Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications

    Microsoft Updates Default Windows 8 Apps Before Blue

    By
    Pedro Hernandez
    -
    March 28, 2013
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Windows 8 users won’t have to wait for the forthcoming Blue update to experience improvements to some of the operating system’s most prominent core apps.

      In past Windows releases, default programs typically lingered unchanged—and unloved, some would argue—for years, with the exception of a few apps like Internet Explorer. Amid the buzz surrounding the Windows 8 Blue upgrade, which may arrive by this summer, Microsoft is signaling that it is leaving no app unturned as it struggles to make headway in a brutally competitive tablet market.

      Microsoft issued new updates to the Mail, Calendar and People apps for Windows 8. And as per Microsoft spokesperson Brandon LeBlanc, the aim is to help users better manage multiple accounts and the daily deluge of email.

      “We know our customers typically have two or more email accounts for personal use and work use, they use these accounts throughout the day and they have a large volume of email they’re continuously managing. So this update will bring improvements to your Windows experience across your whole life—your personal communication and your work,” LeBlanc wrote in a March 25 blog post.

      He added, “You will see big improvements to performance and additional new features to make it easier to connect with friends and colleagues, manage your inboxes, create and send email and manage your calendar.”

      Although minor in and of themselves, the updates should add up to more productive and efficient use of the standard apps. For example, in Mail, users can now use a filter to view unread emails, create and delete folders directly within the app or select all the emails in a folder to move or delete them.

      Other new features include the ability to flag messages, “smart contact suggestions” for the recipient field along with enhanced email composition and editing tools. Users can now also search for emails on a server, allowing them to fetch messages that reside beyond the default two-week email storage limit imposed by the Mail app. (The setting is configurable.)

      The Calendar app received a visual overhaul. “Gone are the solid blocks of colors—instead, those colors are reflected in a small bar on the left of each appointment,” LeBlanc wrote. Also new is a scheduling assistant support for Exchange environments, expanded reoccurrence settings and the ability to forward meeting invitations.

      Finally, the People app has been updated to include new gesture-based navigation elements that speed up activities like issuing tweets or posting status updates. New to this version is the ability to post on the walls of Facebook friends.

      Taken altogether, these improvements exemplify Microsoft’s new, rapid-fire approach to software updates. LeBlanc echoed remarks recently made by Microsoft’s vice president of corporate communications, Frank X. Shaw, who finally acknowledged the existence of Blue after months of rumors and leaks.

      “These updates are part of our ongoing focus and commitment to continually improving your Windows experience. This means that the experience on Windows PCs and tablets will keep getting richer,” LeBlanc wrote.

      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to eWEEK and the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×