Windows 8 Pro upgrade will cost $200 from Feb 1, grab it now for $40

A blog post by Brandon LeBlanc on the official Windows blog details the new pricing for Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition, starting February 1. Upgrading to Windows 8 will cost you $200 (Rs.11,000) instead of just $40 (Rs.2,200) right now. This promotional offer was an initiative from Microsoft to get more people to adopt Windows 8 and as of November 2011, Microsoft had sold more than 40 million licenses.

Here are some of the details on the new pricing straight from the blog post:

• The Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition will be available online and at retail for $199.99 MSRP (U.S.).
• The Windows 8 upgrade edition will be available online and at retail for $119.99 MSRP (U.S.).
• The Windows 8 Pro Pack will cost $99.99 MSRP (U.S.).
• The Windows 8 Media Center Pack will cost $9.99 MSRP (U.S.).

Hurry while the offer lasts

Those looking for a cheaper option to upgrade post January 31 will have the option of a different upgrade edition and not the Pro version. This version of Windows 8 will be cheaper at $120, but will have lesser features as compared to the Pro version. While this is still not as cheap as the current promotional price, it’s still better than shelling out $200. Windows Media Center pack, which is available for free for a limited time will soon cost you $10. Thankfully, we have XBMC as a very good alternative in case you didn’t get it for free during the promotional offer.

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Windows 8 is Microsoft’s latest OS designed for touchscreen devices as well as regular desktop environments. It includes a new user interface (UI) and a range of applications. The operating system features a new Start screen that gives people quick access to the apps and content they use the most. It also features an entirely new Internet Explorer 10 designed for touch and built-in cloud capabilities with SkyDrive. In collaboration with hardware partners, Microsoft made more than 1,000 certified PCs and tablets, including Microsoft Surface, available for the launch of Windows 8.

Windows 8 is available in two primary versions – Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro, as well as Windows 8 Enterprise for large organisations. Launched at the same time was a new member of the Windows family, Windows RT, which is designed for ARM-based tablets and is pre-installed on new devices. In addition to Microsoft Office 2013, Windows RT is designed exclusively for apps in the new Windows Store.

In case you need help going about your upgrade, here’s a quick guide to help you through the process.