Skip to main content

It’s official: Windows 8.1 gets October 17 digital release date, hits shelves October 18

Yesterday, we reported that Windows 8 will be released to the public “some time” in October. Well, Redmond must’ve been paying attention to all the hubbub about the release date, because Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc announced the official date today on the Windows Blog. Mark your calendars; according to LeBlanc, starting at 4 a.m. PST on October 17, Windows 8.1 will start rolling out worldwide as a free update for Windows 8 users via the Windows Store.

Don’t have Windows 8 yet? The update will also be available to buy online and in stores on October 18. You’ll also be able to buy a brand new Windows 8.1 device that day as well. We’re expecting to see a number of 7-and 8-inch tablets running Windows 8.1 at launch, and perhaps even a new Surface tablet. As we mentioned yesterday, Microsoft is releasing Windows 8.1 to manufacturers this month, but it’s taking the time between August and the October general-public release to update and patch the OS. 

Recommended Videos

We’ve already had some hands-on time with Windows 8.1 thanks to the Preview version, and we can safely say it’s an improvement over Windows 8. Windows 8.1 will bring many fixes to the Windows 8 features we’ve griped about for the last year, including bringing back the Start button (not Start menu), an easier way to view your apps, a more personalized home screen, a better search experience, improved “split view” to make multitasking simpler, a revamped app store, Internet Explorer 11, and more. We definitely prefer Windows 8.1 over 8, but you’ll have to form your own opinion after Windows 8.1′s mid-October release.  

Jennifer Bergen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jennifer Bergen is the Computing Section Editor at Digital Trends and is in charge of all things laptops, desktops, and their…
I spent $3,000 on a PC only to play a $20 game. I have zero regrets
A screenshot of Spelunky 2.

Building a PC is an exciting thing, but it's also pretty expensive. Ah, what am I saying -- let's not beat around the bush here. It's really expensive. With the prices of the best graphics cards higher than they've been in years, getting yourself a gaming rig is pricey even if you go down the budget route -- but it gets worse if you want a more powerful PC.

Still, it's entirely possible to build a good computer on a budget. The problem is that you'll often talk yourself into spending more than you need to. That's probably how I ended up spending $3,000 on a PC that's mostly used for playing a $20 game.

Read more
I finally found the perfect mechanical keyboard to go with my Mac, and it’s a lot cheaper
Angled view of a person typing on the Satechi SM3 Slim mechanical keyboard.

My experience with Apple’s Magic Keyboard for the Mac has been a love-hate situation, at best. It is slim, sleek, offers a fantastic scissor-switch, and serves the Touch ID convenience. What’s not to love? 

Well, for starters, the asking price is a steep $200, which is too much for a non-mechanical keyboard. There is no backlight. It is not ergonomic. The looks, though understated, are bland.  

Read more
Watch this PC modder turn an Intel heatspreader into the coolest water block ever
Intel CPUs with CNC-machined heat-spreaders for waterbook cooling experiment

In one of the most inventive PC mods we've seen this year, Chinese YouTuber octppus has pulled off a wild engineering feat by transforming the heatspreader (IHS) of an Intel Core i9-14900KS into a fully functioning water block.

Instead of strapping a conventional cooler onto the processor, the YouTuber took matters into his own hands (and his CNC machine). By precisely carving a network of microchannels directly into the CPU’s integrated IHS, he allowed coolant to flow right across the surface that matters most, the processor die itself. 

Read more