Microsoft Reveals Windows 8.1 Pricing, Free for Existing Windows 8 Users

[btarunr]

Microsoft revealed pricing of its next major addition to the Windows franchise, Windows 8.1. Licenses to the operating system will sell at US $120 for the standard edition, and $200 for Windows 8.1 Pro. The key purchased at those prices can be used both for clean-installations, and to upgrade from Windows Vista or Windows 7, keeping your files, programs, and settings. Existing Windows 8 users get corresponding variants of Windows 8.1 for free, through Store.

A Windows Upgrade Assistant app will be issued to Windows 8 users, which verifies activation, downloads Windows 8.1 resources, and installs the operating system over the existing installation, letting you keep your stuff. Upgrading to Windows 8.1 for Windows 8 users, would be a no-brainer, since you get this awesome Start button on the taskbar which...spawns the "Metro" Start screen. PC enthusiasts get a longer DirectX rope, with the lure for DirectX 11.2, and its shared-resources (mega-textures) feature. People will be able to switch from Windows 8.1 to Windows 8.1 Pro by shelling out $99 on the Pro Pack, which also adds Media Center. Windows 8.1 Pro users can get that for an extra $10. Windows 8.1 is expected to launch on October 17, 2013.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[SIGSEGV]

Upgrading to Windows 8.1 for Windows 8 users, would be a no-brainer, since you get this awesome Start button on the taskbar which...spawns the "Metro" Start screen

Oh My God..... it's really awesome feature

 

[AsRock]

$200 psssh, they know were they can put win8.1

 

[Vancha]

Can you hide "this awesome Start button on the taskbar"?

 

[remixedcat]

Wonder how it will roll for Server 2012 R2

 

[hellrazor]

The phrase "epic fail" was born (and died a horrible, justified, death) a little too early, this post and that phrase are entwined in ways I never believed I would see in my lifetime. Aside from the grammatical errors not only are they asking us to pay $120 (or more) for an OS with another button to the thing that everybody hated it for, but they make us suffer the gall of them calling it "awesome" like they're a bunch of fucking twelve year olds arguing about who's fictional character is better.

Just another case of painfully horrible judgment, nothing short of what I'd expect from Microsoft.

 

[RCoon]

The phrase "epic fail" was born (and died a horrible, justified, death) a little too early, this post and that phrase are entwined in ways I never believed I would see in my lifetime. Aside from the grammatical errors not only are they asking us to pay $120 (or more) for an OS with another button to the thing that everybody hated it for, but they make us suffer the gall of them calling it "awesome" like they're a bunch of fucking twelve year olds arguing about who's fictional character is better.

Just another case of painfully horrible judgment, nothing short of what I'd expect from Microsoft.

Pretty much this. I find Microsoft policies are similar to Blizzard's. They fight you to the bitter end, and most of the time they do what they want anyway. But like the Diablo III AH, I hope that this metro "fling" Microsoft are having will come to a catastrophic end, and they simply swallow the fact that, while many people enjoy windows 8 UI, a much larger percentage, do not, and in turn they burn it in hellfire and the world becomes a better place.

 

[remixedcat]

One thing I do admit they really should have done was overlay the tiles on the desktop instead of a dedicated screen... sorta like rainmeter does.

That could have pleased both sides.

 

[Frick]

$200 psssh, they know were they can put win8.1

These are retail versions, so it's a lot cheaper than Win7 was.

@RCoon: They will not reverse this. No way, no how. The only thing that might go away is the standard desktop.

 

[Prima.Vera]

This turns out to be THE WORST operating system in M$ history...

 

[The Quim Reaper]

lol...install a new operating system over your current one without a clean format.

..that always works well doesn't it.

 

[iO]

Pah, not even at a Humble Bundle price niveau.

 

[AsRock]

lol...install a new operating system over your current one without a clean format.

..that always works well doesn't it.

hahahaa

 

[Solidstate89]

Can you hide "this awesome Start button on the taskbar"?

No, and it's pretty stupid that you can't.

lol...install a new operating system over your current one without a clean format.

..that always works well doesn't it.

Do you format your machine when you install an SP update? That's essentially what this is. It's not a "new OS" it's just a major update. You'd be pretty stupid to do format for that.

 

[tacosRcool]

I would expect this to be free for existing users or this would be gay

 

[RCoon]

I would expect this to be free for existing users or this would be gay

Uh....

"Microsoft Reveals Windows 8.1 Pricing, Free for Existing Windows 8 Users"

 

[LiveOrDie]

$200 psssh, they know were they can put win8.1

I paid $15 for windows 8 so i paid $15 for windows 8.1 as well

 

[MxPhenom 216]

One thing I do admit they really should have done was overlay the tiles on the desktop instead of a dedicated screen... sorta like rainmeter does.

That could have pleased both sides.

it does now with 8.1. set the background of the start screen to your desktop background and it becomes an overlay.

 

[EpicShweetness]

Just buy Windows 8 and upgrade to 8.1 for free, save yourself $20

 

[AphexDreamer]

I actually hope I can still do without the Start button.

 

[Dos101]

Pretty much this. I find Microsoft policies are similar to Blizzard's. They fight you to the bitter end, and most of the time they do what they want anyway. But like the Diablo III AH, I hope that this metro "fling" Microsoft are having will come to a catastrophic end, and they simply swallow the fact that, while many people enjoy windows 8 UI, a much larger percentage, do not, and in turn they burn it in hellfire and the world becomes a better place.

Buckle up then because Metro is not going away. If anything, the Desktop will be the one going away (not in the near future, but within the next 10 years for sure). It's obvious that's the direction Microsoft is heading.

The Metro....errr...Modern UI isn't a trend, it's the future.

it does now with 8.1. set the background of the start screen to your desktop background and it becomes an overlay.

^This

 

[newtekie1]

$200 psssh, they know were they can put win8.1

Same prices as Windows 8, did you expect it to be cheaper or something?

Just buy Windows 8 and upgrade to 8.1 for free, save yourself $20

They're the same price, so you wouldn't be saving anything.

 

[TheMailMan78]

All the crying and bitching about MS yet they all have an MS OS on their precious lil' toys.

 

[nickbaldwin86]

I already have and run W8.1 Pro.

I have no issues with it. it has features that I like and dislike... all of the dislikes you can hack and turn them into a like... so now that I have been running it for a few weeks I almost have no dislikes.

These W8 threads are the most whinning filled threads... but yet everyone in here is running Windows of some form and I am willing to bet you will switch ones MS makes you... yet again... suckers... I have and never will buy Windows

 

[Hood]

Hate Point One

Anyone who questions the value of this update, and who doesn't?, should read this very informative blog; http://www.tweakguides.com/Windows81_1.html
It gives some pretty damning evidence that MS is blindly pushing forward with their mobile /Metro/Windows Store agenda on 8.1, at the expense of a large customer base known as desktop PC users (and all intelligent users who want control over their own hardware). The author makes the very good point that the main benefit of Windows 8.1 is to MSFT stockholders.