Microsoft has quietly changed the requirements of Windows 8.1 with Bing, a customized version of its modern operating system that's offered free of charge or for a very small fee to OEMs in order to bring more affordable devices to the market.

Reports coming from England reveal that Microsoft is now offering Windows 8.1 with Bing to device manufacturers who want to install the operating system on laptops with screens of 14 inches or smaller, despite the fact that the operating system was previously available with no restriction in this regard.

One of the reasons Microsoft might have decided to make Windows 8.1 with Bing available on devices with 14-inch displays or smaller is the fact that the company has already managed to counteract the rapid growth of Chromebooks, so Microsoft might now try to boost Windows revenues by limiting its offer.

Another possible explanation for this change could be the approaching release of Windows 10, an operating system that will be available as a free upgrade for those running Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.

Microsoft's hasn't yet mentioned whether Windows 8.1 with Bing is eligible for the free upgrade, but this option is very likely to be offered since plenty of devices are already running this particular operating system across the world.

What's Windows 8.1 with Bing?

Microsoft rolled out Windows 8.1 with Bing in 2014 in order to bring more affordable devices to the market, as this particular version of the OS is offered either free of charge or for a small fee to OEMs. Without paying for a license, OEMs can cut the final price of their devices, and Microsoft hopes that this way it can increase the number of Windows laptops and tablets on the market.

Windows 8.1 with Bing is almost the same as the core version of Windows 8.1, but instead comes with Bing as the default search engine in Internet Explorer.

Users are, however, allowed to change it to Google or whatever search engine they want, but Microsoft bets on the fact that few would want to do that after finding the advantages of its own service.

Keep in mind that Windows 8.1 with Bing is not available for download or purchase, as it is exclusively offered to manufacturers to install it on their devices, so you won't be able to get it without first buying a laptop or tablet running it.