Windows Blue is Windows 8.1, available as a free update

May 17, 2013

We’ve known for some time that Microsoft would be issuing a major update to its Windows operating system during 2013, but the exact details were unknown. All has now been revealed, with Windows Blue actually being Windows 8.1, a Windows 8 update released for free through the Windows Store.

Windows 8 hasn’t done as well as Microsoft surely hoped it would. It hasn’t been a complete failure, despite what the Apple fanboys and Microsoft haters may tell you, and sales have been both solid and steady. It’s no Windows 7 in terms of adoption by consumers and corporate customers, but it’s a strong start for what is Microsoft essentially repositioning itself in the marketplace.

Having said that, Windows 8 could be better, and Microsoft knows it. Which is why it’s planning to release a major update later this year. This is the fabled Windows Blue that has been a discussion point for as long as Windows 8 has been on the market. Except it’s now officially being referred to as Windows 8.1.

A public preview of Windows 8.1 will be released on June 26, with the full release clearly intended to be delivered in time for the 2013 holiday season. Upon release, Windows 8.1 will be made available for free to all Windows 8 and Windows RT users. Interestingly, it will be delivered through the Windows Store rather than the usual Windows Update channel.

Microsoft’s Tami Reller revealed this during a presentation earlier in the week, stating, “Windows 8.1 will help us to deliver the next generation of PCs and tablets with our OEM partners and to deliver the experiences customers — both consumers and businesses alike — need and will just expect moving forward.”

Microsoft is committed to talking more about Windows 8.1 in the coming weeks, which should mean it’ll reveal what to expect from the major update. At the very least the ‘Start’ button looks to be making a return, which will immediately help remove some of the frustration felt by users switching from Windows 7 to Windows 8. What else Microsoft has in store for us will be revealed in due course.

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