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Last week, a new Windows 8.1 Update 1 build leaked to the Internet but this one was labeled as "Windows 8.1 with Bing." Since Bing SmartSearch is already a partof Windows 8.1, many have wondered exactly what this mysterious SKU is going to be when the final version is released.



Today, a new report on ZDNet from well connected journalist Mary Jo Foley claims, via unnamed sources, that Windows 8.1 with Bing is an experiment for Microsoft. She writes that while the actual SKU has only minor differences from the other versions of Windows 8.1, it could be a way for Microsoft to offer Bing-related incentives for either consumers or OEMs which could make Windows free in the future.

Microsoft already offers nice incentives for anyone to search the web using Bing. It started its free Bing Rewards program a few years ago which allows folks to get rewards such as.gift cards for Amazon, Applebee's and Microsoft services like Xbox Live and Skype by searching the Internet on Bing.com. Just this week, the company announced that anyone in the program could get 100GB of free OneDrive storage for a year, normally priced $50 for the cost of just 100 Bing Rewards points.

If this report is accurate, it could mean that people might be able to get a full version of Windows for free that's monetized by Bing ads and incentives. While that sounds good on the surface, many users might be wary of having to deal with more ads and offers inside their operating system.

But take all of this with a grain of salt as it is being referred to as an experiment and could dramatically change or be canned at any time.

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Sounds like a plausable business scenario for Microsoft. Some folks will like it, some will hate it. Kind of like Win 8 itself!
not really convinced further fragmenting the win 8 ecosystem with another flavor is a good idea a ton of people are already confused enough between real windows 8 and 8 RT...
Windows 8.1 with Bing: Designed for low-cost devices, locks OEMs into Bing service





A few weeks back, a new Windows SKU appeared on the web that was aptly called, “Windows 8.1 with Bing”. The name raised a lot of questions about how the platform was going to be marketed and if it would be a free version of Windows 8.

With the new leak of some Windows 8.1 update 1 bits, or more likely called the “Windows Feature Pack” we have a much better understanding of what the OS will include and how it will affect OEMs.

According to the leaked documentation, Windows 8.1 with Bing is a new Windows edition that is targeted at low-cost devices. The SKU will set Bing as the default search engine and OEMs will not be able to override this choice.

It seems quite clear, the low-cost SKU will require OEMs to pivot around Bing and the Microsoft suite of services in an attempt to boost Bing’s market share. This SKU likely plays into Microsoft’s move to offer Windows 8 at a lower price point to help move more licenses and proliferate Windows 8 across the ecosystem.

We have copied the text below from the documentation below:

 

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.

Windows 8.1 with Bing helps OEMs add Windows to low-cost devices while driving end user usage of Microsoft Services such as Bing and OneDrive.

This edition of Windows sets Bing as the default search engine within Internet Explorer. Users will be able to manually change default search settings and install additional browsers of their choice.

Windows 8.1 with Bing is based on the feature set available in Windows 8.1 Core and incudes all of the latest updates, including Windows 8.1 Update. Windows 8.1 with Bing is available for 32-bit and 64-bit platforms.

What’s new for OEMs?

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. However, 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.

Imaging & deployment testing

Customize and deploy Windows 8.1 with Bing just as you would any other Windows image. Add your unattend settings, apps, drives, and other items to your image. Deploy the image to a reference PC and validate that your apps and services function as expected.

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