- Start
- Oct 17, 201390% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
Windows 8.1 Release Date
- Microsoft set October 17, 2013 as the release date for Windows 8.1, the first major update to Windows 8, announced by spokesman Brandon LeBlanc in an August 14, 2013 blog post[1][3]
- The rollout date is stated in two ways by the same announcement: "starting at 12 a.m. on Oct. 18 in New Zealand (that's 4 a.m., Oct. 17 in Redmond), Windows 8.1 will begin rolling out worldwide as a free update for consumers on Windows 8 through the Windows Store", while retail copies and new devices followed "on Oct. 18 by market"[1][3]
- Microsoft's own release of Oct. 17, 2013 confirmed global availability that day: a free download from the Windows Store in more than 230 markets and 37 languages, with new devices and boxed software from Oct. 18[2]
- The update arrived "just before Windows 8 celebrates its 1-year anniversary"[1]
- New touch-enabled devices, tablets, 2-in-1s and laptops were expected through the holiday season, with existing hardware such as Microsoft's Surface and Lenovo's Yoga 11S in line for the upgrade[1][2][3]
Notable features
- The headline interface changes were the option to boot directly to the desktop instead of the Start screen and the return of the Start button, dropped in Windows 8 in favour of the search charm and hot corners, plus a customisable Start screen with variable tile sizes, an apps view and a Help + Tips app[1][2][3]
- Bing features run through the release: Bing Smart Search, built-in Bing apps including Bing Food & Drink, and a redesigned Windows Store with a New & Rising category and Bing recommendations, alongside tighter Bing integration generally[2][3]
- Other additions: Internet Explorer 11 with synced history and favorites, deeper SkyDrive integration, up to four apps side by side with improved multimonitor support, automatic app updates, and native 3-D printing support - announced in late June 2013, with Microsoft's Shanen Boettcher saying "making a 3D object on your PC will be as easy as writing a document in Word and sending it to print"[1][2][3]
- Named new or updated apps included Skype, Mail, Xbox Video, Xbox Music, Evernote, Facebook for Windows 8.1, Hulu Plus, Adobe Photoshop Express, eBay, Netflix, NOOK and Fresh Paint[2]
- Windows 8.1 Enterprise added virtual desktop infrastructure support and DirectAccess, conformed to OMA-DM standards and offered device lockdown, encryption and selective wipe of corporate data without touching personal data[1]
References 390% CONFIDENCE
The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.
- [1]90%eweek.com/enterprise-apps/microsoft-windows-8.1-gets-october-release-dateeweek.com· Posted Jun 15, 2017· Starts Oct 17, 2013 ✓· 99% of score
Happened as dated, per the pin description: "Windows 8.1 Release Date. Freatures New Bings Apps…"
- [2]95%Windows 8.1 is available nownews.microsoft.com· Published Oct 17, 2013· 1% of score
Microsoft's own news site confirms the rollout: "Beginning Oct. 17, consumers with a Windows 8 device in more than 230 markets and 37 languages can download the free update," matching the pin's stored 17 October 2013 date exactly.
- [3]85%Official: Windows 8.1 to be released on October 17thwindowscentral.com· Published Aug 14, 2013· 0% of score
Windows Central's headline, "Official: Windows 8.1 to be released on October 17th," backs the pin's date, though the article was published 14 August 2013, two months ahead of the actual release, as an early advance report rather than same-day coverage.
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