If you want to get the new version of Windows later this year, you’ll be able to do so without spending an arm and a leg.
In fact, you can take your existing version of Microsoft’s operating system – XP, Vista, or Windows 7 – and bump it up to Windows 8 for just $39.99.
That makes it the cheapest upgrade ever for a new version of Windows. “We set out to make it as easy as possible for everyone to upgrade to Windows 8. When you use Windows.com to purchase an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant makes upgrading simple by walking you through the upgrade process step-by-step from purchase to download and then of course installation,” the company wrote in a blog post.
The $40 price applies to customers who buy the upgrade as a digital download on Microsoft’s website. Those who go to a store and purchase the packaged retail version of the OS will have to pay $70.
According to Microsoft, these are promotional sale prices intended to get as many early adopters as possible. After January 31, 2013, the prices will go up.
Windows 8 will be unlike any previous version of Microsoft’s operating system because it will have a dedicated focus on tablets that will be separate from the standard PC version.
Microsoft has a lot of ambition with Windows 8, and with a complete interface overhaul and functionality up the wazoo, it does have a chance to make a splash.
