Cont’d from “An Overview of the New Windows 8 Enterprise Edition – Part 1”
Faster Start-up
This is something that will be welcomed by both users and employers alike. All previous versions of Windows take a seemingly long time to boot-up. It results in staff being unoccupied and bored, and to the employer, when multiplied out by multiple users, results in a large swathe of unproductive time.
Windows 8 allows the core operating system to hibernate when it is shutdown. This means that when the device is rebooted, instead of having to reload everything back into the memory, it only has to revive a small portion of the operating system. This results in a speeding up of the re-boot-up procedure by as much as 70%.
Easier Data Management
One of the things that many Windows users have complained about is the various changes that have been made to Windows Explorer. Rather than enhancing the user experience and making it easier to manipulate and manage files, it has in many people’s experiences, made it more difficult by giving them less flexibility. Windows 8.1, has addressed this by introducing a new ribbon control with the aim of:
- Improving file management tasks
- Allowing a more streamlined command approach
- Re-activating some of the most popular Windows XP Explorer elements
These are the new features that many Windows 8.1 users now enjoy:
- Being able to expose undercover hidden features users already employ, but which previously demanded third party add-ons for use in Explorer
- Being able to create shortcuts on the keyboard for every command that is included in the new ribbon
- Being able to customise via a quick access toolbar in a similar fashion to the way Explorer worked with Windows XP
Sometimes it pays to listen to users and to revisit the past to finger-pick and rehabilitate it’s most popular features. It’s something that in this instance Microsoft seems to have done – well done. Microsoft!
Improved Stability
This one’s a little bit “techie” so we won’t spend much time on it. Suffice it to say that Windows 8.1 employs a new driver framework (UMDF 2.0). This has been created in order to enhance system stability with a view to making it easy for design engineers to design, test out, and certify different drivers.
Change Management
People tend not to like change. We all like to stay within our comfort zones and use products that we are familiar with. However, people do adapt. From a business point of view, (which after all is what Windows 8.1 Enterprise is all about), the new release makes sense; particular its advanced security features. If employers wish to deploy the new Windows 8.1 enterprise operating system, (and more and more will, in the near future), it will be up to them to manage the change.
Saying that, for users that are not necessarily familiar with the Windows OS and its many features, training staff to adapt to 8.1 could prove costly.
What are your thoughts on Windows 8 Enterprise? Let us know in the comments below.
William Thompson
William Thompson is the Marketing Manager at Power Admin, a server monitoring software business in the Kansas City area. You can find him on Google+ and Twitter. William has been a professional in website design, digital marketing and 3D/graphic design for over 20 years.