Here’s Microsoft’s big preview vid for Windows 8.1 (not just a teaser)

Microsoft has just issued the above clip, a five-minute foray into the niceties of its latest operating system.

More than just a sexy, slick, information-free 30-second TV spot, this clip gives us a real first look at Windows 8.1.

As announced back in May, Windows 8.1 will be a free update for PC users. “We feel very good about the direction we’re heading in with Windows 8,” Microsoft VP Tami Reller said today at the JP Morgan Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference in Boston.

“Windows 8.1 is an update. Since launch, we’ve continued to deliver many product updates. This is more substantial than a daily or a weekly update.”

The update will bring lots of standard features that longtime Windows users will appreciate. As our reviewer wrote, the newer version “rights a number of the wrongs created by Windows 8 — often for the better.”

First of all, Windows users get the beloved Start button back, and they’ll also have the option to boot directly to the traditional desktop, a great feature for enterprise users (and non-touchscreen users) who like all of Windows 8 except for the consumer-friendly Live Tiles desktop.

Overall, the company has said recently that making Windows 8.1 more business-friendly is a huge part of its current mission, especially given the continuing popularity of Windows in the workplace.

What do you think of the first look? Is this making you more optimistic about the new direction of Windows?