Microsoft Offers Sneak Peek of Windows 8.1

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Microsoft has released a video of Windows 8.1 in action. The company is working hard to convince businesses to switch to Windows 8 as the end of support deadline for Windows XP draws ever nearer.

CNET’s Lance Whitney reported, “Microsoft is offering people a peek at Windows 8.1 in action courtesy of a new video. Posted Wednesday on YouTube, and embedded into a Microsoft blog, the tour conducted by Jensen Harris, Microsoft’s director of program management for Windows User Experience, shows off key enhancements to the Start screen, the All Apps screen, and the search tool.”

Microsoft also demonstrate the new OS for the crowd at the Computex conference. The Register’s Phil Muncaster noted, “Microsoft today demonstrated Windows 8.1 for the first time in public and showed off at least 60 compatible devices – including Haswell-powered gadgets. Windows vice-president Antoine Leblond took the Computex crowd through a whistlestop tour of all the major new functionality in the OS formerly known as Windows Blue.”

CRN’s Scott Campbell added, “At this week’s TechEd conference in New Orleans, Microsoft detailed several enhancements for enterprises in the forthcoming Windows 8.1 upgrade. The enhancements can provide immediate as well as long- term value to customers, Visser wrote in an email to CRN. ‘The market reality is that a lot of our customers are still finalizing their migration off Windows XP, and business migrations take planning and time. As we encourage our customers to continue with these migrations that are already under way, we’re also recommending customers as part of their migration to consider Windows 8 for the scenarios that will deliver immediate incremental value, particularly for mobile scenarios or for tablet solutions,’ Visser wrote in the email. ‘We are also advising our customers to start purchasing touch-enabled Windows devices as part of their PC refresh, so their investments are future-proof.'”

In related Windows news, The Wall Street Journal’s Lorraine Luk and Aries Poon confirmed earlier reports that Microsoft will be cutting prices on versions of Windows for tablets. “Microsoft Corp. plans to expand discounts to more tablet makers using its Windows 8 software, as it tries to stimulate adoption of the operating system that has received a lukewarm response partly due to its high retail price,” they wrote. “The discount will also apply to an upgraded version of the Redmond, Wash., company’s Windows 8 system dubbed Windows 8.1. The discounts will apply only on tablets that are between 7 and 10.1 inches.”