Bekker's Blog

Blog archive

Sweet Spot of $500 for Touchscreen Notebooks?

After reporting earlier this week that Microsoft is dropping OEM licensing costs to goose Windows 8 sales, Digitimes today is quoting channel retailers on the pricing sweet spot the move allows them to target.

The magic number is $506, the publication reported that its Taiwan-based channel retail sources say. That represents a price drop of about 10 percent.

The publication earlier this week reported that Microsoft will cut the OEM price for Windows 8 by $20 starting in April or May. The price cut will apply to Windows 8 notebooks with touchscreens that are 11.6 inches or smaller, according to the report. Systems based on the new price could start appearing in June.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting similar price cuts this week.

The price cut leaks, which Microsoft is not confirming, comes amid a new round of gloomy projections for the PC market in 2013.

Posted by Scott Bekker on March 07, 2013


Featured

  • Windows 365 Cloud Apps Now Available for Public Preview

    Microsoft announced this week that Windows 365 Cloud Apps are now available for public preview. This aims to allow IT administrators to stream individual Windows applications from the cloud, removing the need to assign Cloud PCs to every user.

  • Report: Security Initiatives Can't Keep Pace with Cloud, AI Boom

    The increasingly fast adoption of hybrid, multicloud, and AI systems is easily outgrowing existing security measures, according to a recent global survey by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and exposure management firm Tenable.

  • World Map Image

    Microsoft Taps Nebius in $17B AI Infrastructure Deal To Alleviate Cloud Strain

    Microsoft has signed a five-year, $17.4 billion agreement with Amsterdam-based Nebius Group to expand its AI computing capabilities through third-party GPU infrastructure.

  • Microsoft Brings Copilot AI Into Viva Engage

    Microsoft 365 Copilot in Viva Engage is now generally available, extending Copilot's AI-powered assistant capabilities deeper into the Viva platform.