Possibly Microsoft conlcudes that it has had it: they seem to u-turn over their pressuring of users to get used to that awful Metro-look in W8.1. A possible "update 1" will have the much-demanded regular Windows desktop as default, and Metro optional only.
They seem to want calming the situation with angry and disgusted users before in Spring next year they throw Windows 9 on the market.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/artic..._for_Windows_8