From the bold vibrancy of its new Start screen, to its new digital assistant, Cortana, Microsoft's new Windows Phone 8.1 establishes itself as a top-tier smartphone platform.And that's critical-especially for an operating system currently holding a market share of less than 4 percent among U.S. smartphone buyers (though to be fair, it's more popular elsewhere). That's not to say it leaps ahead of Apple's iOS or Google's Android, but neither is it markedly deficient in any one area-although it could always use more, higher-quality apps.What's even better? You don't need to twiddle your thumbs, waiting for your carrier to push Windows Phone 8.1 to your phone months down the road. You can sign up for Windows Phone Preview for Developers-yes, you, a mere consumer-and receive the same bits as the carriers receive, as well as any updates. (Note, however, that you may void your warranty, and you may not receive device-specific drivers right away.)For those less adventurous, Windows Phone 8.1 will be available to all Windows Phone 8 devices, including the Nokia Lumia line. But you'll likely have to wait a month or two for your carrier to vet the new, free update.Full Story
