Pricing and Packaging of Windows 8.1, Windows 8.1 Pro Unveiled

From X-bit Labs: Microsoft Corp. has revealed pricing and packaging of new Windows 8.1 operating system on Wednesday. For those, who already use Windows 8, the upgrade will be free, but the new adopters will have to pay from $120 to $200 for a copy as Microsoft will not launch any special discount campaigns on Windows 8.1 like it did with its predecessor.

Consumers who are not using a Windows 8 device will be able to buy Windows 8.1, either as a download from Windows.com or at a local store as a retail packaged DVD product. While pricing varies by market, in the U.S., Windows 8.1 will be available for $119.99 and Windows 8.1 Pro will be available for $199.99. If one has a device with Windows 8.1 edition, he or she will be able to purchase the Windows 8.1 Pro Pack for $99.99, which unlocks all of the great features unique to Pro, as well as Windows Media Center. Windows 8.1 Pro users can buy Windows Media Center for $9.99. The pricing and editions for Windows 8.1 are similar to what Microsoft has today for Windows 8.

One shift to note in Windows 8.1 is that Microsoft will be offering “full version software” at retail and online for download that does not require a previous version of Windows in order to be installed. The copy of Windows 8 that is currently available for sale at retail and online is an “upgrade version”. This shift allows more flexibility for customers in specific technical scenarios and is in response to feedback Microsoft has received. It will be easier for those consumers who want to build PCs from scratch, run Windows 8.1 in virtual machine (VM) environments, or run Windows 8.1 on a second hard drive partition.

Microsoft Windows 8.1 operating system will be launched on October 18, 2013, bringing new features and improvements such as greater personalization, Bing Smart Search, and more than 20 new and improved Microsoft apps and services. The Windows 8.1 is expected to prolong battery life and improve performance on systems running the latest microprocessors.

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