Windows Blue Is Officially Windows 8.1, Free For Existing Users

Several readers sent word that Microsoft has officially dubbed the upcoming revision to its flagship operating system "Windows 8.1," retiring the code-name "Windows Blue." They also said the update would be freely available to anybody with Windows 8. It will be available through the Windows Store. "Reller declined to provide an exact release date for Windows 8.1, but said that Microsoft is 'very sensitive to the timing of the holidays.' Ideally, Microsoft will be able to provide devices with Windows 8.1 pre-loaded in time for the holiday 2013 season, Reller said, but those who purchase a Windows 8 device later this year will be able to easily upgrade to 8.1."

Wohoo!

[Steve Ka]

I've waited for this. Party hard, party hard. Wohoo!

Fuck the Walled Garden

[Anonymous Coward]

As long as it's a closed development ecosystem where you have to pay to play, and MS gets to profit from your work, all I have to say is FUCK MICROSOFT. I'm sticking with my MBP.

Re:Boy, they just ask for it, don't they.

[Anonymous Coward]

Windows Blue?

More like Windows Blew.

Re:So what comes next?

[Vanderhoth]

Windows Classic

Re:Service pack

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

Free.

Couldn't sell it.

Only for current users. That's not exactly restricting scope, is it? ;-)

Re:Wow...

[Austerity Empowers]

I'd still wait for Windows 8.11 for workgroups. Maybe they'll add a proper command line and support x forwarding natively.

Re:Service pack

[Anonymous Coward]

I guess RMS will finally be happy now when Windows is free software.

Re: Too little, too late?

[Anonymous Coward]

Year of Linux on the desktop?

Re:Boy, they just ask for it, don't they.

[Yewbert]

Made me think of the Mitch Hedburg one-liner. "I used to do drugs. I *still* do, but I used to, too."
Windows Blue. It *still* blows, but it blue, too.

Go back further...

[neoshroom]

I seriously can't know how people can be comfortable with the Win7 Start screen. Here's a picture of my Program Manager [designyoutrust.com] in Win3.11. Everything is nicely pinned right there (no moving mouse around the screen), the search functionality works the same and there is direct access to things like Control Panel. It does not steal the attention with a full screen jumbled mess of harshly colored squares with uncolored icons.

Re:Wow...

[twistedsymphony]

Might want to fix that image... before anyone realizes you use IE instead of.... anything else.

Re:Go back further...

[Darinbob]

Windows 7 start menu is essentially the optimized version of the windows 3 program manager, with easier means to open and access along with ability to use files and programs not contained within program manager. Whereas Windows 8 start screen is optimized for the use of pounding your forehead against a touch screen .