can I use Win8 and not automatically upgrade to 8.1?

It's a temptation to install and explore 8.1, but siding on the side of caution and prefer to delay the upgrade.

The 8.1 upgrade is NOT automatic, is it?

I would like to wait, maybe a month, for all the kinks and bugs to get worked out of 8.1 before it's installed on my PC.

Using a dual-boot, with Win7 on the other side. If it's not possible, then I plan to continue with just using Win7.

Have not heard of it being automatic. You have to click on the tile in metro store to get it, just do not click should work. Unless MS gets pushy which I would doubt.

MS better never make it automatic or required as the upgrade will not install on my Win 8 Pro X64 system because it does not have the necessary hardware support. I can only run 32 bit 8.1 which I can't get since the upgrade does a same bitness only, 32 -> 32 or 64 -> 64.