A document surfaced today bolstering rumors that Microsoft will release a free version of Windows 8.1 tentatively titled “Windows 8.1 with Bing”. Files found in an alleged Windows 8.1 ADK (Assessment and Deployment Kit) leaked by Russian leaker Wzor.net suggest the free version of Windows 8 will be used as the default OS for low-end devices.
According to Bav0.com, PCs running “Windows 8.1 with Bing” will, as you might have guessed, feature Bing as the default search engine on their browser, Internet Explorer. All of this, it seems, is designed to ease new PC owners into the idea of using Microsoft’s services:
“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.
Those are just default settings, though: Users will be able to switch back to their favorite search engine if they want. OEMs, however, will be required to leave those settings as is.
The document suggests that, other than those default settings, “Windows 8.1 with Bing” will be treated just like any other version of Windows 8. “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.” The document specifically says the feature set for “Windows 8 with Bing” will be “based on the feature set available in Windows 8.1 Core.”
The words “based on” seem to suggest that Microsoft may strip some features out of Windows 8.1 with Bing. Considering that a new copy of Windows 8 is currently priced between $100 and $140 on Newegg, we’d have to believe that the OS would have some features ripped out if Redmond begins to it for free at some point.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.