Windows 8.1 Release Date DOWNLOAD NOW: Review of Features in Windows 8.1 Update [VIDEO]

Microsoft released Windows 8.1 on Thursday for download by consumers. Many critics are praising the new update to Windows because they claim that it rights many of the wrongs that were featured in Windows 8. An example of Microsoft admitting a mistake and taking measures to fix it with the Windows 8.1 update is the return of the "Start" button on the home screen of the operating system.

One of the main complaints that critics and users have is that the User Interface, or UI, is not fully integrated between the original point and click interface and the new, improved "tile" interface. Pete Pachal from Mashable.com explains his problem with the two separate interfaces in his article on Windows 8.1. He writes, "As long as Microsoft keeps this bifurcated approach of spreading settings and apps between the two environments, the Windows modern UI will never really be what the company wants it to be: the future of computing. The Control Panel shouldn't even exist on a Windows RT machine, and on PCs it should be a place for power users and developers - everyday people shouldn't need to dive deep into it to change basic settings."

Although Microsoft fixed several of the glaring problems with Windows 8, Windows 8.1 still leaves much to be desired. Although it is a step in the right directions, critics agree that the changes from Windows 7 to Windows 8 were too drastic to all be fixed in one update. Many critics are saying that Windows 9 will be when the full integration of the two UIs finally makes for a seamless user experience.

Check out this video detailing some of the upgrades and updates to the Windows operating system with the new Windows 8.1 update.