Windows 8.1 Preview goes live

Microsoft Corporation just announced the availability of the Windows 8.1 Preview at its developer-focused Build conference in San Francisco. 

At the demo, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer; Julie Larson-Green, corporate vice president of Windows; and other executives showed off the new OS. The focus was on personalization; increased functionality for businesses; new apps coming to Windows (Facebook, Flipboard, and NFL); search powered by Bing; and more.

“With Windows 8 we built a new Windows, reimagined from the chipset to the experience. It was an ambitious vision, and with Windows 8.1 we refine it,” Larson-Green said in the press release. “Windows 8.1 will support the widest range of tablets and PCs and demonstrates how responsive we can be for customers. The preview we are releasing today is an important step for partners around the world that are building the next generation of Windows devices and apps.”