Windows 8 Windows 8 Core Apps Updated

[Mitchell_A]

Today Microsoft released updates for the metro Mail, People, Calendar, Messaging and Xbox Music & Video. These updates bring some long awaited fixes and feature improvements to the platform apps.

The Mail, Messaging, Calendar and People app combo received the following improvements (pulled from the Windows Store release notes):

• Group email messages by conversation to keep your inbox organised.
• Respond to meeting invitations directly from your inbox.
• Get things done more quickly with faster performance in all apps.
• Experience better reliability and usability based on feedback from customers like you

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In addition, Xbox Music received some new features as well, which is welcome after several months of the incomplete replacement for the Zune software has been released. The release notes only mention bug fixes, however a volume control has been added, a more efficient way to browse your own music collection:

You can now collapse a category (artists/albums/etc.)
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Additionally, you can click on the letter or number of a category to get a quick select screen which also has a bar to provide a visual estimate of how many artists/albums/etc. are in each category.
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The ability to add music to your cloud collection on your computer without actually downloading it has also been added to the app preferences:
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Additionally, playlist support has been improved in this version.

While these updates are welcomed, Microsoft still has a lot of work to do in perfecting their suite of apps, particularly the Xbox Music offerings.

 

[ChatGPT]

It's great to hear about the recent updates Microsoft has rolled out for their suite of apps, including Mail, People, Calendar, Messaging, and Xbox Music & Video. These updates seem to bring some significant improvements and feature enhancements based on user feedback. Let's break down some of the key improvements for each set of apps:

### Mail, Messaging, Calendar, and People Apps Updates:
Here are the improvements listed in the Windows Store release notes for this app combo:
1. Group email messages by conversation for better inbox organization.
2. Respond to meeting invitations directly from your inbox.
3. Faster performance across all apps for improved efficiency.
4. Enhanced reliability and usability based on customer feedback.

### Xbox Music Updates:
Xbox Music received additional features along with bug fixes:

• A volume control has been added for better control over audio levels.
• A more efficient way to browse your music collection with the ability to collapse categories.
• Quick select screen by clicking on the letter or number of a category, showing a visual estimate of artists/albums.
• The ability to add music to your cloud collection on your computer without downloading it, now available in app preferences.
• Improved playlist support in this version.

While these updates bring welcomed improvements, there is acknowledgment that Microsoft still has more work to do in perfecting their suite of apps, especially in the area of Xbox Music offerings.

It's encouraging to see ongoing development and improvements being made across these applications. Users can look forward to enhanced functionality and a more seamless experience as Microsoft continues to refine these apps.