Microsoft has been talking about its next version of Windows 8 for months, and has already shown off bits and pieces of it.
The new version, Windows 8.1, debuts today. It's not the final version, although anyone with a Windows 8 device can download it from Windows Update or the Windows app store to try it out.
The release comes on the opening day of Microsoft's big developers conference in San Francisco called Build.
We got to take the preview version of Windows 8.1 for a spin. Here's what you can expect to change when you make the free upgrade later this year.
It fixes some of the things that people hated in the original version of Windows 8 and it added a bunch of new features.
You can boot your PC directly into the classic desktop mode.
After a lot of customer feedback asking for this, Microsoft included a setting that will let you boot your computer into a classic desktop mode instead of the Windows 8 touchscreen menu.
It's a bit tricky to find. Go to the Desktop, right click or press on the task bar. You'll find a bunch of hidden Power User options there including one in the Navigation pane that says "Go to the desktop instead of Start when I sign in."
Apps will automatically update.
Apps you download from Microsoft's app store will now update themselves whenever the developer releases a new version.
The app store icon no longer shows a little number to indicate the number of updates you have waiting. However, there's some confusion what will happen if an app update requires more permissions like access to your location or list of contacts. A Microsoft spokesperson said that these will auto update too, granting the app more permission, but that could violate some of Microsoft's privacy rules. We'll have to see what the final version of Windows 8.1 does.
A Pandora-style "Radio" feature
Microsoft's Xbox Music app was originally more like Spotify than Pandora, geared for finding music to buy rather than finding music to listen to.
But Microsoft added a new radio feature to it that will let you stream music, much like Pandora or Apple's new iTunes Radio.
By the end of the year, it will have a new feature that automatically creates playlists from any website you visit that has a collection of songs.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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