Microsoft is set to release Windows 8 to consumers and apart from shocking people with the announcement of its tablet: Microsoft Surface, it is also set to sell Windows 8 at a competitive price of only $39.99 – in comparison to the near $250 CAD for Windows 7 Professional or more for Ultimate. The upgrade process is set to be easy, and Surface looks hot.
Whether you are currently running Windows XP, Vista or 7, a $39.99 online upgrade is available for you. If you buy a new laptop, the upgrade is only $14.99 and if you want to buy the DVD, it will cost $69.99.
During the upgrade, features that were gutted – like Windows Media Center – can be added in the options for free.
The online upgrade starts at Windows.com where a Windows 8 upgrade advisor will follow you through the steps – regardless whether you’re running Windows XP, Vista or 7. Remember that Windows 7 needed Vista to upgrade.
The Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant will tell you what is and what isn’t compatible in Windows 8 from hardware to software.
Before installing, it will ask you what you want to keep during the process. There are 3 options: 1) Windows settings, personal files and apps; 2) just persona files; 3)nothing.
Windows 7 users will have all 3 options available.However, Windows Vista will allow everything but apps and Windows XP will only let you keep personal files.
Now if you would rather do a clean install than an upgrade – like me – all you have to do is follow the steps to create the Windows 8 DVD or USB and then do a clean install from there – just like with release preview.
The download process is set so that you can pause it and come back to it if you have a slow connection and need more time to download it.
You can decide to make your bootable media, or purchase a back up for an extra $15 plus shipping and handling.
This promo, as Microsoft put it, for both online and retail purchases will be available from the official release of Windows 8 until January 31, 2013.
For those building a new machine, this promotion is supposedly applicable to you as well – why wouldn’t it be. If you can clean install Windows with this purchase, why couldn’t you be able to use it on a new machine… don’t get why they mentioned it.
So if you want to read the entire release from Microsoft, you can go here – but I already got straight to the nitty gritty.
Now for the interesting thing that Microsoft announced that I am late to report on: Microsoft Surface. Essentially it is a tablet that was designed to also be a laptop. It will come in Windows RT (Arm with no desktop) and Windows 8 Pro (latest Intel core i5 with desktop) versions. No pricing has yet been announced but this product is set to rival the iPad and looks like an interesting product – even if some may say that they flipped the screen and keyboard places from traditional laptop design.
First came Microsoft Surface, now comes the promo of Windows 8 Pro at Apple pricing. Do you feel more inclined to try or buy Windows 8 considering the surprises that Microsoft has released? Let us know: Twitter, Facebook, Google +.
On a side note, Microsoft earlier announced details of the 3 versions available for purchase which have been covered here. Windows 8 Pro gives the most features out of the box, Windows RT eliminates the desktop altogether.
About Author
0 Blogger:
Post a Comment