Steve Ballmer took to the stage at Microsoft’s Build conference in San Francisco to reveal that Windows 8.1 will re-introduce the Start button to the hybrid tablet and desktop platform.
Ballmer explained that Microsoft had listened to feedback on its Windows 8 platform since its launch towards the end of 2012 and said users wanted something ‘more refined’. The user response has jolted Microsoft into re-introducing the much-missed Start button on the desktop interface. Ballmer also said you’ll now be able to set a Windows 8.1 device to boot to the desktop rather than the ‘Modern UI’ tiled interface if you wish.
While the Microsoft CEO is yet to go into further detail, he said the company has put effort into blending the desktop and Modern UI experience. The start menu was described as having been ‘enriched’ while still enabling users to see all of your apps in a quick glance. Multitasking is also said to have been enhanced and Ballmer hinted you can now expand the platform’s multi-window capabilities past the mere two-app split-screen setup which was already there: ‘you can have more things up on the screen, you can use more screen real-estate,’ he said.
Ballmer also revealed there would be a big focus on Microsoft’s new generation of 7-inch Windows 8 devices from OEM partners later in the show, describing smaller devices as ‘important’. We’ll be keeping an eye on that for more details so stay tuned.
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by pbriden via Featured Articles
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