News

Windows 8 Upgrade Offer Expires This Month

• By Kurt Mackie
• January 24, 2013

For those still on the fence about upgrading to Windows 8, Jan. 31 is when Microsoft's upgrade promotional offers will end for the two Windows 8 editions.

A few deals are being offered as part of those promos. One of those deals is for consumers upgrading to Windows 8 Pro, who can pay $39.99 for an online download or $69.99 for a DVD copy of the upgrade. However, in February, the cost to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro will jump to $199.99. Similarly, the upgrade price to Windows 8 will jump to $119.99 in February.

Another deal pertains to consumers who bought Windows 7 PCs. Consumers who bought a new Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and Jan. 31, 2013 are eligible to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99, according to this limited-time offer.

Microsoft also has an upgrade deal for those consumers who bought a Windows 8 copy or a Windows 8-based PC, but who want to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro. Those users can upgrade by buying the "Windows 8 Pro Pack" through Windows 8 itself, using the "add features" function. The cost of the Windows 8 Pro Pack upgrade is $69.99, but that cost will increase to $99.99 in February.

According to Microsoft's blog post describing the upgrade deals, getting to the "add features" function in Windows 8 requires just typing the phrase, "add features to Windows 8," at the start screen. Some users have reported seeing messages such as, "couldn't process your order," after using that function to upgrade their systems, but it's not clear why that occurred.

Another consideration for upgraders is whether they want Windows Media Center for Windows 8 or not. Windows Media Center is an entertainment hub that supports TV, music CD playback and DVD movie playback. Until Jan. 31, 2013, Windows Media Center is available as a no-cost upgrade to those running Windows 8 Pro. However, in February, it will cost an extra $9.99 to get it.

Microsoft's Windows 8 upgrade FAQ cautions that upgraders to Windows 8 won't automatically get Windows Media Center. They have to apply the "Windows 8 Media Center Pack" after the upgrade, unless they are upgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 8 Pro, in which case the Windows 8 Media Center Pack gets included.

It's still somewhat shocking to recall that Microsoft doesn't support DVD playback in its own Windows Media Player for Windows 8. DVDs can only be played either through Windows 8 Media Center or by third-party DVD players that are compatible with Windows 8. The reason for the DVD playback omission in Windows Media Player for Windows 8 has to do with royalty costs, which Microsoft describes in this FAQ.

Another important date to note is Feb. 28, 2013. Purchasers have to register and download the Windows 8 upgrades before that date or all of these deals become void.

The upgrades are limited to consumers, with up to five upgrade licenses permitted per customer. Surprisingly, it is possible to upgrade to Windows 8 all the way back from Windows XP Service Pack 3, as well as Windows Vista or Windows 7.

No deals seem to be associated with the System Builder edition of Windows 8. That edition is designed for people who are building their own PCs. The System Builder edition is sold through retailers. Users can move the System Builder operating system to other machines that they own per the licensing, according to this Microsoft forum post.

Microsoft clearly wants to prod consumers to take the Windows 8 plunge. Earlier this month, Microsoft claimed it had sold 60 million Windows 8 licenses, but it's not clear how many of those copies of Windows 8 are being used and how many are being warehoused by original equipment manufacturers.