Microsoft Announces Downloadable Windows 8 Pro Update Will Cost $39.99

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Posted July 3, 2012 at 1:46am by iClarified

Microsoft has announced that it will offer a downloadable Windows 8 Pro update for $39.99.

We set out to make it as easy as possible for everyone to upgrade to Windows 8. Starting at general availability, if your PC is running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 you will qualify to download an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $39.99 in 131 markets. And if you want, you can add Windows Media Center for free through the "add features" option within Windows 8 Pro after your upgrade.

This upgrade pricing is much lower than Microsoft typically charges; however, Apple has already announced plans to offer OS X Mountain Lion in July from the Mac App Store for $19.99 (US).

Microsoft Announces Downloadable Windows 8 Pro Update Will Cost $39.99

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iCrunch - July 4, 2012 at 1:30pm

Matroska is right. Get a life. I'll pick up on a couple of your erroneous statements anyway, just real quick: Not including USB 3.0 earlier was a choice, not a limitation. I don't use it now that I have USB 3.0, as I much prefer the incredible power, speed, and versatility of Thunderbolt, which Macs have had exclusively for almost 18 months. You can personalize OS X to death but with regards to Windows 7, I agree, it's a good OS, which is why I run it as part of my dual-boot setup. If I need to use it real quick, I am actually able to open my Windows 7 partition inside a virtual machine and do what I need to do without even rebooting. Lastly, my Windows 7 WEI scores are 7.3/7.3/7.9/7.6/7.8...out of a possible 7.9. What was that about Apple not embracing new technology? As for Windows 8, it will not work. I've only been a Mac guy for 2 years and before switching to Windows 7 RTM in July 2009, I was actually one of the few people who liked Windows Vista. Windows ME, however, the shortest-running OS in history, I did not like and that's what Windows 8 is being compared to more so even than Vista. By Windows people. (No, really!) I think Windows Phone 8 might have a better chance at succeeding than Windows 8. Although if you follow Nokia at all, it's certainly not a good sign that they're "evaluating fall-back options" and "worst-case scenarios" concerning its "partnership" with Microsoft and Windows Phone 8. That's not how you want your hardware partner talking about your OS. Speaking of infuriating your hardware partners, I have a final note regarding our planet: I sincerely hope that Microsoft's Surface tablets are Energy Star 5-compliant, free of PVC, BFR, as well as other environmentally un-friendly components, because those babies are going straight 6ft. under the Surface. Have you seen Google I/O? If the Surface is priced anywhere north of $199, nobody will buy them. If Microsoft wants one last hurrah, raise the price of Windows 8 by at least triple. ... Wait a minute, perhaps Microsoft is having a crisis of conscience and realizing that Win 8 is barely worth $39? On second thought, naahhh, probably just another one in a series of bad choices and decisions.

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dancj - July 3, 2012 at 7:40am

If I could have had Windows 7 that cheap I would have actually paid for it. As it is I'm not at all convince by Metro on a mouse-driven desktop so think I'll skip it for now. Maybe...

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Armani - July 3, 2012 at 2:19pm

Windows8 is actually the way forward - people should stop complaining you have the best of both worlds, i think people are forgetting the fact that you have both the metro style or normal style modes... Windows 8 is a PC and thats all part of being a PC is to have the versatility. Apple is ok but it can never never ever be compared to PC why? well because PCs are affordable more powerful and you don't need to wait a whole year product cycle to get the latest technology. Infact PC embrace new technology. Examples why PC are awesome 1. Gaming on PC are fast, smooth and enough able, the recent macbook pro retina can't even handle games like call of duty. 2. it took apple nearly 2 years to finally put USB 3.0 3. Apple computers are lock down!! you can't do much with out at all.. can you change themes? can you have all the powerful applications as windows NO 4. Microsoft office is a key applications. 5. Windows make software - so they make the best software. having a $39.99 upgrade option you would be a fool not to upgrade. I have been using the Windows Beta and then release candidate and i have to say its beautiful and absolute joy to do things, its all fluid, fast and fun... your e-mails, contacts, calendar, photos everything just works so seamlessly together.

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bd - July 3, 2012 at 7:10pm

I think he probably mentioned apple because the original comment stated he wouldn't be switching to W8, and this is an apple blog, implying he's using OS X over windows. Apple hardware and OS X are both really nice, got a MacBook pro myself that I love, but if you think a mac is better than a windows PC overall, taking into account factors like hardware customisation, range of software, cost, capability etc. you're ignorantly blinded by your love for apple, and frankly just naive.

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dancj - July 4, 2012 at 7:40am

I'm on this site because of my iPhone and iPad. My PC is Windows 7 - which I love.

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Tames - July 3, 2012 at 4:40am

That's only $39.99 too much

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iCrunch - July 3, 2012 at 3:56am

I think this is a big mistake on the part of Microsoft. Windows, at the end of the day, is all they have. Ok, maybe Office is fairly big, too, but the only hardware Microsoft has had any real success with is the Xbox, which remains, by Microsoft's own admission, a mildly profitable business. I think Windows 7 was the last real moneymaker for Microsoft. It was a huge success and rightly so, as it is a great OS. Having moved to the Mac platform 2 years ago, though, I much prefer OS X, but I still have Windows 7 installed and I'm also dabbling in Windows 8 enough to pretty much find it repulsive. I don't want to get into the details, but the Metro UI doesn't help matters much (LOVE the new Task Manager, though!) Anyway, I don't think MS is charging enough for Windows 8 for it to be a financial success. Comparing the sales model for OS X and Windows is comparing apples (ha ha, OS X = apples, get it!? Yea.) and oranges. Apple doesn't license its software to a bunch of OEM's. That's not their model. OS X is especially not that big a deal if you look at the fact that merely 10% of Apple's revenue comes from Mac's anymore. That disparity between iOS and OS X based devices will only continue to grow. Take that into account when you look at another very telling statistic: Over 75% of Macs sold are notebooks! Naturally, you'll find any advances in the MacBook Pro/Air, etc., lines before you will in the iMac or the soon-to-be discontinued Mac Pro. The Mac Pro is the one Mac that sells the LEAST amount of units of an already tiny part of the pie. The question is, why wouldn't they get rid of the Mac Pro, as they did the Xserve RAID, followed by the XServe a few years later. It is a testament to the fact that Apple DOES care about its customers seeing that Tim Cook went so far as to promise some kind of "great update for the Mac Pro later in 2013). He didn't have to do that. At all. Fact remains that I believe Microsoft is making a BIG mistake with giving a major Windows upgrade away for as little money as they plan to. It'll bite them in the zzzz....Hear me now, believe me later. ;-)

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kevinz - July 3, 2012 at 4:48am

100% agreed, Apple makes money from hardware(although they have great software, they don't have to make money off it), MS can't copy that.

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f1982 - July 3, 2012 at 6:06am

I think it's not only a good move for them, it was really their only sensible option. At $40 many more people will upgrade who previously would have chosen to stick with their older OS. Look at how many people are still on xp and vista, never mind 7! Secondly, their future ecosystem plans are reliant on numbers. It's more important for them to have a large number of 8 users than it is to try and squeeze an extra bit of cash from a small number of adopters.

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AppleMan12 - July 3, 2012 at 7:58am

I think u're right,it's kinda ironic,but because w7 it's so good,MS can't charge that much for 8 anymore,cause people will just stick to 7 (at least desktop users).I only use Windows for gaming,and 7 it's perfect! I would not upgrade to 8 yet,not even for free.I tested the Consumer Preview edition and i didn't liked the new interface,which i think it's made for touchscreens and not the old mouse/keyboard combo that we love :)

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fito - July 3, 2012 at 10:09am

I think you are looking at MSFT past and not their future. The way I see it, they are leveraging on their enormous user-base of existing WinOS users (including corporate) to quickly upgrade to Win8. Once they are there they can cross-sell their other platforms (surface and phone) due to the much simpler user experience across devices. So they don't need to make money on the PC business - the OEM partners will do that - but on their new hardware play. This is to me a brilliant move -even when i admit is forced as reaction to Apple model.

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tdtran1025 - July 3, 2012 at 2:35am

The PC business model proves to be successful in the post IBM open architecture now is the hardware OS one, akin to what Apple does. It was so unpopular years ago because of the excessive price differnce, but now in line with value added model. MS Windows is relevant in third world grey-box PC. Yet if MS wants to increase revenue, they better start offering their own hardware specifically tailored to mid to high end segments of the market. It's hard to justify the $200 price tag on a home built rig. This is contrary to the Apple model where one gets OS X with hardware. If one is to price the Mac boxes with other brand name PCs like Lenovo, Sony, or HP, etc., the Macs clearly have better values. Even MS quietly admits that with their embrace of new lines of phone, tablet, and foremostly the famous XBox. I truly feel sorry for MS's crumbling empire.

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