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Microsoft answering Windows 8.1 questions on Reddit

Got questions about the revamped OS? Engineers will participate in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. PT.

Shara Tibken Former managing editor
Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."
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Windows 8.1 includes a new start button and the ability to boot to desktop.
Confused about Windows 8.1? Microsoft wants to clear up some of those questions today.

The software giant plans to host an AMA, or "Ask Me Anything," on Reddit from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT on Thursday. It said in a tweet that several of its engineers will talk about the revamped operating system.

You can find the AMA link here.

Thursday marks the official launch of Windows 8.1. It's an incremental upgrade to the operating system, which means it's not a major overhaul but a tweak of the prior version. However, Microsoft added some key features sorely lacking in Windows 8. That includes a new, modified Start button, as well as the opportunity to boot the PC directly to the old-style desktop mode.

Including those features -- standards of older Windows versions -- is partly an admission that Microsoft's bold move with Windows 8 wasn't the right one. Windows 8.1 in many ways represents a step backward for Windows. That's not necessarily a bad thing -- after all, everyone panicked about that Start button -- and it shows Microsoft clearly is listening to what users want. In addition, many of these features, such as boot to desktop, allow a PC to be just a PC, if that's what users want.

Check out CNET's full review of Windows 8.1 here.

What's new in Windows 8.1 (pictures)

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Updated at 10:35 a.m. PT with link to the AMA post.