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also @ TechSpot: Metro: Last Light Performance, Benchmarked
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.
User Comments: 34
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What's wrong with Windows 7?
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This is a good deal. When going from Vista to Win 7, they had a $50 promotion so this is even better.
I'm also trying out Ubuntu 12.04 LTS which is free and I'm finding I like it, further more my family is able to use it without any issues. Depending on how things go with this I may just make Ubuntu my primary system though I have some games that I enjoy on Windows; wish I could run them on Ubuntu.
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I'll setup a vm on my personal computer with w8 but w7 will still be my main os. I see no reason to upgrade.. or should I say downgrade.
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m4a4 said:
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 you are either in the start menu or not. So the fact that it takes up the whole screen didn't bug me (as the second you clicked out of the start menu, it was gone). Now it is more expansive and more customizable...
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Maybe if MS paid me $40.
Same here. If they agree to pay me for agreeing to be their guinea pig to test out their new tablet OS on my desktop I'll go through the hassle and pain of looking at it. Otherwise, Windows 7 is going to be on my desktop for a very long time. Of course, I probably won't ever see that $40 payment. The world is full of enough guinea pigs who are salivating to get their hands on this polished turd.
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abysal said:
If only the start screen didn't disrupt what I was doing and go full screen. It's idiotic to do it that way.
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Mantrhax said:
No Thank U !!!
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Storage spaces, the more I learn more I like.
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wow, windows 8 upgrade advisor works well...
...the windows 8 download is surprisingly fast...
...only to found later that the downloaded windows 8 is still the "pre-release version"...
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