Microsoft reportedly plans to update its Windows operating system (OS) once a year, as opposed to every two or three, in a bid to keep up with rivals Apple and Google.

Speaking to Bloomberg, sources who couldn't be named said the firm plans to upgrade its operating system more frequently to integrate new technologies and respond to changes in the industry quicker.

The sources said Microsoft plans to roll out the first of these updates in 2013.

The news comes as Apple and Google progressively steal those customers that would have once bought Microsoft products. Consumer market research firm NPD Group reported last month that Microsoft failed to receive the boost it needed from the Windows 8 launch on 26 October, with sales of Windows devices falling a dramatic 21 percent against the same period last year, from 21 October to 17 November.

Tired of using the same operating system for years? Microsoft certainly hopes so. The Redmond-based software maker is hoping "Windows Blue" will change how consumers perceive Windows by introducing frequent, periodic upgrades (e.g. annual releases), akin to Apple's aggressive Mac OS X release schedule.

Perhaps most surprisingly though -- and get your salt shakers ready -- rumor has it that Windows Blue is poised for a summer 2013 launch. It's not necessarily known if Blue will be a stand-alone Windows release, a service pack or simply Microsoft's latest Windows platform strategy, but one thing's for sure: the company hopes to lure users into rapid-fire Windows releases.

The 11-year-old operating system will exit support April 8, 2014, when Microsoft serves users with their final security updates.

Microsoft offers an XP countdown clock where it's least needed: On Windows 7.

On Saturday, the retirement countdown clocks offered by Microsoft and others flipped from 500 to 499 days, or a shade under 17 months.

Microsoft provides a countdown gadget for Windows XP's support demise. Ironically, the gadget runs only on Windows 7, the 2009 OS that most customers have adopted after departing XP.

If you've been wanting to upgrade to Windows 8 but baulk at paying then, firstly, you're a bad person but, secondly, now your opportunity's here. Microsoft just screwed up and handed out a free activation key for the OS.

Microsoft is letting Windows 8 Pro users upgrade to Media Center for free until January 31st. Neat.