The company presents some of the key features of the next Windows version

Jun 5, 2013 07:47 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has just rolled out the first clip that presents the upcoming Windows 8.1 in all its glory, only a few weeks ahead of the public launch at the BUILD developer conference.

Jensen Harris from the Windows Team introduces some of the key features of the next Windows version, including the reworked Start screen and the greatly improved search option that can now display web links, images, SkyDrive files, and documents in just a single place.

In addition, Microsoft has significantly improved multi-tasking, so you can now run as many as 4 apps side by side. Of course, a larger device is needed to make the most of such an option.

Last but not least, the lock screen now comes with a slideshow option that can display photos which are stored either locally or in the cloud. As a result, a standard Surface RT tablet can become a full-featured photo frame.