Microsoft Details Windows 8.1 ‘August Update’

We had been hearing rumors that soon Microsoft is going to confirm the second major update for Windows 8.1. It was said that the company is going to call this release Windows 8.1 “Update 2,” but that’s not the case. Microsoft confirmed its plans today and detailed the “August Update” for Windows 8.1, this release builds up on “Update 1” which was released back in April.

Microsoft addresses the Update 2 rumors directly and says that its not planning to deliver this update. Instead of waiting to bundle improvements in one major update the company is going to use its monthly update process to deliver improvements and fixes frequently.

Some of the new features and improvements in the August Update for Windows 8.1 include precision touchpad improvements which bring three new settings that allow the user to leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected, double-tap and drag and allow right clicks on the trackpad.

Miracast Receive is onboard as well with a set of Wi-Fi direct APIs to develop Windows 32-bit applications that run on all supported versions of Windows 8.1, thus enabling the PC to act as a Miracast receiver.

The update will minimize login prompts for SharePoint Online, those who select the “Keep me signed in” check box will not see prompts for successive access to the SharePoint Online website.

Microsoft will share more details about the update on August 12th, the day this update is rolled out. It also includes some “behind the scenes” improvements which enhance the overall performance and stability of the system.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Computers
Tags: Microsoft, windows 8.1