Windows 8.1 update pledges to make life better for keyboard and mouse users

Microsoft will release an update for Windows 8.1 that promises to improve the operating system for users who opt for keyboard and mouse navigation as opposed to a touchscreen.

Joe Belfiore, Microsoft's vice president of operating systems, said the Windows 8.1 update will arrive this spring. The latest version of the OS will include a new mouse interface, with right-click offering Start and the option to close applications. The task bar is also said to allow for easier application launching and switching, and the Start screen will get new search, power, and settings icons.

"We could see where things were going great, and we could see where could improve things," Belfiore said during a press conference at Mobile World Congress on Sunday, reported by GameSpot sister site CNET.

But Belfiore added that none of these new features signify Microsoft trying to move away from the controversial touch-based focus of Windows 8. "We love touch," he said. "None of the work has a negative effect on touch."

Microsoft will also relax its hardware restrictions in the new update, allowing Windows 8.1 to run on 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. But does that mean the Windows 8.1 update will also boast improved performance?

A rumour in January suggested that Microsoft was looking to unveil Windows 9 this year.