14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft recently revealed Windows 8.1 with Bing, a new SKU of its flagship operating system that's specifically aimed at partners who are trying to build more affordable tablets and PCs.
Even though only little was known about this new Windows 8.1 version, it appears that manufacturers already received it and are ready to show devices running it at the Computex show this week.
Now a screenshot that allegedly shows Windows 8.1 with Bing in action has reached the web, confirming that Microsoft has indeed completed development and sent it to partners in order to help them bring cheaper devices to the market and thus boost the adoption of its modern operating system.
Not much can be discovered by opening this photo, aside from the fact that this particular SKU looks pretty much the same with the standard Windows 8.1 version, meaning that non aesthetic differences exist between the two builds.
So what is Windows 8.1 with Bing anyway? Microsoft says that the only big difference that you're going to notice is the addition of Bing as the default search engine in Internet Explorer, but users will still be allowed to switch to Google if they want to.
Otherwise, it's 100 percent Windows 8.1, the company guarantees, with the same design and features that are already available to adopters of this operating system in the core version.
“Windows 8.1 with Bing provides all the same great experiences that Windows 8.1 offers with the Windows 8.1 Update, and comes with Bing as the default search engine within Internet Explorer. And of course customers will be able to change that setting through the Internet Explorer menu, providing them with control over search engine settings,” Microsoft explained last month when it officially confirmed the new SKU.
However, the company hasn't mentioned whether Windows 8.1 with Bing would be offered to partners free of cost or at a lower fee, but the company did say that some devices would also come with a one-year subscription to Office 365.
“The end result is that more people—across consumer and commercial—will have access to an even broader selection of new devices with all the awesomeness that Windows 8.1 provides, and get Office too, all at a really affordable price. Additionally, as reach expands, the opportunity for developers and their apps also increases,” Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc added.
The first Windows 8.1 with Bing devices will be revealed this week at Computex, so keep an eye on the news to see the new SKU in action.
Update: a leaked build of Windows 8.1 with Bing has reached the web and is now available for download via unofficial channels.