Windows 8 is a competitor to both the iPad and the Mac, so it's hard to imagine that Microsoft will continue its tradition of slower upgrade cycles. Windows Phone and the Xbox 360 already receive yearly updates, so Windows 8 is likely to follow as the platforms merge.

But how much will future Windows upgrades cost? Microsoft is, after all, still a software company that relies on Windows licensing for a big chunk of revenue. Unless Microsoft Surface crushes the competition and drives PC makers out of business (highly unlikely, at least for the foreseeable future), Microsoft will still need to charge for new versions of Windows. I doubt Microsoft will offer free upgrades anytime soon.

Still, I think (and hope) we'll see , in the future as Microsoft tries to keep pace with both OS X and iOS. Alternatively, Microsoft could offer meatier free updates at the mid-point of its OS cycle, instead of maintenance-minded Service Packs. All of this is speculation, of course, but I think the $40 Windows 8 upgrade signals big changes in the way Microsoft will develop and release new versions of its OS.

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