Microsoft Says, Buy a New PC Now, Pay $14.99 for Windows 8 Upgrade - monroenated1992

Consumers who buy a modern PC 'tween now and January. 31 can pay US$14.99 for an upgrade to Windows 8, the next version of Microsoft's PC operating, Microsoft announced Wednesday.

Steve Guggenheimer , head of Microsoft's OEM division, disclosed the price in his keynote speech at the Computex trade show Wednesday, simply he didn't provide a release date for Windows 8, as some had expected.

Analysts and PC makers take in said they expect Windows 8 to ship in front the end of the twelvemonth. The fact that the upgrade offer ends Jan 31 suggests Microsoft expects it to follow out aside that particular date at least, perchance originally.

This latest upgrade price is for consumers only, according to a slide that appeared briefly during Guggenheimer's presentation. It's limited to one upgrade per PC and five upgrades per person.

Much offers are intended partially to stop people from holding off happening purchasing a new PC because they know a rising OS release is on the horizon, something that could exist painful financially for Microsoft and its partners.

PCs sold in the transition period to previous versions of Windows came with an array of coupons from Microsoft and PC vendors oblation free, subsidised operating theater uncomplete-price upgrades. For many users, upgrades on a new PC from Windows Vista to Windows 7 were free or nearly free.

Much of Guggenheimer's keynote was given all over to a demonstration of Windows 8, the biggest update to Microsoft's Microcomputer Bone since the displace from 16-bit to 32-bit computing with Windows 95.

The OS is optimized for stir computing and includes a completely new port, called Metro, that features large tile icons a bit corresponding Windows Phone 7. The former Windows screen background is ease available underneath Eastern Samoa an option.

It's also the first spillage of Microsoft's PC OS that wish run along ARM-type processors as well as the x86 chips from High Micro Devices and Intel.

James Niccolai covers data centers and generalised technology news for IDG News Service. Postdate James on Twitter at @jniccolai. James's e-mail address is james_niccolai@idg.com