The first Windows 8 deals are on sale now. Starting today you can buy your upgrade to Windows 8 Pro -- and order the first new Windows 8 computers and tablets from the likes of Asus, Dell, HP, Samsung and Sony.
Buy today and your DVD of Windows 8 Pro will drop through your letterbox on 26 October, when the new software goes on sale properly.
The upgrade disc comes in a box sporting one of five swirly designs. You'd better really love that swooshy-whooshy pattern, because ordering Windows 8 in a box costs £50 -- whereas downloading the software from Microsoft will be almost half the price. With barely two weeks to go before the big day, it hardly seems worth the extra cash, but hey: some people love boxes.
Windows 8 Pro is the beefed-up business version of the new Windows, which features a dramatic new look made up of colourful dynamic squares. The standard version will cost £25 to upgrade. If you've bought a new laptop or computer this summer with Windows 7 on board, however, the upgrade to Windows 8 can be yours for just £15.
Upgrade offers are available until 31 January 2013, after which the price will go up.
New computers and tablets with Windows 8 built-in can be ordered from today, although they won't show up until on or after the 26th. New Windows 8 hardware includes the Samsung Ativ Smart PC, HP Envy x2 and Dell XPS 10.
They'll be followed by the Microsoft Surface tablet, but prices for that piece of kit -- Microsoft's first shot in the consumer tablet wars -- have yet to be revealed. Let's hope the flaws Intel was worried about are sorted out in time.
Do you prefer your software to come on a disc in a box, or are you happy to download? Will you be upgrading to the new-look Windows 8? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 8
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anonymous 12 October, 2012 17:59
Pretty box but that's about all that can be said is good about this release.
Guess I'll be sticking with Win7 until at least Win9 and longer unless they stop using a touch-centric interface.
Mark Anderson 12 October, 2012 23:02
All that's good... apart from it being faster, more feature packed and usable.
Do you think Windows 9 will be much different? How sad.
anonymous 13 October, 2012 10:43
I will not be switching from Windows 7 until I'm forced to. I'm not paying to have a touch-oriented UI forced down on my desktop so that Microsoft can sell more tablets.
anonymous 13 October, 2012 15:19
It could have the fastest backend in existence but if the UI is a dreadful experience then the OS experience will be dreadful too.
It doesn't matter if it takes an extra 10-20 seconds to boot a PC if it takes an extra few seconds every time you want to carry out an action once you are in the OS.
Windows 8 is an utter bodge job and is unfit for most purposes PCs generally excel in.
The only thing Windows 8 UI improves on over the Win7 UI is for touch-centric media consumption and I bet most people already have a pocket sized device perfectly designed for that.
People who uses PCs for work or Hardcore gaming won't use Windows 8 so that leaves the Facebookers and Farmville type players (of which there are a lot)
Businesses won't go anywhere near Windows 8 (IT departments love nothing better than teaching a few hundred users how to use a new UI)
So I don't see it taking off as well as Windows 7 did which was a PC, keyboard and mouse centric OS capable of being used by everybody from business to casual Facebookers to hardcore gamers and everyone inbetween.
Now if Microsoft relent and "allow" the use of a proper UI for a mouse and remove the "Metro" UI if the users so chooses, then I'm sure this OS could be all things to all people once again like Windows 7 was.
Until that time I for one won't be buying Windows 8, I won't be installing it on any PCs within my office and I don't know a single IT professional within the industry that will endorse or recommend it either.
That's not exactly high praise.
anonymous 13 October, 2012 15:43
Old as school zone
Most Young people next frm do Not relate to hour opinions as mouse moving out of favour.
Benjamin Higham 15 October, 2012 14:10
I love win8. The metro-tiles-touchcentric bit is just the beefed up start menu, which is much better! Once you press "desktop" it's exactly like Win7 with a better ribbon interface. Not much of a learning curve at all...
anonymous 16 October, 2012 11:36
@ Benjamin Higham
You hit the nail on the head "Once you press "desktop" it's exactly like Win7 with a better ribbon interface. Not much of a learning curve at all..."
So tell me again why I want to upgrade??
Ralph Torretta 16 October, 2012 18:07
There are a few months to upgrade before the price goes up. I'll wait and read all comments and frustrations of the early adopters before I give MS my £25