subject: Windows 8 Gets Cheaper [print this page] Microsoft has recently announced that they will be lowering the sticker price on Windows 8. This was a major step for Microsoft. It is only going to cost $40 for people with the olderWindows XP to upgrade to the newest version of Windows. In the past, updating the operating system generally would cost around $120. Even upgrading from Windows 7 to a newer Windows 7 would cost about $65. As you can see, $40 is a very cheap price for such a quality product when compared to the prices of the past.
This drastic price drop is a promotional tool and is expected to last until the end of January 2013. This offer is only good for people buying the operating system online; for those that want to purchase a DVD of the OS, it will be available throughout the promotional period for only $70, still a very good deal.
Microsoft isnt the first company to try lowering their OSs prices. Apple has been very successful in the past with this. Apple has charged only $29 for the last two upgrades of its MAC OS X. It is rumored that when Mountain Lionthe newest updatecomes out later on in July, it will only have a $20 price tag attached to it.
About half of all Microsoft users are generally still using the 11 year old Microsoft XP. Compare this to Apple users where about 85 percent are using the two most recent versions on MAC OS X; Lion and Snow Leopard. These have come out much more recently than in the past 11 years.
Apple customers appear to be much more forthcoming about updating their systems, and Microsoft hopes that by lowering their prices, they can ride the same customer loyalty trends. Having an expensive upgrade to a computer every few months is expensive, and many people, evidently, are foregoing the updates that are issued in order to save money.
In the past, upgrading Windows to a brand new version has been troublesome for PC users, but this operating system is different from systems of the past. This OS is perhaps the sleekest and quickest system that Microsoft has put out yet. According to market research, this system will work exceptionally well on even older computers of up to five years old. This is a big step forward for software considering the fact that older operating systems generally rely on the quickness and efficiency of newer computers in order to work at full capacity. Because this system is less bulky, it works well on even older computers.
Apple and Microsoft have long been competitors and they have both been leaders in the software department. If Microsoft is able to keep their prices competitive in accordance with Apples, there is a good chance that Microsoft will be able to make a huge profit off of this maneuver. Apple might be a leader in technological gadgets, but Microsoft is still a powerful force in the PC software and OS categories.
