Microsoft this week said its August update to Windows 8.1 will be modest and incremental rather than another massive package of new tools and toys like April’s Windows 8.1 Update.

Call the pending Aug. 12 rollout of new Windows 8.1 features, fixes, and security upgrades a little “u” update to the operating system instead of the big “U” represented by April’s massive blowout. And Redmond said Windows users should expect more of these scaled-down but regularly delivered updates in the months to come.

“[D]espite rumors and speculation, we are not planning to deliver a Windows 8.1 ‘Update 2,'” Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc wrote on Blogging Windows(Opens in a new window).

Microsoft is also preparing a similarly incremental update schedule for Windows Server 2012 R2, the company said.

So if the Aug. 12 update won’t have as many bells and whistles as Windows 8.1 Update provided —April’s bundle of improvements included the much-requested Boot to Desktop feature, some big additions to the Start screen, smarter navigation and UI partitioning for modern apps, and more—what will it have?

In addition to the behind-the-scenes security upgrades, here are the new features in the upcoming Windows 8.1 update, as described by Microsoft:

• Precision touchpad improvements: Three new end-user settings have been added: Leave touch pad on when a mouse is connected; allow right-clicks on the touchpad; double-tap and drag.
• Miracast Receive: Exposes a set of Wi-Fi direct APIs for Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV) drivers or OEM drivers to develop Windows 32-bit applications that run on all supported x86-based or x64-based versions of Windows 8.1, enabling the computer as a Miracast receiver.
• Minimizing login prompts for SharePoint Online: Reduces the number of prompts with federated use in accessing SharePoint Online sites. If you select the “Keep me signed in” check box when you log on for the first time, you will not see prompts for successive access to that SharePoint Online site.

Hey, they already gave us the Start button back, so how much more were you expecting?

As initiated with the big Windows 8.1 Update on April 8, Microsoft’s next Windows 8.1 update will be pushed out automatically and for free via Windows Update (learn how to check that you’re receiving automatic updates at the Microsoft Update(Opens in a new window) site. You can also check in at the Windows Update landing page(Opens in a new window) to download the update in advance.