It turns out that Redmond is developing a Windows 8.1 build for affordable devices

Mar 6, 2014 06:47 GMT  ·  By

A few days ago, it has emerged that Microsoft might at some point release a Windows 8.1 version that would be offered free of charge to all users who wouldn’t mind to see ads across the operating system.

Such news reached the web after leaks of a so-called Windows 8.1 with Bing build reached the web, with people familiar with the matter claiming that Redmond might actually use this particular version to tackle the free OS market at some point in the future using a product delivered with Bing branding.

It turns out however that Windows 8.1 with Bing might actually be just a version developed by Microsoft for low-end devices, as the company is still struggling to bring more affordable devices to the market. BAV0.com is reporting that some leaked documentation about Windows 8.1 with Bing reveals that Microsoft might provide OEMs looking for a very affordable operating system with a new build that would come with Bing as the default search engine, with built-in options offered to the user ti change the default configuration.

Here’s an excerpt from the leaked docs that clearly state the purpose of Windows 8.1 with Bing:

“Windows 8.1 with Bing is a new Windows edition that helps OEMs add Windows to low-cost devices while driving end user usage of Microsoft Services such as Bing and OneDrive. Windows 8.1 with Bing is similar to other editions of Windows and should be imaged, updated, and deployed the same as any other Windows edition.”

OEMs, on the other hand, won’t be allowed to change the search engine and choose their preferred one that could help monetize a specific agreement with a third-party.

“OEMs will not be able to change the default search engine with the SearchScopes unattend setting, Registry key, or 3rd party installation tools. When a user starts Internet Explorer, Bing is automatically set to the default Search Engine and will override any OEM-configured search provider. No other Internet Explorer defaults are changed,” the documentation reads.

Rumors regarding a significant licensing price cut prepared for Microsoft have been around for some time and while such a strategy pretty much makes sense, it might appear that the company is also working to tackle the low-end device market with a special build of the OS that would be a lot more affordable.

It’s not yet clear when exactly Windows 8.1 with Bing is expected to launch, but the new OS build is very likely to see daylight sometime this year, most likely soon after the debut of Windows 8.1 Update 1.