Windows 8.1 with Bing price scheme leaks online

A leaked document shows how much OEMs have to pay to include Windows 8.1 with Bing on their tablets and convertibles. Furthermore, the same document reveal the price that manufacturers have to pay to include a 12-month subscription to Office 365 Personal.

As many might already know, Microsoft offers a special and slightly cheaper version of Windows called Windows 8.1 with Bing. This version comes with just two slight changes: Bing is used as the default search engine, and MSN is used as the default home page. Users who are unsatisfied with these settings can change them as they see fit.

To integrate Windows 8.1 with Bing on a tablet with a display that's 9-inches or smaller across the diagonal, OEMs have to pay $10 for each copy. This price actually goes down to $0 following a special configuration discount. This special configuration discount is only applied when the tablet in question is powered by an Intel chipset. On tablets with displays that measure between 9 inches and 10.1 inches, the price for Windows 8.1 with Bing raises to $25, but OEMs can still get the $10 configuration discount for integrating an Intel chip. In other words, Microsoft applies a 10$ discount to all tablet manufacturers who integrate Intel silicon on their small or regular-sized tablet.

The inclusion of a twelve month subscription to Microsoft's Office 365 personal is completely free for both tablet categories. It now becomes obvious why the bundle is very often included with a new Windows tablet: this is Microsoft's way of trying to lure in customers to pay for the subscription after the free trial period ends.

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