PCWorld May-14

Best Build ever? The keynote address that kicked off Microsoft’s Build 2014 developers conference may have lasted a punishing three hours, but the event was packed with product reveals aimed at consumers. The latest Windows 8 update (see page 14) is addressing many of that OS’s annoying foibles, and the long-term Windows roadmap looks even cooler. Microsoft also delivered important Windows Phone and app news. Here are the seven announcements we found most exciting. 1. Windows makes nice With the new Windows 8.1 Update, mouse-and-keyboard PC users can finally migrate to Microsoft’s current OS with confidence that they won’t plunge into a chasm of darkness and confusion. Nontouch PCs now boot straight to the desktop. A familiar taskbar appears on the modern Start screen. Live tiles on the Start screen now spawn right-click menus, as…

WITH THE FREE spring update for Windows 8.1, Microsoft is issuing more than tweaks and bug fixes. It’s issuing a message: “We’re listening. PC users, we want you back.” The Windows 8.1 Update (go.pcworld.com/win81update) is not perfect, but it atones for Windows 8’s most egregious sins, transforming the operating system into a desirable one even for devoted keyboard and mouse users. You have little reason not to migrate to Windows 8 if you’re hunting for a new PC now. Windows 8 encountered a fierce backlash largely because it pushed too hard. The changes were drastic—the Start menu was gone, you needed to use arcane commands to summon menus, live tiles were everywhere—and Microsoft all but rubbed your face in those changes. No more. Windows 8.1 began dialing back the finger-friendly focus mere months…

WINDOWS XP, MICROSOFT’ seventh major operating system and arguably the company’s most successful and beloved ever, has met its demise at its creators’ hands. It was 12 years and seven months old. For now, Windows XP will persist on literally millions of PCs, including those of customers who have either ignored, or were never aware of, Microsoft’s decision to pull the plug. Although the software may physically remain on PCs worldwide, Microsoft has stopped supporting it, leaving Windows XP vulnerable to any unpatched security holes that may arise going forward (go.pcworld.com/xpthreat). Windows XP’s funeral, a private ceremony held deep within Microsoft, was quiet. Microsoft urged customers to donate to Windows 8 in lieu of sending flowers. Office 2003 also passed away, to less fanfare. Windows XP gave way to three more generations of…

IT’S NOT TOO far-fetched to believe that a billion people have viewed the “Bliss” image. After all, it defines the desktop view of Windows XP—the seminal operating system from 2001 that Microsoft is at last retiring. But you’d barely notice the real-world scene, located on a small Sonoma byway, if you stepped out of your car and gazed at it today. Driving anywhere in California’s wine country can be treacherous. Roads curve back and forth—well, drunkenly. Bicyclists are everywhere, and the next bend could hide an entrance to one of Napa’s or Sonoma’s finest wineries, a tour group jaywalking across the road, or even a couple exploring the area on horseback. In 1998, photographer Charles “Chuck” O’Rear was driving from Napa through Sonoma County on his way to Marin County. His mission…

THE PROCESS OF buying Bitcoins, the digital currency, has gone from taking four days to about four minutes, thanks to a Bitcoin ATM made by Las Vegas–based Robocoin. Cary Peters, president of Coinage, the operator of this machine, shows how the first Bitcoin ATM works. Using the ATM, you can buy Bitcoins by depositing cash or sell them from your digital wallet and then withdraw cash. The price of Bitcoin at the ATM in this video is based on the Bitstamp exchange (www.bitstamp.net). To comply with money laundering regulations, users must scan a government-issued ID. Still, the process should make Bitcoin purchases and withdrawals a lot easier. Robocoin has shipped about 25 Bitcoin ATMs around the globe. “We want to make sure that the users of our Robocoin ATM understand that Bitcoin…

ALTHOUGH WINDOWS 8 drives most consumer PCs sold today, Windows 7 is by no means dead and gone. PC purists pining for the halcyon days of Microsoft’s previous operating system have several ways to acquire a machine running that OS. It just takes a little digging. Buy a prebuilt PC If you want a new, preassembled Windows 7 PC, turn to the Internet. Best Buy’s website, for example, offers about 100 new Windows 7 desktops and all-in-ones. Amazon and Newegg each have hundreds. Individual PC builders also sell Windows 7 computers. The phasing-out of consumer Windows 7 PCs means they’re often priced somewhat higher than comparable Windows 8 machines, though. And you have to act fast: The end-of-sales date for computers with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, or Ultimate is October 31, 2014.…