Windows 8.1 is ready for business.

Gartner is giving the thumbs up to Windows 8.1, crediting the operating system refresh with overcoming the major downsides of Windows 8.

Improvements to Windows 8 that will become available next week should prompt businesses to consider deploying it for desktops and laptops, not just touchscreen devices, Gartner analysts say.

While the operating system originally released last fall is heavily touch-centric, the announced changes that come with Windows 8.1 should be enough to make the new version enterprise ready, say Gartner analysts Michael A. Silver and Stephen Kleynhans. "Based on the information currently available, we believe Windows 8.1 features could quiet most of its detractors," they say in a blog post.

Those improvements include the capability to boot directly to the desktop rather than the Windows 8 Start screen and restoration of a Start button on the desktop. Ready access to the desktop should make it easier for users to find a familiar interface, and Gartner says that means they will be able to interact with their current apps as they do with Windows 7. "Microsoft has not released many other details, but Gartner expects only minor changes to the Windows desktop, which would ensure high levels of compatibility with legacy Win32 desktop applications," the analysts say.

Deployment advised

Gartner recommends that businesses set aside time for testing their most important applications on Windows 8.1 and make sure the publishers of these applications are on board with support for Windows 8.1. "In the future, Windows will likely include more updates like 8.1, perhaps on an annual basis," Silver and Kleynhans say.

They say businesses should consider adopting Windows 8.1 as they replace old PCs so long as they've done testing of these key apps. Internet Explorer 11, which comes with Windows 8.1, will also require testing with current apps.

Pilot programs involving Windows 8 are OK to continue, but they should be transferred over to Windows 8.1 preview as soon as possible, they say.

If you liked this article, subscribe to the feed by clicking the image below to keep informed about new contents of the blog:

Comments

How to change the size of the touch and on-screen keyboard in Windows 10

Windows 10 PCs come with two keyboard apps, one is the OnScreen Keyboard , and the other is the Touch Keyboard . Basically, you don't need a touch screen to use the on-screen keyboard. It displays a virtual keyboard on the screen and you can use the mouse to select and press the keys. Although the on-screen keyboard app is very useful when we don't have a physical keyboard, its size is always a problem for users. You can move or enlarge the virtual keyboard from the icons in the upper right corner. If you want, you can also easily resize it. Changing the size of the on-screen keyboard is very easy. Type On-Screen Keyboard in your Windows search and run the desktop app, or you can also go via Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard> Turn on the On-screen keyboard. To change the size of the on-screen keyboard, move the cursor to the corner and drag it to the desired size. Resizing the touch keyboard is as simple as doing it! Just drag it and resize it us...

Designing the Windows 8 touch keyboard.

When we began planning how touch and new types of PCs might work on Windows 8, we recognized the need to provide an effective method for text entry on tablets and other touch screen PCs. Since Windows XP SP1, which had Tablet PC features built in, Windows has included a touchable on-screen keyboard. But those features were designed as extensions to the desktop experience. For Windows 8, we set out to improve on that model and introduce text input support that meets people’s needs, matches our design principles, and works well with the form factors we see today and expect to see in the future. I’m writing this blog post on our Windows 8 touch keyboard using the standard QWERTY layout in English. As I look at it, the keyboard seems very simple and sort of obvious. This comes partly from having worked on it for a while, but also because keyboards are familiar to us. But there is more here than meets the eye (or, fingertips). We started planning this feature area with no preco...

How to install offline .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows 10 using DISM.

Windows 10 comes with .NET framework 4.5 pre-installed, but many apps developed in Vista and Windows 7 era require the .NET framework v3.5 installed along with 4.5. These apps will not run unless you will install the required version. When you try to run any such app, Windows 10 will prompt you to download and install .NET framework 3.5 from the Internet. However, this will take a lot of time. You can save your time and install .NET Framework 3.5 from the Windows 10 installation media. This method is much faster and does not even require an Internet connection. Here is how to install it. How to install offline .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows 10 using DISM. Contents: [ hide ] How to install offline .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows 10 using DISM. To install .NET Framework 3.5 in Windows 10, do the following: Insert your Windows 10 DVD, or double click its ISO image, or insert your bootable flash drive with Windows 10, depending on what you have. Open 'This PC' in File...

The World of Windows

Search This Blog