14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft recently announced the new Windows 8.1 with Bing, a fresh SKU that's supposed to be offered free of charge to manufacturers in order to bring more affordable devices to the market.
But even though Redmond is actually planning to tackle the tablet market with cheaper devices, people involved in the business do not believe that Microsoft stands a chance against Android.
A report by Digitimes and citing the infamous “Taiwan-based supply chain makers” claims that “the Windows platform is expected to have difficulties achieving strong growth.”
The same sources suggest that devices powered by Windows 8.1 with Bing are expected to be launched in the third quarter of this year, after being shown for the first time at Computex early next month.
While Microsoft and Android are very likely to continue their fight in the tablet sector, there's no doubt that Redmond is actually trying to do just that: tackle the affordable market by bringing its own Windows devices into play.
Windows 8.1 with Bing is regarded as the perfect solution in this competition, as it would be offered for free to manufacturers without boasting too many differences as compared to the core operating system.
Microsoft says that Windows 8.1 with Bing only comes with its search engine configured as default in Internet Explorer, but users would still be allowed to choose the service they want in the browser. This means that with a few clicks you could easily turn Windows 8.1 with Bing into a full-featured Windows 8 installation, while still using the affordable device you recently purchased.
“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,” Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc explained recently.
“And of course customers will be able to change that setting through the Internet Explorer menu, providing them with control over search engine settings. This new edition will be only be available preloaded on devices from our hardware partners. Some of these devices, in particular tablets, will also come with Office or a one-year subscription to Office 365.”
Windows 8.1 with Bing is already being tested by partners and the first devices should be presented to the public next week. At this point, there are absolutely no details regarding the pricing of the new devices, but expect them to retail for approximately $250 (€180) when equipped with the new Windows 8.1 SKU.