The war of the operating systems has almost reached a boiling point, with Microsoft all but ready to push out the final build of Windows 8 and Apple looking likely to release OS X Mountain Lion later on this month, it represents nothing but a winning situation for the consumer. Windows 8 has been receiving some fantastic reviews from people who feel Microsoft have really stepped up with this version, with the only real contentious point being the price of the OS in comparison to Apple’s $19.99 Mountain Lion offering.
The Windows operating system still represents the lion’s share of the desktop market, but the statistics show that the higher percentage of users are happy to stick with using the faithful Windows XP rather than performing an upgrade to the expensive Vista or Windows 7. We wondered whether Microsoft would hold users for ransom over the cost of a Windows 8 upgrade when it is finally released, but thankfully, it was only a matter of days ago when the Redmond company announced that existing Windows users can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro until the middle of January 2013 for only $39.99.
The upgrade price is still double the cost of Apple’s OS X Mountain Lion, but represents excellent value for Windows users when compared to previous upgrade and purchase prices of earlier versions of the world’s most popular desktop operating system. The low cost upgrade would take place through Windows.com and a software would check if the existing license is eligible for an upgrade. Those who wish to purchase Windows 8 on a DVD can do so for a price tag of $69.99.
But wait, what about users who have been testing out the Windows 8 Release Preview build for quite a while now?
To qualify for the low cost upgrade options, the software giants require the Windows 8 Release Preview user to have an official license for either Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7 in order to benefit from the limited time reduced price of just $39.99, but it still represents an excellent deal for those who were planning to upgrade anyway. As mentioned earlier, for those who prefer an actual physical installation medium, one can be purchased separately for $69.99 on a DVD.
(via ComputerWorld)
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