color me impressed. Upgrade for just $40

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/07/02/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[quote name='way2lazy2care' timestamp='1341261000' post='4955034']
color me impressed. Upgrade for just $40

http://windowsteambl..._medium=twitter

From any version or from 7 pro ?

standalone or oem ?
[/quote]

As far as I can tell it's pretty much if you are running XP or higher you can upgrade to 8 pro for $40.

[color=#333333] if your PC is running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 you will qualify to download an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $39.99 in 131 markets. And if you want, you can add Windows Media Center for free through the “add features” option within Windows 8 Pro after your upgrade.[/quote]

makes great sense... MS will make most of their $$ as commission fees from the marketplace... so why charge an arm and a leg for the OS ;)

I think this is more "evidence" of MS adopting a more Apple-like release setup of cheap and often upgrades vs years between large releases.

Personally I'm ok with this, even though I'm on the fence when it comes to Win8 atm, at least as a desktop OS replacement for Win7.

I don't see much point in upgrading either

That's the point in making it so cheap. Many more people will upgrade even if they don't really need to (also, a lot of Windows XP people who refused to upgrade to Vista and have been undecided about Windows 7).

The goal is to have as many people as possible have Metro installed. Not only does it make supporting Windows XP less important, this takes the wind out of the competitors' sails on the tablet market. People usually want to have "the same" everywhere. Which consequently means fewer people will buy iPads, unless those come with Windows8, too. It also brings $$$ via the marketplace, and it secretly increases the install base of "secure boot" systems for free.

One day in the future, MS will then just flip the secure boot switch, and suddenly your computers are their computers. Class lawsuit following or not (which takes years), you'll not be able to run any other operating system (or software, thanks to Metro) in the mean time, unless they let you. Which means, if you pay them, directly or indirectly, and if they agree with the software that you want to run.

It's the same thing as with Visual Studio. The Metro-only version is released for free, as opposed to the "normal" one, because MS wants as many developers as possible to migrate to Metro, in as little time as possible. The easiest way of doing that -- much easier than marketing how awesome it is to have a screen full of small animated flashing rectangles -- is giving everyone a free animated-rectangle-creation tool and charging big $$$ for the desktop IDE.

And then... the entire worrrrrrld....! Muhahahahahaha!!!

It's the same thing as with Visual Studio. The Metro-only version is released for free, as opposed to the "normal" one, because MS wants as many developers as possible to migrate to Metro, in as little time as possible. The easiest way of doing that -- much easier than marketing how awesome it is to have a screen full of small animated flashing rectangles -- is giving everyone a free animated-rectangle-creation tool and charging big $$$ for the desktop IDE.

Not to take the wind out of your "MS is trying to take over everything and your freedom" rant or anything but they are going to release an Express version which does normal desktop apps now too.