Microsoft today named Oct. 18 as the launch date for Windows 8.1, the update it hopes will be better received than the original, which debuted the year before. "Starting at 12:00 a.m. on October 18 in New Zealand (that's 4:00 a.m. October 17 in Redmond, Wash.), Windows 8.1 will begin rolling out worldwide as a free update for consumers on Windows 8 through the Windows Store," said spokesman Brandon LeBlanc.