Windows 8.1 operating system first public appearance

Computer Store News: Microsoft first demonstrated the latest Windows 8.1 operating system to the public and announced that at least 60 devices are currently compatible with the operating system, some of which are equipped with Haswell chips. At the Computex show, Antoine Leblond, Microsoft's vice president of Windows business, quickly showed off a series of important features that are coming soon.

Among them, there is the “Start” menu that has been confirmed last week. In addition, other changes include improvements to the touch keyboard, optimization of inexpensive tablets less than 10 inches (Windows 8 is designed to be 11 inches), viewing multiple applications on the same screen, and more. Tami Reller, head of finance and marketing at Windows Business Unit, said, “In Windows 8.1, we’re providing users with a new operating experience and a lot of improvements in security and mobility. . A preview version of Windows 8.1 will be released at the Build conference hosted by Microsoft on June 26. The final version will be officially released to the outside world later this year, when Win8 users can upgrade for free. In addition, to help Microsoft gain a bigger share of the mobile market, the email application Outlook and Office suites are now pre-installed on Windows RT laptops and tablets. Nick Parker, Microsoft's vice president of OEM business, also demonstrated how the new version of Windows works on multiple devices, such as all-in-ones and smaller tablets. It is reported that Microsoft adopted such a strategy to better attract users outside the corporate market. At present, Sony has just launched the latest flagship 11-inch ultra-polar Vaio Pro 11, the device is equipped with a Haswell chip, weighs only 900 grams, light as feathers. Microsoft used this device for this demonstration. In addition, Microsoft also showed the new system operating experience on Acer's latest Iconia W3 tablet and Lenovo Lynx tablet. Microsoft's current executives and demonstration of the latest operating system on their partners' devices have sent a clear message to the outside world: Microsoft will more closely strengthen cooperation with vendors. Earlier, it was reported that due to Microsoft's launch of its own Surface tablet, this made some Taiwanese manufacturers have to postpone the tablet market plan. Industry analysts said that Microsoft’s previous rash actions have really frustrated some vendors’ management. However, due to the continued decline in the recent sales of the Surface, the industry's attitude toward Microsoft has been relatively eased. Forrester's chief analyst, David Johnson, said, "The vendors really felt hurt, because Microsoft actually took the lead in launching its own hardware products. Therefore, the relationship between the manufacturer and Microsoft has not completely recovered. ” & ldquo; Both parties may still need some time to establish the trust relationship of the past. However, I think Microsoft needs to better manage the user experience on each device, just like it used to. Therefore, Microsoft's launch of Surface seems to be warning other vendors and needs to be consistent with Microsoft. & rdquo; As for whether Windows 8.1 will succeed in the future, it is still difficult to say. However, it is convinced that it will not replace Android and iOS in the tablet market in the short term, and it may be difficult to attract many users. You know, many users are still using XP. Microsoft has announced that it will stop supporting XP systems by April 2014. In this way, many users' budget estimates are used for system upgrades on desktop computers. An analyst at market research firm Ovum said that the new security and connectivity features of Windows 8.1 announced this week may be very attractive to corporate IT professionals. However, these functions are actually unable to raise the interest of ordinary employees, and the response in the consumer market may not be too good. & rdquo; & ldquo; Although Microsoft is fully capable of improving Windows 8, but it needs to understand that it is not a big era. For manufacturers, considering the current market situation, it is a more correct choice to diversify the equipment they produce. & rdquo; Bob O’Donnell, vice president of market research firm IDC, holds a similar view. He believes that Microsoft's new system may not be enough to reverse the decline in the PC market. O'Donnell added, "I think Microsoft and Intel need to work closely together to increase the time users spend on the PC, so that they realize that PC is still a tool they can't do. & rdquo; & ldquo; Currently, PCs are still ahead of tablets and smartphones in many ways. However, I think people now seem to have forgotten this. Therefore, Microsoft should promote this in this regard, so that end users realize the importance of the PC. ”