Report: The Next Update to Microsoft Windows Could Be Free
(Image: Reuters)
Microsoft is reportedly developing a free version of its Windows 8.1 operating system in an effort to drastically increase the flagging OS’s user base.
Dubbed Microsoft 8.1 with Bing, the operating system could be offered to computer manufacturers, or just as a download, as a means to provide customers with access to important Microsoft services and to get them to update to the latest version of Windows. According to a report from The Verge, which cites unnamed sources, Windows 8.1 with Bing could be made available as an upgrade to Windows 7 owners.
Windows 8.1 with Bing would presumably be one of many versions of Windows 8.1 offered. That version would be free because it would expose customers to Microsoft’s other services like — well, Bing.
Windows 8, a major redesign of Windows that emphasized touchscreen devices and a “live tile” design, has so far been a disappointment for Microsoft, both critically and in terms of sales. Its underperformance is said to have led to the departure of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer late last year.
This isn’t the first time Windows 8.1 with Bing has been reported on. ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley said Windows 8.1 could be part of Microsoft’s effort to monetize different aspects of its software offerings. That said, Foley said she is unsure if Windows 8.1 with Bing will offer any Bing-specific user incentives. Windows 8.1 already has a built-in Bing Smart Search feature that can search a customer’s PC, OneDrive and the web in one shot.
MORE: Top 25 Windows 8 Apps
Microsoft has tried to entice consumers to use its services like Bing and the OneDrive cloud storage often, with little success. The recently announced Android-powered Nokia X phone will come preloaded with Windows OneDrive and offer free Skype calling. Nokia and Microsoft hope the move will pull in Android users who have never been exposed to Microsoft’s smartphone apps. The thinking is that if customers enjoy the apps, they will naturally want to migrate to Windows Phone devices.
Microsoft’s Qi Lu, who heads the company’s Bing efforts, has previously gone on record saying the company is working to convert Bing into an information platform that it can then embed in any device or service. The idea is to build Bing into a first-class offering that will help the company take share from Google.
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