Wednesday, April 15, 2015

APPS SPECIAL................................................. 5 best free Windows 8.1 apps

5 best free Windows 8.1 apps


Of more than a lakh apps in the Windows Store, here are some impressive gems for Windows 8.1 that are also free

Windows 10 may well be on the horizon but there are still a sizeable number of users who either won't bother or remember to upgrade from the current incarnation that owns a sizeable chunk of the active users. That in mind, we've devised a list of five must-have apps that should be at the top of the download list of anyone with a new Windows 8.1 PC or even an existing system.

Facebook
Social networking is made easier by the Windows 8.1 interface and even though there are plenty of beneficiaries of this move, Facebook is at the top of the pile. The whole experience mimics what you'd expect to find on a mobile device except on a larger screen. Everything from the screen. Everything from the toolbar on the left that brings up all options, including groups, events, pages, photos and friends, to the chat bar down the right and icons along the top are all present and correct.

Microsoft Solitaire Collection
There are, in fact, five different card ga mes t hat ma ke up t he Microsof t Solitaire Collection including Klondike, Spider, Free Cell , Pyramid and TriPeaks, with every one taxing in its own right. From a PC, the achievements can be automatically added to your Microsoft gamer tag, and show off to your friend s on the Xbox 360 or Xbox One when you log on to your console.

Danger Road
Solitaire often gets boring after a while. Thankfully the Xbox link means there are plenty of games to try your hands at. One such title is Danger Road which attempts to bring the retro action from Frogger onto Windows 8.1. The object of the game is to guide a small animal from the bottom of the screen to the top and dodge cars, trains, water and everything that gets in your way. While it is rather hard from the first level itself, you may end up posing the questions: why did I download this in the first place and why does it keep drawing me in for more?

uTube
In Windows 8.1, you can use uTube to watch any videos from the Google owned video service. You can also sign into your ac count to see the same level of personalisation present when you usually sign in to YouTube in a web browser. There are also some added extras such as the ability to download and save any videos you like the look of -a real plus for anyone sick of the browser plug-ins that seem to be perennially slow at downloading the content.

Kindle
Much as Windows is a by word for PC operating systems, Kind le is the go -to brand for eBooks and its app for Windows 8.1 means you no longer need a separate device to enjoy a good read. It's exactly the same as any of the mobile apps that have come to define the eBook genre. The app plugs in to the Kindle Store so that you can make new purchases straight from Windows and avid readers will be warmed by its presence in the Windows Store

techradar.com ETP3APR15

No comments: