There are rumors that Microsoft may be going with a free version of Windows 8. Free, but ad supported. This has worked for many products (Juno ISP, Kindle with ads, etc.). As an OS, I'm not sure how many people would be willing to install an OS with adware already installed. I'm sure there will be a few people, but I'm not sure if it's be enough to continue the support for the free version. Of course, I could be wrong and this could be a huge hit among consumers.
This new SKU, from what my contacts are saying, is key to Microsoft's experimentation with monetization. I hear this SKU has only minor differences from the current Windows 8.1 SKUs, but that it may be a kind of placeholder for the future when consumer operating systems are, basically, free. I'm not sure if this SKU will offer OEMs and/or consumers new Bing-related incentives by the time Update 1 is made available this spring.
MSTechpages.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commission fees by advertising and linking to the following web sites. Amazon.com
ARCTIC MX-6 (4 g) - Ultimate Performance Thermal Paste for CPU, Consoles, Graphics Cards, laptops, Very high Thermal Conductivity, Long Durability, Non-Conductive
$7.99 (as of December 25, 2024 17:31 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
SAMSUNG 990 EVO Plus SSD 2TB, PCIe Gen 4x4, Gen 5x2 M.2 2280, Speeds Up-to 7,250 MB/s, Upgrade Storage for PC/Laptops, HMB Technology and Intelligent Turbowrite 2.0, (MZ-V9S2T0B/AM)
$137.99 (as of December 25, 2024 17:31 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)