Windows 8.1, formerly Windows Blue, has just hit RTM status after previously being planned for late August and despite Microsoft’s former stance on making MSDN and TechNet subscribers wait until the final consumer version is released in October. A pre-release version of Skype has come bundled with the Windows 8.1 RTM.
The new release comes fully-integrated with the ability to view missed calls and messages on the lock screen, as well as to answer calls from the lock screen. From the Start Screen, you gain the ability to choose how you want to respond to incoming calls — video, audio, or IM.
Skype for Windows 8.1 also introduces click to call for the “metro” Internet Explorer, which should help to boost productivity a little. App-to-app launching capability, which moves Skype to the side automatically when you click on a link or shared item much like we can see in other apps for the upcoming OS, is also ready for prime time. Snapping Skype manually is, of course, still an option, but brings the new Windows 8.1 sizes into the spotlight, which enables you to size apps however big or small you prefer on your screen rather than Windows 8’s two-sizes-only approach.
Many of us will have to wait until October to see all of the changes our favorite apps have undergone with the new Windows, but if you happen to have the RTM version of Windows 8.1 downloaded, you’ll have the pleasure of experiencing the new Skype before anyone else.