Market Currents
Interested in upgrading your PC to Windows 8 Pro? Do it before Feb. 1: that's when Microsoft...
-
Friday, January 18, 5:57 PM ETInterested in upgrading your PC to Windows 8 Pro? Do it before Feb. 1: that's when Microsoft (MSFT) plans to raise the price of a Pro upgrade to $200 from a current promotional price of $40. A standard Win. 8 upgrade will cost $120. The price hike could be an effort to stoke sales of new Win. 8 PCs, which have underwhelmed thus far. (60M licenses)
Other date
TECH ETFs IN FOCUS
Latest Tech Articles
This news story has 17 comments:
Maybe if they threw in a 22" touch-screen monitor with that $200 price tag....
"Buy it now! We're going to raise the price!" Yeah? Well they can just go poop in their hat. ;)
Ordering my dvd tonight for my new ssd.
So sayeth a user of tablets running Windows since long before iPad1 was introduced, thank you.
Ah, okay. Well, I don't use my desktop for chewing on complex polynomials, and I moved all of the U.S.'s most secret secrets onto a flash drive I keep safe in a lockbox is an unnamed country.
I think I'm safe sticking with Windows 7.
I only THOUGHT they were black helicopters - it was just news choppers. My secrets remain safe on my PC.
MSFT isn't trying to sell you a lottery ticket, they simply said windows 8 is better than windows 7. Which is true in a lot of technically grade-able areas. If you don't like faster, more efficient, and safer than you obviously aren't their target market and they shed no tears that you are sticking with what? something they built and you bought... oh...... MSFT is crying right now.
My point was, Windows 8 was designed for a touch-screen device. The PC is not that at this time. If they patch in an option to boot to desktop without an extra step, I may check it out (not on my own machine, unless they get sane with upgrade price). Until then, the benefits, if there are any, seem negligible, at least in the areas you mention (not as memory intensive, "safer", boots faster).
I do hope you enjoy your "upgrade", though. ;)
BTW, Switching between metro n desktop screen is just one windows key press. nothing can be easier.
I'm running win8 on my dell 2005 dimension 5150. It works much faster and like it very much. It's truly a revolutionary os.
My experience tells the upgrade is worthy.
At any rate, I doubt the lower memory usage / "safer" / faster boot time arguments. And that may be because I don't experience memory leaks or bottlenecks, compromised safety, or slow boot times, and I'm using Windows 7 on a 5 year-old ASUS refurb from newegg that I got for $300. And I can "game" on it, too! ;)
http://bit.ly/WghiW7
here is one review specifically comparing W7 memory usage vs W8.
If it works for you and you like it, great. I just don't like the fact that M$ is going to try to strong-arm people into getting new PC's because their W8 upgrade campaign was a failure.
Make a product that consumers want.
For everything they fix they break something else.
The problem with the "New OS every other year" model of business is that people and businesses do not need nor wan to replace it that often. For as much as you are touting 8 are you getting ready to get hyped for Blue?
My point simply was to counterpoint John in that there are reasons outside the touch interface to upgrade. And while he may not be concerned about his grandma playing internet bingo my folks do online bank and I would prefer it be protected as well.
Pirating XP and Win7 was common given the premium they charge, but getting a legitimate license for $40 is a bargain!
One extra click to get into the desktop is hardly an inconvenience. In fact with Win8 you'll be in the desktop faster than Win7 because Win8 boots in less than half time.
Once you're in the desktop it's more or less Win7, just faster and more stable.
And it's a legitimate license for JUST $40 so you're signed up to get more features and fixes for free!
But, again, glad you like W8.
It took me over a year before I upgraded my Snow Leopard to Mtn Lion for $30 (over 2 years since last upgrade). Never felt gipped by Apple, but Microsoft I have been ripped off in its products.
Long: MSFT
Microsoft has been unable to dislodge many business from their XP versions and Windows 8 isn't going to do the trick.