Windows 8.1 Update 1 is set for release this spring, and a new leaked build shows users what they can expect from the upcoming edition of Microsoft’s operating system. New features include the ability to pin Metro apps to the Taskbar, new Start Screen buttons for mouse and keyboard users, and a more traditional way to manage full screen Metro apps.
The new “Modern UI” in Windows 8, formerly known as “Metro,” is certainly controversial. Some love the flat tile-focused interface while others pine for the days of the traditional desktop Start Menu. If you find yourself in either camp, however, you’re still likely unhappy with the way that the Windows 8 Start Screen handles non-Modern UI apps. While Modern UI apps have attractive tiles that fill up their entire tile placeholder, desktop apps are portrayed as an unattractive mesh of…
Windows 8 represents a significant change for both Microsoft and operating systems in general. As a result of this change, some quirky functionality remains in the OS that Microsoft will hopefully iron out over time. One of these quirky items is the way that Internet Explorer 10 works in both the desktop and “Metro” interfaces. By default, IE 10 is available to users as a full-screen Metro app via the Start screen. Full-screen apps, especially on desktop platforms, are a…