Microsoft will offer digital Windows 8 Pro upgrades for $39.99

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Microsoft will make it affordable to ditch your current Windows installation for the latest version. If your system is running Windows XP, Vista or 7, you'll be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $39.99 and if desired, you'll be able to add Windows Media Center for free via the "add features" option after the operating system installs.

Besides being cheap, the upgrade sounds straightforward enough for most users to perform without assistance. After downloading the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant, you'll be guided from purchase to installation, informing you about application or device incompatibilities, Windows 8's features, what you'll be able to keep and so on.

For reference, it was $120 or $220 to upgrade a Windows Vista machine to Windows 7 Home Premium or Ultimate (excluding promotions such as academic discounts and family packs).

It's worth noting that, although you can download an ISO via the Upgrade Assistant and create your own bootable DVD or USB drive, Microsoft will sell you a backup DVD for $15 plus shipping. Likewise, physical retail copies of the Windows 8 Pro upgrade media will cost $69.99. These prices will be available in 131 markets through January 31, 2013, and it's unclear how much they'll increase afterward.

As a reminder, folks who purchase a Windows 7 computer after June 2 will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $14.99. Upgrading from Windows 7 will be seamless, allowing you to keep your files, applications and operating system settings. Windows Vista will only be able to keep files, while XP users will be able keep files and applications, if a rumor from last week pans out.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/49231-microsoft-will-offer-digital-windows-8-pro-upgrades-for-3999.html

 

[oldikes]

Maybe if MS paid me $40.

 

[yukka]

Competitive pricing there, comparable to an Apple OSX upgrade. Wonder if the price will stay that low after a few months.

Edit: Found this at the bottom of the article:

If you prefer to shop at a local store, a packaged DVD version of the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro will be available for $69.99 during this promotion.

This upgrade promotion for Windows 8 Pro both online and at retail runs through January 31st, 2013.

They aren't matching Apples pricing permanently at all here. Really they are trying to get people to buy it as soon as possible where some might wait for the first service pack, but by then the promotion will be over. Thought Microsoft were seeing the value of getting their Windows Store on as many PCs as possible but this is an offer, not the standard price.

 

[Julio Franco]

Great and necessary move. Microsoft is feeling the heat of the competition even on the desktop side of things, so they have had to adjust. This should also prove a good way to have more of the Windows user base move to W8 faster and thus adopt Metro in one way or another.

 

[MrBlkfx1]

40$ to upgrade..I guess I will try out Win 8 after all.

 

[oldikes]

If they make an optimized version of metro for the desktop user, I will buy, but not unless they do.

 

[Guest]

Looking at Microsoft's site for this deal in the UK (£14.99) there is a major clause:

Key Dates

You must purchase a qualifying Windows 7 PC between 2 June 2012 and 31 January 2013 to be eligible for this offer. The last day to register and order your Windows 8 upgrade is 28 February 2013.

This rules out a lot of people!

 

[Matthew DeCarlo]

That's an entirely separate promotion for new Windows 7 PC owners, Guest.

 

[Holyscrap]

Well if they leave the "hole" that allows you to do a clean install with the upgrade version, then you could say that I have already bought it

 

[Guest]

Download and install and test out Win8 right now. I personally give it a thumbs up.

 

[Seventh Reign]

That is $40-$70 that ALOT of people are going to wish they had never spent ...

 

[Burty117]

The price isn't that bad but I really need a desktop optermised version as in it's current state I really don't like it, if they can prove it's any good on a desktop though I'll take it back

 

[Ranger12]

I do not have a problem with Windows 8. However, I cannot think of a reason to upgrade from Windows 7 even if it is only $40. For me there's nothing that Windows 8 has that 7 doesn't.

 

[Guest]

It's fine on a desktop. And there are improvements that you'll really like over Windows. 7. You don't have to use the metro app layout crap if you don't want to. And when you're not using the metro nonsense, it's basically Windows 7 with a few new keyboard shortcuts and the start button is gone.

 

[oldikes]

yea well the start button is a pretty big deal to me.
All they need to do is give us the ability to scale metro down....

 

[MrBungle]

"Upgrading from Windows 7 will be seamless, allowing you to keep your files, applications and operating system settings."

I wonder if that includes the way I have my start menu setup?

 

[Guest]

What if you build your own computer, and use an OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium, and activate it during the time period mentioned? Will this person be able to buy Windows 8 Pro upgrade, and also, could he buy the upgrade that would allow him to periodically do clean reinstalls? (At the reduced price, of course!)

 

[Guest]

Smart move, however Windows 8 is not worth a dollar to me. At least not for a desktop, I would consider a Window 8 tablet I suppose. Otherwise Windows 7 is much better than Windows 8 for a desktop user.

 

[p51d007]

Sorry, I will most likely keep 7. Just got a new XPS laptop about 2 weeks ago, so I guess I will get a discount for the upgrade, but I don't see any "need" for the upgrade.
Might throw it on a virtual drive and play with it, but the daily driver will still be 7.

 

[Guest]

And this discount is ahead of release because - MS need more sheep to purchase the Win8 OS as it will gain them significant turnover not from the sales of the OS but from the mass of ppl who will be purchasing "apps" through metro that MS take a cut from or sell them self.

People are so blind to the underlying reason'(s) that MS are discounting and promoting Win 8 and Metro, I guess ppl who are used to mobile devices will lap this up as they love buying frivolous "apps".

 

[m4a4]

If they make an optimized version of metro for the desktop user, I will buy, but not unless they do.

What isn't desktop optimized about it?

 

[Coodu]

Well said, I know it certainly puts me at a benefit and certainly will save me some cash over the W7 upgrades I paid for myself/wife's machine.

Good move by MS imo.

 

[oldikes]

What isn't desktop optimized about it?

Im a heavy multitasker and Metro simply covers the entire desktop, which is the majority of my multitasking space.

it just screws up the flow of multitasking, and yes I have used it so im not just basing that off of pictures of it.

 

[Xero07]

Probably will get for my laptop and keep my desktop on 7. The pricing is impressive to say the least compared to previous versions.

 

[captainawesome]

The next version of UEFI (BIOS) should allow booting from the net. Then no storage media is needed at all to install your OS. You can just connect to Windows Update and a few hours (let's not kid ourselves with the Microsoft 'minutes') you have a fully functional PC with all the updates and drivers already installed. You should even be able to select Office 201* and other stuff from the MS app store. Like Chrome and Firefox and Adobe CS*
That way you can start it when you go sleep and wake up with everything installed

 

[Coodu]

Im a heavy multitasker and Metro simply covers the entire desktop, which is the majority of my multitasking space.

it just screws up the flow of multitasking, and yes I have used it so im not just basing that off of pictures of it.

I find that I use the start menu the most when I have an app taking up majority of my screen as I tend to avoid minimizing and just open over the top. So metro will be a large change for me usage wise.