Finally some good news about Windows 8. Microsoft has confirmed that the upcoming Windows 8.1 aka Windows Blue which is due for release later this year will be available as a free update (via the Windows Store) to all existing Windows 8 users. This includes Windows 8 desktop/laptop users as well as users of devices running Windows 8 RT (tablets). More information about what is going to be included in this release/update is still forthcoming and a ‘consumer preview’ will be available during Microsoft’s BUILD 2013 conference in San Francisco on June 25th.

So it sounds like Microsoft is going to treat Windows Blue more as a Service Pack update than a new version of Windows. The last ‘.1’ release was in 1992 with Windows 3.1 which was released two years after Windows 3.0 and was treated as separate new release version of Windows instead of an upgrade like Blue is going to be.

via Tom’s Hardware