News - Windows XP to Windows 8 upgrade price is set at £25

[Malphas]

I felt that Win7 was pretty much just Vista SP3.

The problem with every version of Windows is that it's based on the last so it'll always just be "windows" to some degree. 8 is pretty radical though (hence the controversy) and it's interesting you say it looks more like Win7 SP2 since it's the 'looks' that are so divisive

Truth is 8 is a good progression on 7 in many areas and if you live with the marmite nature of metro (or simply avoid it for no cost) then it's a worthy OS and well worth the trivial cost. Then again 7 is a good OS that will see you through the next 2-3 years so you don't have to buy it either - so make your choice and be happy. If you've got XP or Vista I think you'll struggle to justify sticking at all though.

Pretty much sums it up. Same with most software really. XP to Vista was a blip due to Longhorn development problems, now we're back to normal with incremental updates every few years. Windows 8 is definitely an improvement on 7 in almost every area, the UI is divisive and really down to personal opinion rather than inherently worse or better. Personally, it doesn't bother me all that much although it could certainly use a bit more polish as it feels a bit messy flicking between Metro/Modern and the "traditional" desktop, I'd imagine it'll be great on tablets when it's used in Metro all the time though.

Not sure why some people think every new version has to be drastically different from the last. Most other software - and you can extend that further to other industries - don't work like that. No-one puts a gun to your head and forces you to upgrade, so you can continue to use your existing version until either A) they release a version with enough improvements that you feel it justifies upgrading; or B) until it's no longer supported (which is generally well over a decade for Microsoft products); or just continue using it forever unsupported, no-one is stopping you.

[chates]

Its good to see loyalty to windows rewarded a little wiht more reasonable upgrade costs, the past prices have been so high that you can ften save or at least break even by buying a new license (albeit an OEM one)

[ajax2061]

It's a great price but having tried the preview versions i personally will not be buying atm, when some killer app or a new directx comes out which is win8 only then maybe but for now win7 does everything I want and need

[MrJim]

I resent the fact that Microsoft are using the Metro UI on the desktop as a means of gaining acceptance for the same UI on their mobile products. I know it seems strange to castigate M$ for offering Windows 8 at a low price, but their pricing is just evidence of their 'underhand' tactics. Still, I expect it's only a matter of time before some utilities turn up which bring back the Win 7 interface. It's far from perfect, but it's a damn sight better than 'Metro' (or whatever they're calling it this week)!

[bendabanga]

I guess it's more as it covers the cost of them not owning win7 to a certain extent.

[dangel]

I resent the fact that Microsoft are using the Metro UI on the desktop as a means of gaining acceptance for the same UI on their mobile products.

I agree is not perfect by any means but I do think it will make a lot more sense when we have alignment with tablets/phones/touch laptops. Either MS is being very stupid or there's a longer term plan at work here.

I know it seems strange to castigate M$ for offering Windows 8 at a low price, but their pricing is just evidence of their 'underhand' tactics.

Not really, just depends on which way you want to see it - and there's no need to buy it if you don't want to. You have choice.
[p.s. M$? Please no.]

Still, I expect it's only a matter of time before some utilities turn up which bring back the Win 7 interface. It's far from perfect, but it's a damn sight better than 'Metro' (or whatever they're calling it this week)!

They already exist, and have done for some time. You can 99.9% of the time avoid metro entirely but then people just moan they shouldn't have to do anything (free or not) to have it fit their own needs. I'm using it full time at work (have done for a few months) without any real mods (aside from directory opus which I always use) and find it pretty much like 7 in real world use on a desktop.
I can't use it at home yet (I have it installed) because creative xfi drivers are a mess (once again) otherwise i'd switch without question.

[AlvacrOwe]

Its a good price, i think i will get it for the home pc, but keep 7 for my gaming pc for now.

[Kentar0]

Sounds good to me, Still running Windows XP !

[freedomzero]

Windows 7 just feels so complete to me, and it is not losing support or patching any time soon like xp. Maybe if I start going into the tablet arena and getting a Windows one(out of all those choices) then that view will probably change. But for now, like many others, I do feel pretty satisfy with the current OS.

[shaithis]

I must say £25 from XP to Windows 8 is going to tempt a LOT of people.......I sure hope Microsoft do a compatibility and performance analysis before allowing the purchase!

[xdevildogs]

I'm sticking with 7. There wasn't the "wow I'm impressed" factor with Windows 8.

[Ulti]

It's a shame I dumped my XP PC, would be great to use the serial code to get Windows 8 for £25 as I actually use it.

[kevinc6784]

[QUOTE=dangel;2602613]I felt that Win7 was pretty much just Vista SP3.

I really cannot see how you can say that, Vista was truly awful.
Win 7 is miles ahead of Vista in terms of both performance and being a lot more user friendly.

That said Win 7 is probably what Vista Should have been all along.

[tumbledragon]

I'm thinking their just trying to turn as many people as possible on to the metro app store where they take a 30% cut of all sales.
Perhaps moving to the console approach where you make a loss/slim profit on the system in the hopes of making it up in software sales (or in this case app sales)

[Malphas]

I felt that Win7 was pretty much just Vista SP3.

I really cannot see how you can say that, Vista was truly awful.
Win 7 is miles ahead of Vista in terms of both performance and being a lot more user friendly.

That said Win 7 is probably what Vista Should have been all along.

Have you used Vista on a modern machine recently? It performs much the same as Windows 7 does. The reason Vista seemed awful at the time and Windows 7 seemed great when it was released was because drivers for 6.0 kernel were mature by the time 7 came out, whilst during Vista's release they were still buggy as hell, in addition to hardware performance improving in the years between the Vista and 7 release dates making 7 seem faster by comparison.

Similarly XP was a pig when it was released on 2001 hardware, it was buggy, had driver and software incompatibilities, didn't perform as well as 9x/2000, etc. Of course half a decade and two service packs later everyone had forgotten about that and were too busy badmouthing Vista to recall that this happens every time there's a major overhaul of Windows.

[LeProberto]

as long as it wont be changes like less need of perfomance or something its never worth to buy newer version