There will be no ISO downloads of Windows 8.1 for the public.

Microsoft has made it known there will be no .ISO file for Windows 8.1 available to the general public.

"Consumers" here really means any copies of Windows 8 that weren't purchased through Microsoft's Volume Licensing programs. So a small business with 20 PCs to upgrade, for example, will have to do them one at a time via the Windows Store – so that's 20 separate 3.5GB downloads.

The Windows Store is the only way for consumers (non-enterprise, non-IT Pro) to download and install Windows 8.1. No ISOs will be made available, so each device needs to be updated individually via the Windows Store.

Well, that is not very clever - it will only encourage downloading from alternative sources which then will be fraught with the risks of malware. Not to mention about those small operators who have 5 or 10 PC's that need upgrading but do not have sufficient broadband allocation for that amount of data. We're running Windows on MAC computers in Bootcamp but this may just tip us over to going OS X on all of them.

I thought that Windows 8.1 was supposed to "true-up" everyone where as long as you've purchased purchased or received Windows 8.1, you would then own a full copy and not require any previous versions?    That's how it is for the retail version.

Are you now  telling me that people who received the free Windows 8.1 upgrade don't know own a full copy and will still need a previous version?

Microsoft has made it known there will be no .ISO file for Windows 8.1 available to the general public.

"Consumers" here really means any copies of Windows 8 that weren't purchased through Microsoft's Volume Licensing programs. So a small business with 20 PCs to upgrade, for example, will have to do them one at a time via the Windows Store – so that's 20 separate 3.5GB downloads.

The Windows Store is the only way for consumers (non-enterprise, non-IT Pro) to download and install Windows 8.1. No ISOs will be made available, so each device needs to be updated individually via the Windows Store.

:( Very disappointing.  What about those of us who do not have unlimited downloads plans, however we have several pcs to upgrade to 8.1?  Perhaps we should all send our excess download bills to MS. Shame on you Microsoft :((

I know, its unfortunate, but hopefully Microsoft will change on this one and very soon too, its definitely wasting bandwidth.

This is a shame.  I have heard many problems with upgrades, and personally experienced some of them myself.  I prefer clean installs any day, which I have done before as well.