Today in TechWindows 8 upgrade available for $15 to anyone who buys a computer after June 2
If you're in the market for a new Windows computer this year, you've no doubt been keeping an eye on the Windows 8 development process. After all, you don't want to plunk down $1,000 on a brand new computer, only to have to spend another $100 in October to buy and install a brand new operating system, right? Well relax, there's no need to plan your life around Microsoft's schedule: If you buy a new Windows 7 computer after June 2, you'll receive a coupon that lets you upgrade to Windows 8 Pro when it's released for just $14.99.
Full details aren't available on the offer yet, and it's important to note that the $15 price is just a well-sourced rumor until it's confirmed by Microsoft. The offer is meant to keep hardware sales chugging along while Windows 8 nears its final release. The rationale behind the added fee is likely to help cover the upgrade from the basic Windows 8 to the more feature-rich Windows 8 Pro. That upgrade is necessary since the most basic Windows 8 package lacks the ability to replay DVDs and Blu-ray discs — Microsoft clearly doesn't want anyone who upgrades rioting over the fact that their computers actually lost functionality thanks to a "free" upgrade.
If you're thinking about making a computer purchase in the next few months, this is actually terrific news because it gives you options. If Windows 8 winds up being a hit, you can upgrade for very little added cost. And if Windows 8 is actually a terrible, unusable mess — as it very well could be — you've already settled in to the last of the Windows 7 machines. In any case, there's no need to wait to buy a Windows 7 computer once that June 2 date comes... but given you'd lose out on a pretty sweet upgrade deal if you buy a new computer before June 2, you may want to try and hold off on buying a new computer for the next three weeks.
This article was written by Fox Van Allen and originally appeared on Tecca
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