Microsoft Dabbles in Offering Bing-powered Version of Windows 8.1 for Free
posted Sunday Mar 2, 2014 by Nicholas DiMeo
At the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft allowed Windows 7 users to upgrade for only $39.99. That offer has long expired and Microsoft still wants more people to use Windows 8, specifically, Windows 8.1. To do that, Microsoft might just offer up a free version that might entice hardware manufacturers to switch over to the new platform.
As if you should need any more convincing of the major benefits behind Windows 8.1, reports are coming in that Microsoft could be testing out "Windows 8.1 with Bing," an iteration of Windows that would have all the important Microsoft apps and services bundled into the operating system. This could be Microsoft's free or possibly low-cost way of getting Windows 7 users moved over to the Win 8. It is also possible that this ties in with Microsoft's latest license price cut for Windows systems under $250. For those wanting to make an affordable device for the average user, not having to pay a licensing fee for Windows could be the one thing to entice more manufacturers to ramp up production.
As we've only seen an online leak or two about the operating system, we don't have a clear-cut idea on how this Windows 8.1 with Bing will be used in the wild. But it would make sense that Microsoft stand behind its plan to maximize the adoption rate of services like OneDrive and Azure.
Bing's array of apps have been recently updated as well, allowing users to perform essential tasks and get pertinent information with just the push of the screen or click of the mouse. Could this have perhaps been a preface for putting Bing front-and-center as part of a cloud operating system? Part of me thinks that Microsoft is going a little Chromebook with this experiment, and part of me really likes that idea. Considering that services like Office 365 are readily available on Windows products, and by default save files into OneDrive, an ability to actually be productive on a cloud-based computer could pan out for the company. On the flip side, however, is the fact that Microsoft put out a few ads bashing Chromebooks for being useless when they were without Wi-Fi or another Internet connection.
Could these Windows 8.1 with Bing-powered devices come with Internet already pre-installed from a provider, in order to alleviate the connectivity issue? What else could Windows 8.1 with Bing be used for? Is it all just a hoax? That's a lot of questions that need answers in the comments section below, so get to it if you have an opinion or thought.