Difference between Windows 8 and Windows 8.1

For those who are under the impression that Windows 8.1 is a service pack, a service pack is an update that contains hot-fixes and updates to the previous release of an OS, but the service pack does not includes new features. Therefore, Windows 8.1 is a new package of services that includes new features as a totally new Os.

As some of you know, when Windows Vista was released in 2007, which did not do well in the market and two years later, Microsoft released a polished version of Vista and named it as Windows 7 , which went on to become the best selling windows operating system in history. The only major difference (aside features) between Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 is that Windows 7 is not a free update for users of Windows Vista and Windows 8.1 is free for all users of Windows 8.

As the “.1″ in the name suggests that Windows 8.1 is based upon Windows 8. Upgrading to Windows 8.1 adds hundreds of new features and functionality of Windows 8 without removing existing features, and is completely free to all existing users of Windows 8.

Upgrading from Windows 8.1 is based largely on assessments that Microsoft has received from millions of Windows 8 users in the last year. According to Microsoft, this update will encourage users of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 to upgrade to the latest version of Windows i.e Windows 8.1 .

You could say that Windows 8.1 is what Windows 8 should have been or we can say that “0.1″ have made Windows 8 complete.

Below is the picture showing you the main features added to Windows 8.1 which were not available in windows 8.

Windows 8.1 adds new Start button button to switch easily to the Home screen and desktop, settings to customize the home screen, the option to automatically set as desktop background screen, an easier way to turn off and restart the PC and hundreds of other features.

Hope you this step of Microsoft about adding the Start Button to Windows 8.1 will bring back its days of Windows 7 once again. Hope this post will clear most of your doubts about Windows 8.1.