Windows 8.1 Release Date Preview: What Features Will the New Microsoft OS Update Include? Windows 8.1 is "Windows Re-Imagined" [VIDEO]

A year ago, Microsoft took a risky move and changed almost everything about its Windows operating system that was familiar to users in order to compete with the huge threat from Apple. Now, Microsoft is looking to shore up some of the bugs in their Windows 8 OS by releasing an updated version called Windows 8.1 that will fix some features. The new OS looks almost exactly the same, but it includes some small tweaks here and there that really bring out the best in the original re-imagining of the Windows OS.

Tom Warren from TheVerge.com wrote a Windows 8.1 review in which he said, "Windows 8 introduced a new touch-centric vision for Microsoft's future, but it wasn't enough by itself to really push the idea of Windows tablets. The mobile-first OS didn't jive with what users wanted, or the hybrid PC/tablet designs manufacturers designed for Windows 8. Windows 8.1 is an admission from Microsoft that it had more to do, and a mostly successful attempt to make the platform more usable for tablets and PCs alike. The return of the Start button is the most obvious admission that Microsoft went a little too far with its broad plans for Windows 8, but it's also an easy fix to make things feel a little more familiar to Windows users. It works, too."

Will Microsoft be able to fight back against Apple's line of Macs with the new Windows 8.1 OS?

If you haven't already, take a look at this video detailing all of the changes made from Windows 8 to 8.1 and see what you think of Microsoft's attempts to clear up some confusion and move forward.