Over the past few weeks there have been many rumors about Windows 8.1 update 1. The first major update for the OS has been in development for quite some time now, and Microsoft has heard customer pain points and rectified almost all of them. Today at its BUILD 2014 conference, the Redmond-based company officially confirmed that the Windows 8.1 update 1 release takes place on April 8th. The update will be rolled out to all users for free.
Windows 8.1 update 1 brings enhanced functionality for traditional peripherals, keyboard and mouse. The user interface has also been tweaked to increase ease of use with the peripherals. Mouse specific features will be added to the user interface, including but not limited to right clicking for Start. Users also get the ability to minimize Metro apps like legacy Windows apps.
Moreover, the update will allow Windows 8.1 to identify the device its being used on and tailor the experience accordingly. So if its being used on a PC, Windows 8.1 will launch straight to desktop. If being used on tablet, it will launch into Metro mode. Users had been incessantly asking Microsoft to bring back the taskbar, and it has. It automatically pulls up in apps being run in Metro mode, and it can switch between modern and legacy Windows applications. Windows Store will be pre-pinned to the taskbar.
Come April 8th, Windows 8.1 update 1 will be released for free to all existing Windows 8.1 users. The OS itself retails for $111.99, with Windows 8.1 Pro costing $199.99.
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