What's new in Windows 8.1

Summary: If you're running Windows 8, you definitely want this free update. If you looked at Windows 8 and said "No, thanks," the new features and extensive refinements in this release make it worth a second look. Here's what you'll find inside.

If you've spent any hands-on time with the Windows 8.1 Preview, you already have a good idea what to expect in this update, which is free to anyone running Windows 8. (If you missed it, you can catch up here: Hands-on with the Windows 8.1 preview.)

There were some important changes between the public Preview release and RTM. See What's changed in the Windows 8.1 RTM release? for details.) The public release adds only a few minor changes to the code that MSDN and TechNet subscribers and Volume License customers have had for months. But today's release kicks off a wave of updates on the back end, meaning you'll see changes in services and a wave of new apps designed for Windows 8.1.

Ed Bott is an award-winning technology writer with more than two decades' experience writing for mainstream media outlets and online publications.