Some things we know and things we think we know about Windows 8.1

One day. That's what's left to get our hands on the first public version of the long-awaited Windows 8.1 update We've been talking for months about what was hidden under the codename of Blue and in recent weeks we have finally known its official name and the main changes that it will introduce in the operating system, which will be many.

Just 24 hours after its presentation at Build, it's worth reviewing what we know, what we think we know, and some possible surprises that the first major Windows 8 update may bring us.We know the public preview will arrive via the Windows Store, and it might even be available as an ISO image, so let's see what's hiding in your inside.

What we know

Microsoft itself published a complete post at the end of last month reviewing a good part of the news and changes that Windows 8.1 will bring to the system. It is what we know officially, and it already implies some other significant modification in the way we control Windows 8 and, above all, the Modern UI environment .

There appears the start button, although in a peculiar way, so as not to lose the essence of the change introduced by Windows 8. It also improves the ability to dock apps to the sides, allowing for larger form factors, such as splitting the screen equally.Also, for the first time, we will be able to open multiple windows of the same Modern UI application.

Another of the most outstanding features of Windows 8, Live Tiles, will also receive a corresponding improvement, so that they can show a lot of more information. Also, for the sake of less clutter on the home screen, newly installed apps will not be automatically pinned to it. We will also see increased customization possibilities and we will have a new lock screen that, among other things, will allow you to receive Skype calls even with the device locked.

The cloud integration is another of the sections that will be enhanced with Windows 8.1. It improves the synchronization of the configuration of our equipment through the same account, in addition to increasing the integration with SkyDrive.The search tool will also receive its corresponding update, with the Bing engine running in the background.

With such a review, Microsoft practically finished revealing everything that Windows 8.1 will bring with it. But there are some things that have been talked about based on details found in leaked builds that still have a good chance of being present in the public preview on 26th of September. june.

What we think we know

From the very moment the existence of a major Windows 8 update under the name of Blue became known, the rumors have not stopped. One of the most talked about potential features is the introduction of the ability to boot directly to the desktop This option, certainly a major change in Windows 8 , it would be accessible from the equipment configuration although it would be deactivated by default.

This is not the only concession Microsoft could make to critics of the system. For those of you who haven't quite gotten to grips with the way Windows 8 works, the update could bring changes to some of the basic system gestures, making it easier to its use with the mouse.

Windows 8.1 will also be the starting signal for new sizes of devices, smaller than the current ones, and we may also have improvements in the display of the start screen. This would result in full support for vertical screen orientation, better adapting the Modern UI interface and Live Tiles to this format.

We also know that Windows Store will be almost completely revamped. In addition to a new design, potential new features could include silent updates to our apps, which would automatically download in the background.

One last feature that has been mentioned several times is the presence of a new Modern UI interface file explorer We have even come to see some alleged screenshots of it, although it is not entirely clear that it is the file explorer expected by all.

What we expect: more and better applications

In addition to all the changes in the system, with Windows 8.1 a good consignment of applications is expected to arrive. From, of course, Internet Explorer 11, which will incorporate important new features, to improvements in some of the best-known Microsoft applications such as Xbox Music, or other minor ones, such as calculator or voice recorder.

But the Redmonders may not be the only ones bringing us new and better apps. Already last week the occasional addition to the Windows Store, and it is to be hoped that we will have important news to download in the store with the arrival of Windows 8.1.

In short, with what has been officially revealed by Microsoft and some of the rumors that have flooded the web for weeks, we have plenty of material to complete a major Windows 8 updateTomorrow we will definitely know how much more we can expect from Windows 8.1 and how deep are the changes introduced to its operating system by Redmond.