It took a little while coming, but Redmond has finally announced the pricing details for Windows 8.1, its first major refresh of Windows 8 that is on track for an October 18 launch.
The company has announced the pricing and packaging in a post on its official blog.
Windows 8.1 will, obviously, be offered as a free download to Windows 8 users, but those of you that want to purchase the operating system standalone can also do so — either by buying a traditional packaged DVD product or as a download from Microsoft’s website.
No matter which option you choose, Windows 8.1 can be yours for $119.99 if you are in the United States, while the Pro version will retail for $199.99. Pricing will very likely vary by market, as is usually the case for Microsoft software products.
But the most obvious thing here is that pricing is very similar to the price tags attached to Windows 8.
Additionally, Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 7 users that want to make the move to the upcoming operating system can hop on the Windows 8.1 bandwagon by using the built-in upgrade option, which will bring along all their files to the new version.
They will need to reinstall all their desktop apps in this case — understandably.
User on older versions of Windows (like Windows XP and Vista) however, will lose all their files, settings, and programs. A fresh, clean install is the best option in this case.
And finally, the company announced some special prices for customers who purchase a device running Windows 8.1 They will be able to upgrade to the Pro version of the operating system for only $99.99. Media Center upgrade, on the other hand, will be available for $9.99.
All Comments
so expensive..
Seriously. 8.1 Should be free!