S Microsoft has decided not to charge users of
Windows 8 for an eagerly awaited update to the new operating system
which has been criticized for confusing customers.
Tami Reller, Microsoft's chief financial officer, announced the
welcome news in a speech at the JP Morgan Technology, Media and
Telecom Conference in Boston, according to a Microsoft blog posting.
The update will be known as Windows 8.1 and will be a free update
to consumers through the Windows Store. A public preview of the new
software will be released on June 26, Reller said.
Windows 8 has been widely criticized for the radical change to the
graphical user interface that it introduced. The software, introduced
last year replaced the traditional start button with a mosaic of
tiles that work well on touch screens but feel confusing to many
users of laptops and desktops.
Microsoft has not committed to a return of the start button, but
the move is widely expected.
