Microsoft combats Chromebooks by cutting Windows licensing fees by 70 percent

Microsoft is reportedly cutting Windows 8.1 license costs by 70 percent for PC makers. Bloomberg News reports that the cuts are targeted at devices that retail for less than $250, in a move designed to combat rival low-cost tablets and Chromebooks. PC makers are usually charged $50 for a license of Windows 8.1, but Bloomberg News reports that manufacturers will be offered a license for just $15 on their low-cost devices.

Microsoft had been considering making Windows Phone and Windows RT available free of charge to device makers, and it appears the lowering of Windows 8.1 license fees for low-cost devices is the first step towards this possible plan. While Microsoft has sold more than 200 million licenses of Windows 8 since it was first...

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