Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 update will end up in the hands of PC manufacturers by August, reports All Things D. Microsoft made the announcement today at its partner conference, and makes the timing right for inclusion on computers shipping out over the holiday season.

The update will be free, and includes a bunch of fixes for issues that people had with Windows 8. Our own Alex Wilhelm had some hands-on time with the update and describes it as an improvement, but not a total polish.

At the risk of overusing a word that should perhaps be typed only once monthly, Windows 8 is… quirky. Sadly, despite its strong improvements, Windows 8.1 does not fully assuage, or solve that fact. […] All told, Windows 8.1 is a worthy and welcome upgrade, and one that stands up to testing. However, it isn’t perfect, and doesn’t correct all the flaws of its ancestor.

The update is available now for download in preview form, if you’re the type who doesn’t mind trying the latest version of an operating system, and all of the bugs commensurate with that.

Image Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Read next: Privacy International files legal action against UK government over PRISM and Tempora cyber snooping