We've known for a few weeks that Blizzard lifted the time limit on the World of Warcraft free trial, but they've just released the official details regarding the new Starter Edition. With the launch of Patch 4.2: Rage of the Firelands, anyone can play for free up to level 20 without the time restrictions placed on trial accounts. Some new features are also available:

• Players with the WoW Starter Edition can create draenei and blood elf characters, which were previously unavailable with trial accounts.
• The two starting zones associated with these races are also available to people wishing to try out the game.
• The gold limit has been raised to 10 gold, allowing Starter Edition players to purchase mounts when they reach the appropriate level.

You'll stop gaining experience once you hit level 20, but you're free to keep exploring Azeroth and roll new characters. You can upgrade to a full, paid account at any time and continue your adventures with the characters you created.

With the launch of the Starter Edition, all existing trial accounts, including expired ones, have been reactivated. If you ever had a trial account, you can once again access your characters.