Windows 8.1 is the latest operating system from Microsoft, and is an upgrade to Windows 8, which was released in October of 2012. Windows 8.1 brings many new features to the operating system, including but not limited to a new Start button, improved personalization options for both the Lock and Start screens, an enhanced PC Settings hub, the ability to snap up to four apps at once, improved apps with additional features, and more. Windows 8.1 is also made to run on a wider variety of devices and better incorporate multiple monitor setups. It can also be used successfully on tablets, computers with touch screens, and hybrids that combine the versatility of a laptop with the mobility of a tablet.
Although Windows 8 was groundbreaking and completely different from any other Windows operating system, Windows 8.1 is a re-imagination of even that. SkyDrive and Skype are completely integrated, there’s a friendly Help + Tips app on the Start screen, and there are options available to boot directly to the Desktop. You can use the camera from the Lock screen. And there are subtle changes too, such as new apps not appearing on the Start screen, but instead only on in Apps view.
If you have read about Windows 8 or 8.1 or you have seen it in action, you know that there are many new things to learn, even if you are only moving from Windows 7. In this book, you’ll learn not only which are the most important changes introduced by Windows 8.1 but also how to use its most important tools and features, so that you are productive and feel at ease as soon as possible.
Welcome to Windows 8.1 Step by Step. After reading this book, we hope you will agree that this book is the best guide for learning how to use Windows 8.1. Don’t hesitate to share your feedback in a review on Amazon or the O’Reilly Media Shop. We would love to hear what you think about our work. Also, your feedback will help us improve future books in the Windows Step by Step series.
This book is for people new to Windows 8.1-based computers and Windows 8.1-based apps as well as for those upgrading from previous versions of Windows.
It’s assumed that this book’s readers are familiar with earlier Windows operating systems. Although the readers are new to Windows 8.1, they are not new computer users. They are familiar with the basics of using a computer, using a mouse and keyboard, opening, viewing, and saving files, switching between windows, finding content, and so forth.
This book is about Windows 8.1. It covers all the important things you need to learn about this operating system so that you can be productive when using it.
It starts with setting up Windows 8.1 for the first time and exploring the new Start screen. Each chapter covers more advanced information and considerations such as how to purchase and use Windows 8.1 apps browse the web with Internet Explorer 11, connect to a network, share files and folders, and prevent problems with your Windows 8.1 computer or device. This list is by no means complete; many other topics are also covered.
The book ends with a list of 20 useful tips and tricks that will improve the experience of Windows 8.1 and a few appendixes useful to people who like to do things by themselves such as installing or upgrading to Windows 8.1.
We would both like to thank Kenyon Brown and the team at Microsoft Press for making this book possible. It was a very interesting project with lots of work involved, but the result was worth it. We are proud of this book, and we hope all our readers will enjoy it and find it useful.
Ciprian would like to thank his teammate at 7 Tutorials—Marte Brengle—for patiently double-checking all his writing and pointing out mistakes he would not have noticed otherwise.
Joli would like to thank her agent, Neil Salkind (even though he is retired now), for all his hard work over the years, along with her family, Jennifer, Andrew, Allison, Dad, and Cosmo.