Microsoft announced the previous version for Windows 8.1 is now available. As the name implies, the Windows 8.1 is the upgraded version of the Windows 8 system. The company made a number of interface changes and upgraded applications to maximize user experience and generate more appreciation.

There is only one downside to the whole Windows 8.1 - users hoping to work with the usual Windows 7 layout will be disappointed. Microsoft decided to stick with the Modern UI which is the tile Start Screen interface. Users will have this as their primary launching point. Provided the inevitable, Microsoft included additional features which improves the appeal of the interface to those used to the keyboard-and-mouse method.

It is also necessary to point out Microsoft's good knack at this time to listen to customer feedback. The company attempted to solve the problems cited in their previous interface. Analysts say Microsoft has done a good job with the retouch though they note that there might some users who will find the the reliance of the OS on touch functions may be unappealing.

The biggest problem with the initial Windows 8 system is the unavailability of the Start or the Windows button in the lower-left part of the desktop. Microsoft initially thought that shifting to touch mean their users will find it easier to use the interface by changing how their system starts or how users access different types of programs.

This time, Microsoft made the right move. For more than a decade, people are used to their Start or Windows function that changing the system all of a sudden can mean a lot of displeased customers. Not everyone likes to veer away from their usual routine especially when using familiar interfaces. Microsoft brings back the Start button in Windows 8.1 so that should be a good start. Microsoft is extending a compromise that can benefit them well.

At the same time, Microsoft is courting application makers offering a "re-blended" edition of the operating system. The company is now offering a preview version of the new operating system to developers online. Developers can access the version at preview.windows.com.

"We pushed boldly in Windows 8 and got lots of feedback," Microsoft chief executive Steven Ballmer explained.

"Users said 'Why don't you go refine the blend?," Balmer added.

"We will show you a refined blend of our desktop experience and our modern experience."

"Rapid release cadences are absolutely essential to what we are doing," Ballmer said.

"It is about the transformation that we are going through as a company to move at an absolutely rapid release cycle; our transformation from a software company to a company building software-powered devices and services." Balmer shared with Zee News media.