Edition / Windows8.1
Pro Edition / Windows 8.1
Enterprise Edition
User experience
Apps launch other apps (new) / x / x / x / x
Customize multiple tiles at once (new) / x / x / x / x
Lock screen photo slide show (new) / x / x / x / x
Four tile sizes (new) / x / x / x / x
Microsoft account login / x / x / x / x
Multiple instances of same app (new) / x / x / x / x
Open up to fourvariable sized windows at once (new) / x / x / x / x
Optional boot to the desktop/All apps screen/Start screen (new) / x / x / x / x
PC Settings improvements (new) / x / x / x / x
Portrait mode improvements(new) / x / x / x / x
Search powered by Bing(new) / x / x / x / x
Setthe desktop wallpaper as Start background (new) / x / x / x / x
The Start button (new) / x / x / x / x
The Start screen and live tiles / x / x / x / x
Touch keyboard and thumb keyboard / x / x / x / x
Apps
Automatic app updates from Windows Store (new) / x / x / x / x
Built-in apps (Mail, Calendar, People, and more)[i] / x / x / x / x
Install and run desktop apps (x86/x64) / x / x / x
Internet Explorer 11 (new) / x / x / x / x
Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 RT included[ii] / x
Windows Media Player[iii] / x / x / x
Windows Store / x / x / x / x
Xbox SmartGlass[iv] with Play To / Play On / x / x / x / x
Devices and peripherals
3D printing support (new) / x / x / x / x
Biometric enrollment (new) / x / x / x / x
InstantGo[v] / x / x / x / x
MiraCast wireless display support (new) / x / x / x / x
Mobile hotspot / Wi-Fi tethering (new) / x / x / x / x
Multiple monitor improvements (new) / x / x / x / x
Precision touchpad improvements (new) / x / x / x / x
Storage Spaces / x / x / x
Wi-Fi Direct wireless printing support (new) / x / x / x / x
System
CPU Sockets / 1 / 1 / 2 / 2
Maximum RAM[vi] / 4 GB / 128 GB / 512 GB / 512 GB
Mount ISO / VHDs / x / x / x / x
Reset and refresh your PC / x / x / x / x
Switch languages on the fly (Language Packs)[vii] / x / x / x / x
VHD boot / x / x
Windows Update / x / x / x / x
Management
Assigned access (new) / x / x / x
Client Hyper-V / x / x
Device enrollment (new) / x / x / x / x
Domain Join / x / x
Exchange ActiveSync / x / x / x / x
Group Policy / x / x
Open MDM support (new) / x / x / x / x
Sideloading LOB apps / <sold separately> / <sold separately> / x
Start screen control[viii](new) / x
Windows To Go Creator / x
Work folders (new) / x / x / x / x
Workplace join (new) / x / x / x / x
Security
AppLocker / x
Binary extension scanning[ix] / x / x / x / x
BitLocker and BitLocker To Go / x / x
Device Encryption[x] / x / x / x / x
Family Safety / x / x / x / x
Multi-factor authentication for BYOD (new) / x / x / x / x
Picture password / x / x / x / x
Remote business data removal (new) / x / x / x / x
Trusted Boot[xi] / x / x / x / x
Windows Defender[xii] / x / x / x / x
Windows SmartScreen / x / x / x / x
Networking
BranchCache / x
Built-in VPN clients[xiii] / x / x / x / x
DirectAccess / x
Remote Desktop (client) / x / x / x / x
Remote Desktop (host) / x / x
VDI enhancements / x
For additional discussion of some of the new features in Windows 8.1,see these additional resources:
- Download and install the Windows 8.1 Preview through the Store or with the ISO files
- Download and read the Windows 8.1 Preview Product Guide
- Read the Windows Blog: Continuing the Windows 8 vision with Windows 8.1
- Read the Windows for your Business Blog: Modern Business in Mind: Windows 8.1 at TechEd 2013
- Read the Springboard Blog on TechNet: What's New in Windows 8.1
[i] At Preview, this includes: Alarms, Calculator, Calendar, Camera, Finance, Food & Drink, Games, Health & Fitness, Mail, Maps, Music, News, People, Photos, Reader, Reading List, SkyDrive,Sound Recorder, Sports, Travel, Video, and Weather; final list still being determined for GA
[ii] Includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook; certain features, macros, add-ins, and other custom programs may not work on Windows RT 8.1; for further details, please go to
[iii]Watching DVD movies on Windows 8.1, Windows 8.1 Pro, and Windows 8.1 Enterprise Edition requires separate playback software; Windows RT 8.1 does not support DVD movie playback
[iv] Xbox SmartGlass available as download in the Windows Store
[v] Enabled on all editions that meet InstantGo certification requirements, at OEM discretion (named “connected standby” in the Windows 8 editions)
[vi] 32-bit versions support up to 4GB
[vii] Language switching is not included in Windows 8.1 single language versions
[viii] Start screen control can be enabled in Windows RT 8.1 with side loading key
[ix] Internet Explorer scans binary extensions (ActiveX for example) before running using the anti-malware solution
[x] Device encryption is automatically enabled on InstantGo certified devices after first login with Microsoft Account
[xi] Trusted Boot requires TPM
[xii] Windows Defender now includes network behavior monitoring
[xiii] VPN now includes auto-triggered VPN and 3rd party built-in VPN clients in addition to Microsoft VPN client