Learn about the difference between Windows 8 and 8.1, and how to upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 with this article.

1. Windows 8 introduced a basic fundamental shift in the way users interact with the
operating system, presenting users with the biggest change to the Windows
operating system since the release of Windows 95. In an effort (possibly) to be all
things to all people, Microsoft has developed Windows 8 to be very touch-screen
oriented so it could be used not only on PCs but on devices such as tablets that have
no keyboard or mouse input. The merge has not been well received.
Millions of PC users have no touch-screen capability at all, and those that do found
things like swiping from left to right, easily achieved on a tablet or small hand held
device, to be less convenient. While PC users could still use their mouse and
keyboard, doing so was not as efficient as it was in the older Windows systems.
Some things required more clicking than previously, or were unintuitive. Many PC
users felt they were being left out in the cold in preference of users with the more
"modern" technology.
To make matters worse, the touch-screen technology wasn't carried through to all
parts of the system, causing surprising and irritating "jumps" as users found
themselves going back and forth from the new system to the old one with no smooth
transition. Another major complaint was the removal of the traditional Windows
start button and menu. Users now boot right up into a start screen, instead of the
desktop.
Even before the release of Windows 8 to the public, the internet buzzed with
negative reviews and blog entries from people who evaluated pre-release copies of
the system, some wondering if it was doomed to be the next "Vista." After release,
sales of Windows 8 PCs were disappointing, described by Microsoft as being "well
below their internal projections." Less than a year later, Microsoft's longtime CEO
Steve Belmer announced his resignation.
Windows 8.1 is about to be released in October, and is hoping to reverse the
perception of the system held by PC users in particular by specifically addressing
many of their specific concerns.
What is Windows 8.1?
Microsoft is soon to release a crucial and substantial rework of windows 8.
Pre-release copies are already in the hands of reviewers, and available for download
to existing Windows 8 users as a "Preview." While they are calling it "final code,"
Microsoft does reserve the right to make further changes, and most likely will even
bore the worldwide release date.
Windows 8.1 could be considered less than a whole new operating system but more
than a service pack. Microsoft does seem to have taken the criticisms of Windows 8
seriously, and Windows 8.1 has been given some major changes and additions.

2. Whether these will be sufficient to appease the critics remains to be seen. Most of
them appear to be compromises between what was probably Microsoft's initial ideal
for Windows 8 and what the critics were hoping would happen, but they may be
enough to change the tide of opinion.
Win 8 vs Win 8.1, why windows 8.1 and is it good?
 The Start Button
One of the most criticized aspects of Windows 8 was the removal of the start
button and the start menu that has been a standard feature of Windows
operating systems for over a decade. Instead of the familiar desktop and start
button for getting to programs, Windows 8 users are booted straight into the
lock screen, the same screen that is displayed to users on a Windows 8 tablet.
Users can swipe upwards or click or press a keyboard key to remove the lock
screen and be presented with the user accounts as usual.
Once the password is entered, users are then taken to the new Start Screen,
which Microsoft is calling the "Modern UI." There is no longer a start button.
Instead the whole screen can be thought of as the start menu, only in image
form, called tiles. This has been the most loudly protested changes to the
Windows interface.
In Windows 8.1 there is now a new boot-to-desktop option, making Windows 8
a bit easier to use on non-touch devices, and allowing those users who wish to
dispense with most of the tablet-oriented features. The start button has
returned, but the start menu has not. Clicking on the start button now takes you
to the Modern UI and the tiles. However, this does make some sense if you just
think of the tiles as a visual start menu.
There has also been a bit more integration added between the desktop and the
Modern UI to help reduce the jarring effect when moving between the two.
In addition, the new start button can be customized to open the Start screen's
"All Apps" list, which presents a suitable menu like experience, while still staying
in the Modern UI. All in all, this seems to be a reasonable compromise.
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