News - Microsoft Windows 8 upgrades for all! Starting at $39.99

[crossy]

How is this going to work exactly. What happens when It comes to a reinstall.
I am hoping you just need and the machine running to get the ddownload and new code to use whenever. If it is like that rather than some complex in place upgrade system I will buy a few copies as I will no doubt be asked to make a few machines in the next few years. I have only just run out of 30 quid copies of 7.

I'm guessing that they'll follow the same process as before. So as long as you can prove you've got a valid Windows7 license key to the installer, then I'd assume the Windows 8 Upgrade disk would let you do the install.

The alternative - that you'd have to actually install Windows7 first - strikes me as ridiculous.

[cameronlite]

Currently I dont want it, I prefer the functionality of the start menu. I just dont like the idea of the MetroUI and think we shouldnt have what is predominantly an interface designed for touch devices forced on us.

There is a lot of people saying the same thing about the interface so hopefully Microsoft will listen and give us the option to have a classic style start menu.

Yes it's forced on you but having used it, I can honestly say it's faster and easier to launch programs than the start menu in Windows 7. Shame about the Media Center part though.

[dangel]

People should remember: this is Windows, so everything is possible. There's already a way to add the 'old' startmenu, there's already a way to add the 'start' button back, and there's a myriad of ways to shutdown the PC (although it's "move mouse, click settings, click power" which i can cope with). I really do think you should ask yourself whether the rest of the OS (the bit you use 99.9% of the time) has enough to make you want to upgrade. Personally, the answer is yes after weeks of use of the two preview versions 5 days a week. YMMV - in fact if it doesn't I'd be surprised - because moving from 7 (which is good) to 8 (which is also good) isn't as clear cut as moving from the horror that is XP. Still, I'd contend the base platform here is very good indeed and noticeably better than 7..

Like a previous poster the only time Metro 'bothers' me is it's failure to group old apps (like folders) did by default which is a genuine problem when you're trying to find something visually. I don't give a rats bum that it takes up my whole screen (oh the horror!) for the 1-2 seconds I see it whilst typing the name of the app (and that's ignoring the fact that all my apps get pinned to the task bar anyway so i hardly use the darn thing).

[MrNeil]

Nice pricing but i will stick with my W7 ! Though if i can totally make the W8 look exactly same as my W7 and operate the same then i will go it in a years time But all that app crap with that touchy screen stuff is not me ! I'll get a phone that can do that but even that dont interest me Give us a choice Microsoft and i buy

[Zeven]

I think I will stick with Windows 7 and Linux on my desktop and I am definitely not investing in my over three year old laptop anymore. Might have Windows 8 or Linux or both on a new laptop sometime in the future.

[JefUK]

I have just had to end a trial of Windows 8 Release Preview due to a major problem with a RAID10 array of HDD's. I installed Win 8 on a new SSD, and made the existing Vista-64 system dual booting. The shutdown process of Windows 8 caused repeated corruption of the HDD array, resulting in verification errors, and some more serious errors preventing Vista from booting until the file structure was repaired with Chkdsc. It appeared that the Windows 8 shutdown process was too fast and too brutal, and did not properly close the array - a fundamental problem that just should not be in a beta version.

However during the time I "enjoyed" Win 8, I found the experience just awful. Everything you do on a desktop is just more difficult through the Metro interface. The tiles and whole GUI appearance are so bland that it is not easy to differentiate between tiles - recognition by shape, colour and size is vastly inferior to Vista/Win7 Icons on the desktop. The only good point of Win 8 that I found was the start-up time, however, I am unsure how much of that was down to the SSD.

The whole experience convinced me that the disadvantages of Win 8 so vastly outweigh any advantages, that I will now upgrade to Win 7, and wait for Windows 8 Desktop!

The Microsoft rabbit appears to have been caught in the approaching Tablet headlights and is terrified of being flattened, to the extent that it is prepared to betray all its previous loyal customers. It is so clearly developed around tablets, with the desktop functions being a fudged afterthought. The users of the Release Preview are obviously very IT literate, and are probably more inclined to give anything new a fair chance. However, when the OS comes into the hands of the typical vast majority of users there can only be total confusion. As far as business customers are concerned I strongly suspect they will stay with Win 7, just as they did with XP when Vista was launched. It was business users that killed Vista, which after SP1 was really very good.

It is hard to believe that Microsoft do not have a "Plan B", and are waiting for what I believe is the inevitable before introducing a desktop version. Due to their dominant and well established position they are prepared to take the small risk of losing some customers to Linux or OS X. Fortunately for Microsoft, desktop customers have the option of staying with the excellent Windows 7, which is probably why Microsoft are prepared to gamble.

[da.Guvna]

I suspect the low pricing is because they're well aware of the position they're in with regards to Win 8 launching relatively recently after Win 7. It's going to take a hefty push to get people to update; not just because of the timing, but also because of the previously mentioned unfamiliar and intimidating Metro UI. People hate change, especially when it's this radical.

I've been testing the latest preview at work, and I'm fairly confident I hate it. I've tried to be patient, but things which used to be easy are now difficult, and things which were previously overtly fiddly in Win7 (I'm looking at you, 'Network and Sharing Centre') are either still awkward, or worse.

I was previously hoping that Win 8 was going to be just another ME/Vista....something shameful which got overlooked and buried, but having seen screenhsots of Windows Server 2012 (which also sports the Metro UI....WHY, GOD, WHY!?) it's becoming apparent that MS are determined to ruin my desktop experience.

I'll be putting off upgrading until the very last second.

[Rebel]

hmm, interesting! I have a computer running windows XP that is due to be upgraded so I can buy an upgrade for my XP licence and jump straight to windows 8 on that PC whilst either keeping Windows 7 on my (current) main computer or buy a second windows 8 upgrade and have them both running the latest version of windows for less than my windows 7 licence. this is indeed a step in the right direction I need more details! (and to find an unadulterated iso for windows 8 of course) Unless of course I choose to pay for the disk which seems reasonably priced to me anyway.

[UseItNow]

When does the sale commence?