Fresh Start

Improved Search and Workplace Join

If you enter a term on the Windows 8.1 Start screen, the tool no longer distinguishes between searching for files, apps, and settings; instead, it shows the results immediately. This is also true for Internet searches with Bing and files from SkyDrive folders. The search becomes easier because you no longer have to navigate between the different results. If you want to restrict the search to a specific area, you can easily filter by specific categories under the Search heading. Detailed search settings are made in the Charms bar beforehand by switching to Settings | Change PC settings | Search and apps .

In Windows 8.1, you can request access to corporate resources via your email address after entering your workplace on the Start screen. The server must be configured to support this functionality. Users can thus use their PCs to access corporate resources, even if they are not members of the associated domain. You will find these settings if you go to Settings | Change PC settings | Network | Workplace in the Charms bar. The PC does not automatically join the domain after access is granted. Administrators can also specify various default settings and enforce policies so that the PC has access to the data in the enterprise. Data that is stored on the PCs in this way can be deleted remotely.

Windows Store and SkyDrive

Microsoft Windows 8.1 also introduces improvements to the Windows Store interface. Navigation is simple, and the selection of different categories is improved. If you scroll down and back in the Windows Store or right-click in the Store interface, Windows 8.1 displays options for your own account and the Store. Microsoft has revised this interface for Windows 8.1. You can view all of your downloaded apps and sort the apps that are displayed in an improved way. The menu also supports fast switching between categories.

Another striking feature is that Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud service [5] has been much more closely associated with the operating system. In the SkyDrive app for Windows 8.1, users can not only use online data but also offline files on the local machine. Where app updates exist, apps can be automatically updated in Windows 8.1, rather than just display the updates.

Conclusions

Windows 8.1 sees Microsoft attempting to touch up all the mistakes it made with Windows 8 and give users a helping hand in their use of the interface. Unfortunately, the popular Windows 7 Start menu is still missing; Microsoft is still forcing users to work with the new tile surface. This restriction is especially problematic for corporate computers, because users often need training to be able to work effectively. Users who do not want to end up in the tile interface after logging in, however, do have the ability to display the normal desktop.

Whether the new Windows 8.1 is a masterpiece is certainly debatable. However, Microsoft has integrated some interesting innovations and rounded off the operating system. Working with Windows 8.1 is a much smoother experience than working with Windows 8 – although Windows 8 is already fast and stable. Users can work around the tile interface, and the new features for mobile users, such as improved DirectAccess or Workplace Join, add genuine value.