Windows 8 Price: Upgrade For Most Windows Users Will Cost $40 (For A Limited Time)

Planning on upgrading your current PC to Windows 8? Unless you're still on Windows 95, Microsoft just revealed how much you might be paying.

For users with laptops and desktops running Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, a digital upgrade to Windows 8 Pro will cost $40 if downloaded before Jan. 31, 2013, according to a fresh post on the Microsoft Windows blog. That's the price to download Windows 8 Pro and install it without an actual physical copy of the download; Microsoft will also mail you a DVD version of Windows 8 for backup purposes for an extra $15 plus shipping and handling. Upgrades to Pro will also have the option to add the Windows Media Center program to their download for free.

If buying over the Internet isn't your thing, customers can choose to purchase Windows 8 Pro in stores for $70. These prices are apparently only good through Jan. 31 and will increase after that date.

There is still a chance, too, that the price of your Windows 8 upgrade could be even lower than $40. The announced price is for Windows 8 Pro, the version of Windows 8 that adds several encryption and security features to cater to businesses and enterprise customers. Regular old Windows 8, without all that enhanced security stuff, could be cheaper still. Announcing the new editions of Windows 8, Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc wrote that Windows 8 was "the right choice" for many consumers, while Windows 8 Pro was better for "tech enthusiasts and business/tech professionals."

Ina Fried of All Things Digital points out that $40 is less expensive than previous Windows upgrades have been -- an upgrade to Windows 7 Professional from Vista, for example, cost $100. This is perhaps a response to the cheap Mac OS X updates sold by rival Apple (Mountain Lion, the upcoming OS X update, will cost $20 per download), or perhaps an effort to get customers to commit to Windows 8.

Will these lower prices spell higher adoption rates for Windows 8 when it's released this fall? In the past, Microsoft has had trouble convincing its users to upgrade their Windows machines -- Windows 7 is just now passing Windows XP in worldwide market share -- and the push leading up to Windows 8 seems no different. And consumers' unwillingness to pay for an upgrade may be exacerbated by how radically different the Metro design of Windows 8 appears.

You can read more about Windows 8 Pro, and how the download/installation process actually works, at the official Blogging Windows website. And if you need a refresher on what will be changing in Windows 8, you can download the free Release Preview of the new operating system from Microsoft, or check out some photos of the redesigned Windows below.

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Comments

[Ronald Silverstein]

05:10 PM on 03/09/2013

you could still upgrade to Windows 8 for $39 for anyone at any time just go to https://www.abdouexpress.com/product_info.php?products_id=29

[revelationman]

05:48 PM on 07/10/2012

I am running on a virtual box I am starting to like it, very straight forward and clean , I feel that is the trend today with OS, we mostly use the web now for all functions, most of the stuff on the desktop OS today is redundant I am glad that Microsoft is starting a cheaper upgrade it will lead to higher adoption and maybe less piracy :)

[prestonrt2]

10:36 PM on 07/05/2012

I think Windows 8 looks great and performs even better. I have had the Consumer Preview on my home PC and my work computer since it has been out. I was a little hesitant to use it on my work computer, but after using at home for only a weekend I was convinced it would work out, and it did. It's smooth, fast, and very organized. It is so much easier to work in Windows Explorer using the new style menus they have added to the top. As far as the Metro syling it's only present in the Start Menu and the new Windows 8 apps. Personally I like it. The old Start Menu aggravated me at times. Especially the archaic Windows XP menu. I started out on XP and stuck with it through Vista, but things change and when Windows 7 came along I jumped on board and did not look back. Just I will with Windows 8. I too was skeptical at first, but after using it solely after all this time I would hate to go back to 7. I love the intro pricing. Better get it while it's hot.

[WhteJesus]

07:04 PM on 07/05/2012

40 dollars isn't bad, but it still doesn't change the fact that Windows 8 looks like total poo. How much more "dumbed-down" are they going to make technology? I'll stick with Windows 7, thanks.

[Drama Llama]

12:55 PM on 07/05/2012

REASONABLE pricing on an upgrade of MS OS... I am shocked.. Microsoft just might be finally figuring things out.

Too bad it is a day late and a dollar short for me. I got tired of their bloated prices AND bloated software years ago.

[Sleepers Awake]

12:22 PM on 07/05/2012

I think I can live without it.

[revrobertmcmillan]

11:44 AM on 07/05/2012

Ok, this is an article about Microsoft, not apple. If I want to read apple comments, I'll find an article about...APPLE! If you are compelled to shrill for the 'ol ap, please do so somewhere else.

[sp ameena]

03:42 PM on 08/01/2012

good one :)

[JackTheSkipper]

10:06 PM on 07/04/2012

The greedy investor in me tells me to buy one $40 download and go megaupload on Microsoft after Jan of 2013.

[Utopian Sky]

05:05 PM on 07/04/2012

Windows 8 will be a huge success- for Apple.
There will be lots of people who would rather switch to Mac than deal with that awful Metro user interface .

[WestCoastLib]

02:20 PM on 07/05/2012

lol check the market share
...now come back to reality. kool thing about numbers is, they dont lie. has nothing to do with apple or whatever, just what you're saying doesn't reflect reality.

[sp ameena]

03:53 PM on 08/01/2012

why apple users gets so in secured every time something new comes which is not by apple.....

[Jose A Ibarra]

05:04 PM on 07/04/2012

No matter what, the lower price point can't hurt.

I know for me personally I've often avoided upgrading my OS until I bought a new computer. It just seems pointless to upgrade when the old OS works just fine and I really don't need to spend $100 from my limited budget to alter the way the computer runs in ways I may not even like, let alone think is worth that price tag.

With a $40 or less price point, you've got someone here who's excited to upgrade their Microsoft OS for the first time in his life.

It's simply sad that it took them so long to realize how much their pricing hurt the adoption of their new OS.

[DRaymond]

04:15 PM on 07/04/2012

I have been using Windows 8 on a dual-screen desktop and honestly while I have no reason to uninstall it I also have no reason to recommend it to a desktop user.

The biggest hassle I have found is that the old start button is replaced with a metro screen but it doesn't populate itself with all the old stuff from your start menu.  You can add it, but it is a nussiance.  That is a simple thing that may be fixed by customer ship.

[Steve Whateva]

10:23 AM on 07/04/2012

Oh dear. Well Microsoft will offer this upgrade at a great price. What they are not telling you is, that the start menu will disappear, to be replaced by a metro menu. I have tested the developer and consumer versions of Windows 8 extensively. I have desperately tried to gain access to things I now take for granted in Windows 7. It looks very Metro like it's name, however has no real functionality for a serious computer user. Tasks that I could do easily now are a nightmare. I tried Start 8. This is a start menu made by Stardock, but it still was not what I needed. The only way I felt semi comfortable using Windows 8 was with a dock called Rocket Dock. I still had problems. Finding a program that you rarely use is so frustrating as you have to virtually go into the install drive to where the program folder is to run it. Who wants to do that with every program? If you made your own shortcuts on the desktop then you eventually will end up with a clutter of links and folders. The Start Menu is what made Windows so great to begin with. Apparently due to a customer experience survey nobody uses the Start Menu anymore. Dear Microsoft, Anyone with a little computer knowledge, will not participate in a survey, as they like to keep their files and activities private. Well good luck Microsoft.

[Masih Ad-Dajjal]

04:52 AM on 07/04/2012

I had the beta of 8 for a while and I agree the "blocky" Panel opening page seems to only be good for tablets/phones.

But it seemed to have some cool new features such as multiple backgrounds for multiple monitors, and it seemed to start faster. Having the ability to launch a specific app quickly after start-up could be beneficial sometimes especially for gaming.

Also if I'm not mistaken I'm positive you can completely turn off that "blocky" Panel start-up page all together and have it go straight to a win7 style desktop. In which case you're just left with a more streamlined win7 with some cool new features.

So IMO for a decent price like 40$ or less it seems to be a worthwhile upgrade.

[DRaymond]

04:18 PM on 07/04/2012

You can go directly to the desktop but that metro interface is still the 'start' button so you can't get away from it entirely.

With the $40 price it makes sense for windows xp and vista users, almost no-brainer.  For Windows 7 tablet users I would say yes but there is not as much to recommend it for windows 7 desktop users.

[Jonathan Eltgroth]

12:44 AM on 07/04/2012

Am I the only one who thinks the interface looks terrible? This block design principle makes it look cheap, unpolished, and lazy. I'll stick with 7.

[Eli Medina]

10:47 AM on 07/05/2012

But, it is so much leaner. I have old laptops with old hardware insides and no OS could bring them back to life. I slapped Win 8 and OMG, It can fly. First, as soon as I hit the WIndows key and start typing the name of program I want-I get. It is so addicting. I just feel Win 8 is so much more stable and has no lag so far. I guess people will either hate it or love it, depending on how much you give it a chance. I actually tried Beta, hated it, a couple months later tried Win 8 RC, hated it, but could not go back to win 7 after using it for a week.

Eli

[Jonathan Eltgroth]

02:08 PM on 07/05/2012

I see those points your made, but if I'm going to stare at a screen for 8 hours a day, I'd like some better aesthetics.  Just a personal opinion.

[mr whiteffolks]

12:32 AM on 07/04/2012

Wow ! I didn't know MS knew any other pricing methods besides $99 or $149 !