Free Windows 8.1 upgrade from Oct 18

Windows 8 users across the globe will be able to freely upgrade to the new Windows 8.1 version on October 18. A Microsoft release said the rollout will start with New Zealand at 12:00 am on that day. It will also be available on new devices from that same day.

The official Windows blog said Windows 8.1 "brings many improvements in areas like personalization, Internet Explorer 11, search which is powered by Bing, built-in apps including a few new ones, an improved Windows Store experience, and cloud connectivity with SkyDrive (and much more) that people will enjoy".

Consumer as well as enterprise versions of the upgrade are already available for review. The upgrade is coming within a year of the Windows 8 launch, which has not been as successful as Microsoft would have wanted.