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Microsoft’s second Windows 8.1 update isn’t a major one after all

Microsoft’s second Windows 8.1 update isn’t a major one after all

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Microsoft shipped a big update to Windows 8.1 earlier this year with improvements to the mouse and keyboard experience, but the second upcoming update is minor in comparison. Available on August 12th, the second update, which Microsoft is not calling Windows 8.1 Update 2, will include precision touchpad improvements, a change to enable PCs to act as a Miracast receiver, and a reduction in login prompts for SharePoint online. The touchpad improvements allow users to enable right-click, double tag, drag, and a setting to keep a touchpad on when a mouse is connected.

That’s all Microsoft is detailing so far, and it sounds a lot more minor than many had hoped. Back in April when Microsoft originally showed off the new Start Menu, the company was planning to make it available with Windows 8.1 Update 2 in August. Those plans changed, and it appears Microsoft is now holding back most of its radical changes for the "Windows 9" release next spring. For now, Microsoft is mainly adding small improvements to Windows 8.1 on a near-monthly basis, with the Windows Store refresh in May, OneDrive improvements in June, and this upcoming August update.