday, with executives promising a "fast vent" schedule to keep the pace of untried innovations coming.
For those who induce translate PCWorld's active of the Windows 8.1 preview, Microsoft's announcements were nothing rising. Executives confirmed the reworking of the Start menu, new boot-to-Desktop options, as considerably as a slip of updated apps that take advantage of Windows 8.1, which can be downloaded in preview form from trailer.windows.com.
For Microsoft, the Build 2022 developer conference represents a chance to colligate or reconnect with developers, luring them back to the Windows platform. Although Microsoft is nearing 100,000 Windows 8 apps, that unruffled waterfall well short of the millions of apps that have been transcribed for the Apple iOS and Google Android platforms.
For Steve Ballmer, the chief administrator of Microsoft, the company is undergoing a transformation to a business that develops devices and services, and non just software. "And the lonesome way that can happen is aside a caller undergoing a fast-release schedule," he said.
Although Ballmer and strange Microsoft executives focused along Windows 8, they took a few moments to make few announcements regarding Windows Phone, which provides an interface consistent with that of the some other Windows platforms. "It's beautiful, and information technology looks like the same software that we have on Windows tablets, Windows PCs, and our Xbox systems," Ballmer aforesaid.
The stupendous news for Windows Phone is that Dash will add the HTC 8XT every bit well as the Samsung ATIV S Neo, meaning that Windows Phones will seem connected all U.S. wireless carriers.
But whether it's a phone or a tablet, smaller screens will become increasingly immodest, Ballmer aforesaid.
Redoing the hardware
"The PC of today doesn't look a lot similar the Personal computer of …five or sevener geezerhood ago," Ballmer said, referring to an "explosion of new devices," including small-form-cistron tablets. Acer's eight-inch ATIV tablet is "flying off the shelves," Ballmer said, enabling kids to do preparation and coiffure a little bit of entertainment, likewise.
"This small form component is same important," Ballmer said. "I wouldn't call them PCs, but this small mannikin cistron is very important."
Ballmer also promised that hardware makers would redeem Windows 8 devices with touchscreens, a capability that was uncared-for within early Windows 8 offerings. Consumers will go through an "outpouring" of recent devices that are notebook computers in all respect, and touch-enabled, Ballmer promised, Customers that have touch systems are more happier than not-sense of touch-enabled customers, or Windows 7 customers, He said.
Ballmer showed inactive the Helix notebook computer from Lenovo, a Heart i7 device with a full day's worth of battery enabled with a keyboard dock.. "IT literally makes it the most powerful PC, and the most powerful lightweight tablet… should we address it a Personal computer? Should we call it a tablet? I'd call it all Windows, all the clip," Ballmer said.
"Refine the blend"
Finally, Ballmer moved to the core of the presentation, the changes that it had made to make Windows 8.1 a bit much consumer social—or in Ballmer's words, to "refine the blend" between the Start page and the Desktop, among other changes.
Ballmer said that the way in which the Background and the Start page volition embody integrated wish represent a better blend of both, with reboot to Desktop, common backgrounds between the Desktop and the Set forth page, and other features delivery both together.
Julie Larson-Greens, WHO runs the Windows air division at Microsoft, same she was proud of how responsive Microsoft's engineering science team had become. The company had over 800 updates to the products since Microsoft launched Windows 8 last October, and Windows 8.1 is the biggest.
In portrayal mode, the new Start screen full treatmen well on the new small-form-factor devices, Larson-Green said. The Twitter app has been designed for the new, smaller form factor. With Windows 8.1, she said that Microsoft had added gestures to the on-screen keyboard, where users give notice slide their fingers crossways, tap, and then the word appears. Users can also press and hold to access.
Apps are the key
Microsoft's content at Build 2022 is that apps rule out—both its own, and the ones created away third-party developers.
Larson-Green showed inactive the new Mail app, due in the fall. Users bequeath live able to banish or End run emails from a certain sender, and so segregate automatic emails, such as those from Facebook and Chitter, or subscribed newsletters, into their ain folder.
Free music flowing from from Xbox Music will comes with Windows 8, Larson-Naive said, together with the ability to create a playlist from music it finds happening the Vane, she said.
Larson-Green also showed disconnected personalization features, so much A the power to show photos via the lock chamber screen, the ability to take a Skype call from the lock away screen, and Windows 8.1's ability to impart personalized backgrounds. She as wel in brief explained integrated photo editing, plus new apps including Solid food & Salute, which can personify manipulated via hands-free modality. Basically, each the apps "in Windows 8.1 have either been written for Windows 8.1 or updated for it," she said. Those apps can be snapped together, with quadruplet per widescreen monitor.
Larson-Green also showed off a preview of explorative code for PowerPoint, designed for the Modern experience on both Windows RT and Windows 8. Microsoft did non say when the round release for Office, within the Modern environs, would be free.
Antoine Leblond took the arrange to unveil the improvements in Windows 8.1 for developers, which will be represented in 100 sessions approximately across the group discussion.
Visual Studio apartment 2022 is also operating at a faster tone ending cadence, Leblond explained. Devs can download the preview version of VIsual Studio 2022 today, he said, including untested features that measure power, assist in asynchronous debugging of code, and send notifications via Windows Chromatic.
Ballmer also emphasized that new apps for Windows 8 were en route. "IT's gratifying to me that developers are doing really great work for Windows 8," he said, including Flipboard for WIndows 8, NFL Fantasize Football. Most importantly, Facebook will bring an app to the Windows 8 platform, he said, eliminating the need to pin a shortcut to the Start menu.
Leblond also undraped tiled resources, exploitation a mock up of Mars made up of actualized data from NASA. Unremarkably, the graphics card would load wholly of the information, and downsample the information, he said. As the user would zoom in, the detail would get fuzzy. If put inside a game context, the result is an unbelievably detailed gamey experience, Leblond said.
Leblond also showed off a Windows pad working with a unreleased version of LEGO MindStorms, and showed off the capacity of WIndows 8.1 to handle 3D printing.
Leblond also highlighted a sunrise Samsung ATIV with the highest-resoluteness 13-inch display on the market, with an 8-hour battery life, and the Acer Aspire P3, more or less 0.25 inches thick, with a wireless keyboard that doubles American Samoa a touch cover. The Acer Aspire v5 offers high-superior touch for under $400, he said. Leblond also highlighted a Dell Windows RT tablet with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chip internal, and a whopping 18 hours of battery life, with the keyboard. In conclusion, at that place's the Dell XPS ET, an all-in-one that weighs to a lesser degree Phoebe pounds and promises seven hours of battery life.
Bing bringing noesis of the Web to apps
Ballmer said that the company continually wins irrational "taste tests" betwixt its Bing look engine and Google's search engine, with the "vanquis experience" of search inside Windows 8.1 steam-powered by Bing. But explore has increasingly become an enabling engineering science, instead than just a destination.
"Search is non reasonable a list of links, it's things you can do," Larson-Leafy vegetable said.
Gurdeep Singh Pall, a corporate V.P. for Bing, said that the search engine's contribution continues to wax, presently capable 17.4-percent commercialize parcel. Developers know that Bing is an incredible product, only they want more, Pall said.
"For a long clock time we've had this vision that we can enable all these new experiences," Tire said.
For developers, the "unbounded knowledge of the Network" is forthwith available, Frighten away said, connecting the real world and the Web via Bing APIs and controls. Pall showed off applied science that allowed users to take a virtual tour of Valencia, Spain, exploitation Bing and the world power of Bing Maps. Windows 8.1 Maps will ejaculate with 3D capability, Pall said, via a 3D control that toilet be added inside applications.
Pall didn't brag about it, merely the 3D maps puts Bing back connected pace with Apple and Google in 3D mapping applications, instead of just victimization its traditional "bird's eye" view. Pall also showed off integration with Bing to search out more information on a famous Valencia architect, likewise as Bing's translation capabilities, completely designed to add the information to a sample travel app Microsoft developers.
"I conceive that apps wish have eyes, they have ears, they will have mouths," Die said, all with the idea that apps should comprise increased with additional capabilities.
Microsoft executives ended the keynote by showing off Contrive Spark, both a game and a development environment through which gamers can create their own virtual worlds for the Xbox One game console and PCs.
Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/452625/build-2013-keynote-microsoft-unveils-windows-8-1-pledges-rapid-release-schedule.html
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