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

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The firm releases information on its upgrade scheme.

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Read more.

Don't want.

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When upgrading, users of Windows XP will have options available to keep files, Vista users will also be able to bring over settings and Windows 7 users, in addition, will be able to carry over any apps.

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So have I got this right - I should be able to buy a Windows8 upgrade license for £25-30; download (from somewhere) and burn an ISO; then snapshot my files AND all apps (including the ones that stuff loads of crap in the registry); install a clean install of Win8 and then recover that snapshot - leaving me with my system now running '8 instead of '7?

If so, then I'm going to say that this looks like a pretty sweet deal for anyone wanting to move to '8. And I can think of at least one person in this house (not me) that'd jump at the chance. That's one of the things that puts me off about new OS releases - the need to reinstall apps, and invariably a couple of months worth of app updates, if I want a fresh OS copy. Although - thankfully - Windows7 doesn't seem to suffer from "OS rot" like XP was wont to do. :)

As a Windows 7 owner (and user) exactly what do I get in Windows 8 that I can't have on '7?

I have Vista (ultimate) on my old machine and am currently trialling Win8 preview on a new build. Overall, I don't mind it half as much as people say (though it does help I only use a single monitor). All I need is to set it to boot to desktop and then for some bright spark to make a desktop gadget shaped small circle with a windows logo that opens up to a list of programs when clicked and it'd be perfect.
:-p

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Originally Posted by Djini

As a Windows 7 owner (and user) exactly what do I get in Windows 8 that I can't have on '7?

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I would make the argument that Windows 8 runs a little faster and uses less memory but beyond that I got nothing - well, somewhat improved power options and multi-screen, but the start bar... gutted.

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Originally Posted by Tpyo

I have Vista (ultimate) on my old machine and am currently trialling Win8 preview on a new build. Overall, I don't mind it half as much as people say (though it does help I only use a single monitor). All I need is to set it to boot to desktop and then for some bright spark to make a desktop gadget shaped small circle with a windows logo that opens up to a list of programs when clicked and it'd be perfect.
:-p

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PS- also have Win7 on a laptop. Win 7 is the clear winner for overall usability at the moment, though to be fair, Win8 is still only the preview.

Well if they want to pay me $40 to take it off their hands I'll accept... otherwise I won't have that steaming pile of elephant dung of an interface on any of my machines.

Used the Win8 CP extensively (heck I've been using it as part of the lessons that I teach in IT at college, that and I introduced various flavours of Linux) and the only thing that's grown on me is a serious dislike of the Metro interface, both its looks and use, and every single student that's had a play with it doesn't like it either (and one of them has a Win7 phone so he's used to metro).

I think Win7'll be staying on my machine for the same kind of length that XP has.

Without question yes I'll buy it.
It's not so much what difference will there be to 7. For the cost of less than a game you upgrade your entire operating system, Microsofts latest effort at speed, usability and security. An OS that will be supported years beyond any of the OSes it replaces.

Compared to competitive OSes? OS X costs £55 to upgrade to Mountain Lion so Microsoft's pricing seems reasonable.

I won't be taking up the offer. I had a play with it on my laptop and I just couldn't handle it - it struck me as an OS designed primarily for smart phones with the afterthought of having a button to switch to desktop mode. I just want something to boot to a desktop and have a start button... basically Windows 7!

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Originally Posted by IronWarrior

Don't want.

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Nice to see constructive comments :-)

Once you get used to how Windows 8 works it's pretty good, I actually like the Metro interface, I like pressing start and just typing the program I want and it finding it. I pin my most common apps to the task bar in desktop mode... fine. It looks a little ugly (fonts not right, bad contrast thanks to lack of AMD drivers) on my old laptop at the moment (1366x768 doesn't help), but the release version will obviously be finished while the preview is obviously not.

Admittedly you get a whole lot more out of Windows 8 if you have a touch screen (which the next hardware generation seems likely to go to town on) but there are many other useful features if you look hard enough. Windows 8 is aimed at new generation of hardware and new usage paradigms, upgrading old hardware that lacks features that new software supports isn't going to provide the most optimal user experience, seems fairly obvious to me.

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.

What about Media Centre?

Not unless the final version fixes the following problems:

1) Shutdown. Its just way to hard to find the magic point that you hover on to bring down the bar with shutdown on it (This may have been fixed in the very latest release as I haven't tried it)

2) Old application icon grouping. When I install an old app with multiple icons in the start menu I get no grouping of icons and it just feels awful. Why can't metro have decent grouping so I can at least emulate start menu folders. Although it still feels like a step back from a proper start menu...

I had planned on upgrading as soon as released, but reading the comments on here makes me think twice about it. Might just sit it out until next year, pending driver availability too for some of my devices.

would have me interested if i didnt have access to free windows 8 :D, but again id have to wait to see what the actual release is like as im not 100% with the win8 currently, needs some changes to make it better for the desktop. In general its a huge improvement over win7, windows 7 was excellent so it is hard to improve upon but we will now have super fast boot times, better speed in general, better multiscreen support, improved task manager, reliability(hopefully?Win7 is solid for me anyway but they added better options!),support for latest DX release, hardware level sound? iirc it goes back to the way XP worked, i.e better!.

As soon as they sort out silly things like cheesemp mentioned, the shutdown shouldnt be hidden it should be available all the time, hide it yes but make it so you an get to it in one click not like 3 buttons then a click!. Let us have desktop like it used to be and have metro as a plus, then id certainly be installing it on launch :).