Get Windows 8 before it costs $200

There are only 8 days left to upgrade to Windows 8 for $15, $40 or $69 before the price goes up to $200

Windows 8 Pro upgrade

On February 1, 2013 the price of a Window 8 upgrade will shoot up to $199.

Depending on when you got Windows 7, you can still get the upgrade for as little as $15.

I know some people don’t care and that will make Microsoft very rich over the next two years as most people eventually upgrade to a new Windows operating system.

Don’t believe the negative nellies in the media. Windows 8 is faster, safer and easier to use than any Windows before. 

There is a short – as in two hour – learning curve for Windows 8. Once you learn how to use the new navigation, finding programs and files is faster and easier. Nothing ventured nothing gained is the truism.

While a touch monitor makes Windows 8 work like a tablet – sweet – you can use it quite well with a keyboard and mouse, which is how I am writing this story.

Lessons learned on Windows upgrades

I remember when Vista came out. I did not take the discount upgrade because the press were down on Windows Vista. About a year later I shelled out $170 for the upgrade, joining tens of millions of users who eventually upgrade.

Don’t believe the lie that Vista was bad. It was a little slow but once Microsoft released Service Pack 1 it was a great operating system.

Vista is so good that my wife, an experienced network and database guru, loves it. I wrangled a free upgrade from Dell to Windows 7 and she refused to install it. Vista was working very well for her. She is going to upgrade to Windows 8 though, and this month.

She even brought her laptop home from work to upgrade this weekend which is ironic since I offered to upgrade it months ago and she told me to leave it alone. What’s with that eh?

I delayed with Windows 7 and had to pay the full pop for two computers. What’s that saying – he / she who hesitates is lost.

How to upgrade to Windows 8 for $15

If you bought a new computer with Windows 7 after June 2nd, 2012, you qualify to register for the $15 upgrade. Just follow through to this link.

How to upgrade to Windows 8 for $40

If you have Windows XP, Vista or 7 on your computer, the upgrade can be downloaded from Microsoft at this link – Upgrade Now and Save.

After the online program checks your computer for compatibility, it will download the files to your computer. You can create a DVD or USB stick for a permanent copy.

The procedure is outlined in the story Upgrading to Windows 8 Pro the easy way

How to upgrade to Windows 8 for $67

If you want to have a DVD and avoid the download, Amazon.com still have the special $67 product for upgrading (or $70 in most retail stores).

I upgraded one computer with the DVD and it worked like a charm.

Some people are complaining that Microsoft is gouging with the new pricing but this is the same discount they have offered with Windows XP, Vista and 7.

For two or three months, early adopters can save a bundle. After that, the new operating system costs between $130 and $200, depending on the features.

The retail pricing for Windows 8 on February 1, 2013 will be,

• The Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition – $199.99 MSRP (U.S.).
• The Windows 8 upgrade edition – $119.99 MSRP (U.S.).
• The Windows 8 Pro Pack – $99.99 MSRP (U.S.).
• The Windows 8 Media Center Pack – $9.99 MSRP (U.S.).

There are also two products for people who build their own computers: Windows 8 System Builder DVD 64-Bit for $96 at Amazon.com and Windows 8 Professional System Builder DVD 64-Bit for $110 at Amazon.com.

Source: Blogging Windows