So just like that, BUILD 2014 has come and gone.
Microsoft share plenty of plans for the present, some insights for the future, and a vision or two for the times ahead. Overall, April 2 and 3 were the days where Redmond announced a slew of improvements to the current platforms; a number of them overdue, while others very much welcome.
Here is the shortest of roundups of the tallest deals:
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Windows Phone 8.1 is shaping up to be the update to end all updates
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Windows 8.1 Update, as it is now known, basically improves keyboard and mouse usage
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The Start Menu is coming back, in one shape or another, soon enough
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.NET Native reduces memory footprint of apps, while improving loading times by 60 percent
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Unified Apps for PC, phone and gaming consoles promise to be the next big thing
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New UI for Windows Store should bring back some of the lost sparkle
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DirectX 12, while a few leagues, away is shaping up to be a total game changer
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Windows In The Car concept is development done right
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Nokia Lumia 930 is all set to be the new fan favorite
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Windows Azure got its usual list of regular improvements
In total there were 55 new
announcements all adding up to the excitement of what the future holds.
And while the company stopped shy of talking about Windows 9 or the convergence of the Modern UI with the desktop that the next full version of the operating system is set to bring, overall the event was a
solid 8. Just shy of earth shattering!