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Just after Microsoft released Windows 8.1, rumors have surfaced that they might be releasing fix 8.2 as early as January of 2014. The big changes coming, in 8.2, are said to quell the critics of Windows 8 and their last release of their 8.1 fix. These changes in 8.2, are Microsoft’s attempt at making the OS a lot more intuitive for the user and acknowledges the changes that users have asked for. The recent release of version 8.1, brought back the familiar Start button that was absent in their first release, but it wasn’t quite enough for most users. The...

Just before the weekend Microsoft released its new 3D Builder app for Windows 8.1. We heard before the launch of Windows 8.1 that 3D printing capability would be native to the operating system; with plug-and-play support for a wide range of 3D printers and native support for many associated 3D file formats. Now the new Microsoft 3D Builder app puts a front end on this functionality and presents you with a “clean, simple user interface,” to easily get you from object browsing to finished output.Microsoft calls the 3D Builder app “the best place to view, prepare, and print your 3D...

It's the battle of the tablets. Just as Apple unveiled the ultrathin iPad Air with Retina Display, Microsoft officially released the Surface Pro 2. Although both are excellent tablets for small businesses, each device has its own set of capabilities. Whereas the iPad Air is strictly an iOS tablet in form and function, the Surface Pro 2 is a versatile, Windows-powered hybrid machine that can be used as a tablet, laptop or desktop computer. To help you choose which tablet is right for your business, we've compared the iPad Air and the Surface Pro 2.

4 Out of 5 Stars Pros:  It's free; Customisation options added; SkyDrive tightly integrated Cons:  Start Button not fully functional; Still no unified inbox; Upgrading from Preview can be troublesome Verdict:  If you're on Windows 8 we definitely recommend updating to Windows 8.1 as soon as possible. It rectifies a number of issues which plagued the original release and whilst it's not perfect, 8.1 is a step in the right direction. Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 is now available to download from the Windows Store for free and addresses a number of criticisms levelled at the Windows 8 operating system.Microsoft has...

With Windows 8.1 Professional and OS X 10.9 Mavericks both now shipping, how do the two flagship PC operating systems compare? Does Windows 8.1 fix enough of Windows 8's usability flaws to be worth adoption? Does Mavericks add enough value to get your attention?Windows 8.1 lets users avoid most of the Windows 8 experience, so they can return to a Windows 7-like state of bliss, whereas Mavericks simply makes the Mac that much easier to use, especially if you work with iPads and iPhones, too. In short, the two updates keep the relative balance between Windows and OS X...

I doubt I was alone in rolling my eyes when I first used Windows 8 a year ago. I found its touch controls and gestures awkward, and I was troubled by how little its primary, tile-based interface could do on its own. For many basic tasks, I had to return to the system’s traditional desktop mode, the one that resembles older versions of Windows. It felt as though I was working on two computers at once. Since then, I’ve warmed up to many of those touch controls and gestures, such that I’ve even tried to use them absentmindedly out of...

The much-anticipated Windows 8.1 update was finally released on Thursday. Since then, however, early reports of bricked devices and lost data from some users indicate that the release may have been premature. In response, Microsoft took its Windows 8.1 update offline until further notice on Saturday. The Redmond, Wash. company posted the following a message to its website: Microsoft is investigating a situation affecting a limited number of users updating their Windows RT device to Windows RT 8.1. As a result, we have temporarily removed the Windows RT 8.1 update from the Windows Store. We are working to resolve the...

Skype for Windows 8. (Credit: Microsoft) Consumers who upgrade to Windows 8.1 will find Skype already part of the package.Microsoft confirmed Thursday that Skype will be included in Windows 8.1 right from the get-go. In a blog announcing the news, Microsoft emphasized its theme of connecting and sharing:We believe that connecting and sharing should be a seamless part of every Windows experience. Over 300 million people today use Skype for the most personal connections in their lives, sharing those everyday moments big and small across messaging, audio and video calling. With Windows 8.1, Skype is included right from (the) Start,...

<p>The next version of Windows is expected sometime this fall, but ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley is narrowing the timeline down even further, reporting that the system will move to manufacturers this month and hit store shelves in October.</p> <p>That follows more or less the same timing as the 8.1’s predecessor, Windows 8, which went to manufacturers ahead of general distribution on Aug. 1 of last year. Windows 8 was available to general consumers on Oct. 26, of last year.</p>

Consider the following: Internet Explorer 11 is available as a preview for Windows 7 or as part of the Windows 8.1 preview, but not for Windows 8. Similarly, PowerShell 4 will run on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, but not Windows 8 — even though it will be available for Windows Server 2012, which is the same core code as Windows 8. So does this mean Microsoft giving up on Windows 8? Um, no. Windows 8.1 is Windows 8, as far as Microsoft is concerned. It's an update to Windows 8 that will be available in the Windows Store, free...

Will new Windows 8.1 hybrids finally expose the iPad for what it really is, a mere tablet? That's what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer suggested this week. When speaking at the company's Build Conference on Wednesday, he described in colorful -- and maybe just a tad exaggerated -- terms how tablets don't measure up to laptops (or even pencil and paper). Enter the "2-in-1," as Microsoft likes to call hybrids. During his keynote presentation, Ballmer brandished the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix as an example of a 2-in-1 he has used. The Helix can be a pure tablet or can snap into a...