Microsoft has announced further changes to Windows 8.1 since its original preview of the new operating system in June.
TheVerge.com has revealed a leak of the near-final version of Windows 8.1, which will be available in October, a year after the original Windows 8 was launched.
The upgraded operating system will run Internet Explorer 11, with the return of the Start button, built in apps and more options within its interface, which will include improved browsing of sites side-by-side on the same screen and syncing of passwords and favourite sites across devices through the cloud.
The Windows update will reportedly come at the same time as the release of new hardware carrying the Microsoft operating system, including 7- and 8-inch devices.
It will also allow users to circumvent the ‘Live tile’ interface built for touch screens and go directly to the desktop mode. Microsoft’s built-in apps such as Mail and Calendar will be displayed along a narrow bar on the top or bottom of the screen for easy access.
A number of tutorials and explanatory menus will be added to the operating system, Microsoft said, to help users adjust to the updates.
