Configure, personalize, tweak to your heart's content

The ability to configure and personalize Windows has always been a signature feature of this operating system and obviously Windows 8.1, with its new "modern" or "metro" interface, plus the traditional desktop, allows you to play with colors, images, parameters, etc. The Personalization Gallery is where you get free wallpapers, languages and themes. Try it. It's fun.

This time there is more help and guidance available

Windows 8.1 is user-friendlier in many respects including in its Help + Tips utility, not to mention that the first time you run the software a big orange arrow, on top of the "Start screen" will be pointing to the upper right-hand corner advising you of the existence of the charms (Search, Share, Start, Devices and Settings) and not a moment too soon another one, at the lower left-hand corner will let you know that there is a "Start button", some sort of the reincarnation of the one that had been there since the times of Windows 95 and was absent in Windows 8.  Help + Tips offers really useful indications, with sleek animations, about what you can do with this operating system and which may not be so obvious for first time users or simply for regular folks: Start and Apps, Get around, Basic actions, Your account and files, Settings and What's new... For a more comprehensive Help utility, press F1 while in the Desktop mode (click anywhere on the wallpaper first).

Get Windows 8.1, install it, enjoy it!

Only through the App Store, apparently...

It's already a week since Microsoft released to the public the Windows 8 upgrade known as Windows 8.1. For starters, you need to do it through the App Store, within the "modern" interface, i.e. the Tiles. Though if you do it while browsing within the Desktop mode, the Meet Windows link will take you there at any rate. That's how I did, and I figure you could probably get the ISO file through some sort of TechNet subscription. Please, also note that the upgrade is free for Windows 8 users, whereas if you want to upgrade from Windows XP, Vista or 7, you will have to buy the software. My personal verdict: it's definitely worth the upgrade, whether from Windows 8 or from previous Windows versions!