The US tech blog BusinessInsider cites 13 improvements that Microsoft should make in the Windows 8 upgraded version of Windows Blue, including launching desktop mode and recovering start buttons on laptops and regular desktops. The following is the content of the article.
In June of this year, Microsoft will launch Windows 8 upgraded version of Windows Blue. Microsoft hopes to fix some of the confusing problems in its touch operating system, Windows 8, with this important upgrade.
The existing version of Windows 8 does have a lot of problems, and many people criticize the operating system for being difficult to learn. Many reports indicate that the initial demand for new Windows 8 devices is not large, including Microsoft's own Surface tablet.
However, Microsoft still has the opportunity to change this situation, just like the introduction of Windows 7 to change the Vista version of the Windows operating system is not recognized by the market.
To this end, Microsoft needs to address many of the important, and sometimes even the most basic, problems that exist with Windows 8.
1. Launch desktop mode on laptops and regular desktops
Windows 8 should be able to detect whether the device being operated is a tablet with a touch screen or a laptop or desktop without a touch screen. If the device does not have a touch screen, then Windows 8 should be able to enter the desktop mode that looks like Windows 7 by default.
In addition, Windows 8 should also allow users to choose the default boot mode, choose Windows 8 (start screen) or select desktop mode (Windows 7).
2. Recovery Start Button
Why doesn't Microsoft cater to the needs of users?
Basically, Windows 8 desktop mode is a high-speed version of Windows 7 without a start button. However, users are on Windows 8. The missing start button has been dissatisfied. Why do users have to relearn like how to shut down?
Of course, if Microsoft does not restore the Start button, users can also add a Start button via a third-party tool such as Classic Shell.
3. Adjustable Charm Bar
The Charm Bar is a menu in Windows 8 that allows users to implement basic tasks for each app, such as searching or sharing. The Charm bar is swiped from the right side of the screen.
We hope that Microsoft will allow users to move the Charm bar at will, or keep it visible, even putting search, sharing or other Charms bar functions into the start menu.
Put the Charms menu on the right side of the screen, which will cause Windows 8 to fail to perform regular gestures, such as swiping the app from both directions.
4. Better application switching gestures
In a sense, Windows 8 should not be called Windows at all. If a user opens several applications at the same time, it is difficult to switch between these applications.
If you want to switch between open apps, users must swipe each app one by one, or swipe to view the open windows list for app switching.
It is reported that Windows Blue will improve the "Snap" function to display more open windows, up to four. However, in terms of the number of displayed windows and the size of the window, the "Snap" function requires greater customization.
5. Better Gestures Tips and Training
Microsoft has configured many gesture controls in Windows 8, but it does not provide an easy-to-use method to discover these gestures.
Can you provide a gesture Charm bar function to quickly show the user all the gesture control functions in an application? Or provide some gesture prompt information when more functions or gestures are available.
6. Combine two IEs into one
Windows 8 is deeply integrated with IE. Desktop mode is only run as an application for IE. The two IEs are independent of each other and are not related to each other. A tag opened in one browser is an unopened tag in another browser. The same is true for the bookmark function.
Microsoft should combine these two IEs into a single application.
7. Improve Windows 8 applications
Like all Microsoft operating systems, Windows contains a large number of applications, some of which are most useful applications from Windows 7, but these applications can only run in desktop mode, such as Snipping tools Wait.
Windows 8 applications like Mail, Calendar, People, and Maps didn't initially look good. In March of this year, Microsoft improved these applications, but some applications like Calendar are not powerful, even less than the functionality of Microsoft's free cloud application Outlook.com.
8. Increase the number of Windows 8 applications
The Windows App Store has more than 60,000 Windows 8 applications. This is quite good for operating systems that have been on the market for only half a year, but the app store lacks some key applications. Such as Facebook and so on. What matters is not the number of applications, but the user can find the application they want.
In short, we hope that the new version of Windows 8 will attract developers to develop more applications for the platform.
9. Provides a touch-friendly file browser
Windows 8 does not provide a good way to find files.
Although users can use the traditional file browser in Windows desktop mode, the file browser in this mode is not a touch-friendly browser.
I hope that Microsoft can make the file browser touch-friendly.
10. More convenient to close the application
Microsoft said that users do not have to close the application in Windows 8, because these applications do not take up resources, the operating system will eventually close these applications for users.
However, Microsoft can let users tag all open apps to find the apps they want, or use Snap and other gestures to see open apps.
When the app is closed, the user must call up the app and wait for the app to change, but drag the app down to close the app.
We hope that Microsoft will be able to restore the small "x" button in the app, allowing users to close the app in Windows 8 mode. Or add a Charm column that "closes the app".
11. Better compatibility with third-party browsers
If users choose a browser like Chrome as the default browser, then Microsoft will not let users use IE, and Chrome will not run in Windows 8. stable.
Microsoft should let users choose the default browser they want to use in Windows 8, and continue to let IE run normally.
12. Put the date and time in the start menu
The start menu cannot view the date and time. The user must now swipe the Charms bar to view the clock.
Although users can add clock tiles in the form of third-party plug-ins, everyone wants to add real clock functionality to the screen.
It is reported that Windows Blue will include a new alarm clock application, which is a step in the right direction.
13. Make Windows Tablets More Affordable
Windows 8 will soon be compatible with smaller, cheaper tablets, such as 7-inch tablets. In addition, Microsoft itself is also likely to launch a new smaller Surface tablet.
Microsoft's Surface tablet, especially the full PC version of Surface Pro, has been criticized for being too expensive.
Tablets that are still able to run desktop mode and Windows 7 software are smaller and cheaper, and may be more popular with consumers.
Is the above Windows 8.1 system features and feature optimization the same as you think? Microsoft will share more about Windows 8.1 in the next few weeks, at the BUILD Developer Conference in San Francisco on June 26th. Microsoft will release a public preview version of Windows 8.1. Let us wait and see!