Prices and packaging for Windows 8 go public « Giveaway of the Day Forums

Back to Giveaway of the Day

Giveaway of the Day Forums » Games Discussion

Prices and packaging for Windows 8 go public

(26 posts) (6 voices)

Started 11 years ago by Anonymous
Latest reply from Anonymous

Anonymous
Unregistered

Summary: Online retailer Newegg began taking preorders for Windows 8 today. Their product lineup includes pricing and packaging details that jumped the gun on Microsoft's official announcement.
Ed Bott

By Ed Bott for The Ed Bott Report | October 12, 2012 -- 12:33 GMT (05:33 PDT)
103Comments
1 Vote
inShare
more +

Update: And now it's official. A Microsoft blog post reveals the pricing and packaging of the Windows 8 Pro upgrade and says preorders will be available from "Amazon.com, Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot and the Microsoft Store and many more." The post also notes that OEM PCs with Windows 8 will be available for preorder: "Also starting today, you will be able to pre-order new Windows 8 PCs and devices from OEM partners such as Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Samsung and Sony."

More details: What are the cheapest and easiest upgrade paths to Windows 8?

Online retailer Newegg.com today began taking preorders for Windows 8. In the process, they unveiled prices and packaging details that Microsoft has not yet publicly announced.

The Newegg page lists four separate products:

Windows 8 Professional Upgrade - $69.99 (save $130)
Windows 8 Pro Pack – Product Key Card (no media) - $69.99 (save $30)
Windows 8 (Full Version) – OEM $99.99
Windows 8 Pro (Full Version) – OEM $139.99

The two OEM products are available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

In addition, Newegg is offering a $10 preorder discount on Windows 8 preorders (the offer appears in an email to customers).

See also: How the new Windows 8 license terms affect you

The product listings also included box shots for the two retail products. Here's the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade:
Windows 8 Pro Upgrade

According to Microsoft, the retail boxes will feature five different front covers. The five options are shown on the company's Facebook page:
Windows 8 Box shots - MSFT

And this is the Windows 8 Pro Pack, which upgrades the base edition of Windows 8 to Windows 8 Pro and adds Media Center capabilities:
Windows 8 Pro Pack

Image credit: Newegg.com

Microsoft has already announced that it will offer downloadable versions of the Windows 8 Pro upgrade for a discounted price of $40. That offer ends on January 31, 2013. In addition, anyone purchasing new Windows 7 PCs between June 2, 2012, and January 31, 2013 will be entitled to a $14.99 Windows 8 upgrade.

Those OEM prices are essentially unchanged from their Windows 7 counterparts. Newegg currently lists the OEM versions of Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional for $99.99 and $139.99, respectively. One big difference is that the Ultimate SKU has been dropped. The feature set for Windows 8 Pro is effectively the same as for Windows 7 Ultimate, which lists at Newegg for $189.99 in OEM editions.

Newegg’s listing for the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade includes a “save $130” note, suggesting that the current price is temporary and that it will rise at some point to $199.95.

As previously announced, the lineup does not include a full package product (FPP) SKU for retail purchase. Instead, consumers will be allowed to buy the OEM product, install it on a new PC or in a virtual machine, and take advantage of the Personal Use Rights section of the OEM license. That represents a significant savings for consumers, who can pay $140 for a full license for Windows 8 Pro rather than $275 for the full retail package.

A search of other mainstream online retailers in the United States turned up no other sites taking preorders for retail or OEM copies of Windows 8 ahead of Microsoft's official announcement this morning. A reader in Germany pointed out this site, which is taking pre-orders for the two OEM versions at prices of €94.90 (Windows 8) and €134.90 (Windows 8 Pro).

article

Posted 11 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

All the ads started hitting my inbox this morning, all claiming this great opportunity to pre-order, & of course hoping would-be customers didn't know the same thing would be available for $40 if I didn't mind burning my own DVD [ http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/07/02/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx ]. I guess the pre-order approach makes sense from their perspective -- come the release date it'll be hard to miss the Microsoft selling price -- but I wonder how they plan on dealing with every customer who finds out later they've been burned? :(

Posted 11 years ago #
delenn13
Minbari Ambassador

@Mike Do you really think they care?

Here is some more info from Ed:

What are the cheapest and easiest upgrade paths to Windows 8? | ZDNet - http://www.zdnet.com/what-are-the-cheapest-and-easiest-upgrade-paths-to-windows-8-7000005702/

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

Wait until October 26 and order the Windows 8 Pro online upgrade from Microsoft for $40. Note that you can order the upgrade, and may be just keep it don't use till next year if all say it ok if not sell for $100 as the price at the end if the year goes up to over $200 and not long be for windows 9 is out

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

Windows 8

Microsoft

A Windows 8 pricing FAQ: What we know, so far
By Gregg Keizer, Computerworld

Oct 15, 2012 10:45 AM
print

Windows 8 may come in fewer flavors than its predecessors, but pricing seems as confusing as ever, in large part because of Microsoft's secrecy -- this cycle it's dribbled out information so slowly it's driven some analysts half-crazy -- with a dash also due to a record-setting discount for upgraders through the end of January.

We've tried to answer the most-pressing questions, filled in the blanks as best we could, and thrown up our hands when we had no more of a clue than you.

If Microsoft answers the open questions -- it again declined to do so last Friday -- we'll be back with an updated FAQ.

Can I score a free copy of Windows 8? Yes, you can, but the OS is good for just 90 days.

The free trial of Windows 8 Pro RTM (release to manufacturing) can be downloaded from this Microsoft website. But when the 90 days are up, you have to replace the trial with a purchased copy or another operating system, and reinstall all applications, other software and files.
windows 8

Sorry, I like OSes that stick around. What else do you have? How about $14.99? That's the price of a Windows 8 Pro upgrade from Windows 7for anyone who purchases a new PC between June 2, 2012, and Jan. 31, 2013.

To get the cut-rate upgrade, PC buyers must register at the Windows Upgrade Offer site.

Thanks, but that doesn't work for me. How much for my best deal? For most Windows users, the $39.99 Windows 8 upgrade, which Microsoft will kick off Oct. 26 and offer through Jan. 31, 2013, will be the most economical.

First announced July 2, the upgrade -- from XP, Vista or Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro -- will be available only as a download at that price. It's unclear if Microsoft will open registrations or pre-orders for the download before Oct. 26, but it definitely will go live on Windows.com that Friday.

At Windows.com, look for something called "Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant," a tool that checks your PC to ensure it will run the OS, takes your order, then kicks off the download and installation process.

I want something I can hold in my hands. How much for an upgrade on DVD? Microsoft will sell you one of those for Windows 8 Pro at the discounted price of $69.99.

From the hints on Newegg.com, one of the online retailers also selling the SKU, or "stock-keeping unit," the price for a Windows 8 Pro upgrade on physical media will jump to $199.99 after Jan. 31, 2013.

In other words, just like the $39.99 online upgrade offer, you should strike quickly.

The $30 surcharge for a DVD may seem steep, but Microsoft has actually done a little bit better by customers than rival Apple: In 2011, Apple sold a USB drive with OS X 10.7, also known as Lion, for $39 more than the download price. Apple didn't even bother to reprise the offer this year for Mountain Lion.

[Note: The Windows 8 Pro online upgrade lets you create a bootable installation DVD or USB drive, so unless you have a very slow Internet connection and want the media to save hours of dial-up agony, that's a less expensive way to get a DVD.]

I run Windows in a virtual machine (VM) on my Mac. What's the damage? Looks like $99.99 for Windows 8, $139.99 for Windows 8 Pro, is the cheapest bet for now.

Those are Newegg.com's pre-sale prices for what Microsoft is now calling "System Builder" -- formerly known as "OEM" -- an edition aimed at small-scale or homebrew PC makers, as well as users who want to run the OS in a virtual machine or in a dual-boot setup on a Mac or PC.

System Builder includes a license that allows for installation in a virtual environment, but offers one-time-use only. "We grant you the right to install [Windows 8] ... as the operating system on a computer that you build for your personal use, or as an additional operating system running on a local virtual machine or a separate partition," states the end-user license agreement (EULA) we've seen. "If you want to use the software on more than one virtual computer, you must obtain separate copies of the software and a separate license for each copy."

I already run older Windows in several virtual machines. How much do I pay? For each VM you upgrade -- up to a max of five per person -- you pay $39.99 to migrate to Windows 8 Pro from XP, Vista or Windows 7 through Jan. 31, 2013.

You upgrade the VMs (or partitions, like a second boot partition on a PC, or Boot Camp on OS X) the same way someone upgrades a physical machine: by running the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant on Windows.com.

Any chance that the System Builder SKUs will fall in price after Oct. 26?We don't think so.

The list prices for the Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional System Builder equivalents are $128 and $179, respectively, according to Amazon. Not surprisingly, Amazon's prices are less: $92 and $128, or close to the Windows 8 System Builder prices on Newegg.

In other words, unless Microsoft drastically reduces the list price of System Builder, the numbers on Newegg are probably the discounted prices.

How much to upgrade a new Windows 8 system to Windows 8 Pro? $69.99 during the discount stretch.

Microsoft's calling this the "Windows 8 Pro Pack;" It consists of an activation code that turns Windows 8 into Windows 8 Pro. The Pro Pack is analogous to the in-place upgrades the company touted as "Anytime Upgrades" for Windows 7.

Newegg said the Pro Pack's $69.99 price was a $30 savings over the regular price of $99.99, with the latter presumably the upgrade's eventual list price. If so, that's a $10 increase over the Windows 7 Home Premium Anytime Upgrade to Windows 7 Professional, which costs $89.99.

It may be cheaper to buy the new PC with Windows 8 Pro already installed, if the option's offered. Sony, for example, charges an additional $50 to bump up a pre-ordered Windows 8 notebook to Windows 8 Pro. ( Dell, on the other hand, adds the same $70 as the price for the Windows 8 Pro Pack to juice a Windows 8 machine to Windows 8 Pro.)

What about Windows 8? What will it cost to upgrade to the consumer version, rather than Windows 8 Pro? We don't know because Microsoft's not saying.

Among the blank spots in an imaginary Windows 8 pricing chart are those for the entry-level edition. So far, Microsoft's only talked about upgrades to Windows 8 Pro.

The company may be waiting until Oct. 26 to divulge a price for a Windows 8 upgrade, or dawdling until early next year, after the discounted $39.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade offer expires.

Or the omission may mean more. It's possible that Microsoft won't even bother to sell an upgrade to Windows 8, leaving that SKU to OEMs to pre-install on their least-expensive consumer PCs, and to the System Builder line.

Clues to that include: The silence surrounding Windows 8, the Oct. 26 availability of Windows 8 Pro Pack, and the absence of a multi-license SKU for Windows 8. Microsoft sold one dubbed "Family Pack" for $150 that was able to upgrade three PCs to Windows 7 Home Premium, but Microsoft's said nothing of something similar for Windows 8.

If the sans-Windows 8 alternative is what Microsoft chooses, it will be even more important for upgraders to move before Jan. 31, 2013, when the $39.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade expires.

Minus a Windows 8 upgrade option, the choices would narrow to a $199.99 upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, or one of the System Builders, which don't provide support from Microsoft. Neither sounds very attractive.

What if I hate Windows 8? How much will it cost me to get Windows 7 back? Depends.

If it's an old PC you've upgraded to Windows 8 Pro, it should cost you nothing except a lot of time. You'll need to reinstall the previous OS from your media -- which is why it's a good idea to make sure you have it before you try Windows 8 -- and all your applications, as well as restore your files and other data from a backup.

But if you bought a new PC with the new OS already installed, you may need to pony up. Only Windows 8 Pro comes with "downgrade" rights, and then only to Windows 7 Professional, so you'll need media for the latter to use the license that came with the machine.

If you don't have that media, or have Windows 8 on the PC, you'll have to fork over for a new Windows 7 license. Your best bet: A System Builder-like "OEM" Windows 7 license. As we said earlier, Amazon sells that for $92 for Windows 7 Home Premium, $128 for Windows 7 Professional. On Newegg, the prices are $99.99 and $139.99, respectively.

article

Posted 11 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

I run Windows in a virtual machine (VM) on my Mac. What's the damage? Looks like $99.99 for Windows 8, $139.99 for Windows 8 Pro, is the cheapest bet for now.

FWIW I'd question that -- a VM running Windows vs. a real PC running Windows should *I'd think* both be eligible for upgrading. A licensed copy of Windows is a licensed copy of Windows. I'm not saying that the info's wrong, but it is something I'd argue about with MS if/when I couldn't upgrade for the $40.

At any rate while I'll likely get at least one copy to play with, I won't buy until something like 1/30/13 unless I find a better deal -- I mean I know it'll cost at most $40, so no harm in waiting till the cut off to see if anyone makes me a better offer. :)

PC sale like most other products are down. Microsoft's sales are down. They need me to buy more than I need win8. Microcenter stores were already offering pre-order for the retail pack, disc & everything for $38 & change. With 3 months to go I figure chances are decent someone, some retailer will do better. If not, if MS doesn't sell enough copies, I look for them to sweeten or at least continue the deal. :)

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

in the paper in new zealand windows 8 Pro nz $19.99 thats like us $16.99 this if you buy new PC with windows 7 on all most free ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpjdsl9ceJA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8jhG-sJa7A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-pMZd1fupw

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

Password to download 44 page pdf file is makeuseof. Please use article link to get to download page:It will be nice to peruse when or if one makes the plunge. I already pre-ordered the "OEM" pro edition for $109 plus $3 shipping from Newegg. I will probaly order 3 upgrades. Two of my relatives recently bought new computers and aren't going to upgrade so they offered me their $15 upgrade coupons so I will try to change their minds because one never knows. I will either use a virtual box or dual boot on another computer that has Vista before I upgrade my other computers with Windows 8. I bought one Windows 7 when it first came out but didn't really convert all my computers for over a year.I sure was stupid but I had adapted to Vista with all its drawbacks. (:) I will probably be the same with Win 8 because I really like and have adapted to Win 7.

Home » Announcements »
DOWNLOAD Getting Started: Your Guide To Windows 8

October 23, 2012
By Justin Pot

Windows 8 is coming! Be prepared – download our guide to Microsoft’s newest operating system today.

Become familiar with Windows 8. Whether you’ve pre-ordered a Windows 8 device or are just wondering what’s new, we’ve got the manual for you – “Getting Started: Your Guide to Windows 8“. From author Christian Cawley, this guide outlines everything new about Windows 8, from the tablet-like start screen, to the new “app” concept, to the familiar desktop mode.

Whichever device you end up running Windows 8 on, you’ll need to know a few things. First, how are you going to get the data from your current operating system to the new one? Second, you’ll probably be wondering where the famous Microsoft desktop has gone. Finally, you might be wondering just what is going on – why did Microsoft discard the Start menu, and why does its replacement look like it was designed for children?

Our manual teaches you how to get the most out of Windows 8. It doesn’t matter if you’re already using Windows 8 or merely wondering whether you should. This manual breaks down the features in a way anyone can understand. Download it today.

DOWNLOAD Getting Started: Your Guide to Windows 8
Follow the link for download instructions.

This manual teaches you:

How to use the new Windows 8 user interface, occasionally known as “Metro”.
Navigating using your mouse, keyboard or fingers.
Launching, installing and using “apps”.
Playing your media in Windows 8.
Navigating the Windows 8 store.
Connecting Windows 8 to your email, contacts and cloud services.
Tweaking your Windows 8 device.
Understanding Windows 8 security.
Using the Desktop Mode to run legacy Windows software.
Advanced Windows 8 settings, and where to find them.
Troubleshooting Windows 8.
How to install Windows 8 without losing your data.

DOWNLOAD Getting Started: Your Guide to Windows 8
Follow the link for download instructions.

article

This site has some really nice other pdf guides that may be of interest. Same password
which is not really meant to be secret if one is on the mailing list and or they make public from time to time:

PDF Guides

Below you will find over 50 high quality guides covering wide variety of topics. From a dummy guide to build your own computer to an easy encryption guide. All free. Enjoy! Share them with everyone!

To download them you just need a password. Simply subscribe to the MakeUseOf Newsletter using your email below to get it. The password will be instantly emailed to you once you have confirmed your subscription.

(That's not all! You will also get access to MakeUseOf Cheat Sheets)

Hence, I am sharing as instructed per above. I highly recommend the site.

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

Windows 8 launch: Microsoft makes the case for the PC

Summary: The Windows 8 launch today put to rest rumors that Microsoft is running away from the PC. Instead the company made the case that Windows 8 is the foundation for the "best PCs ever made"--ones designed to work as both laptops and tablets, and for both work and play.
John Morris

By John Morris for Laptops & Desktops | October 25, 2012 -- 17:59 GMT (10:59 PDT)
53Comments
0 Votes
inShare
more +
Windows 8 Launch

The Windows 8 launch today seemed designed to put to rest any rumors that Microsoft is running away from the PC. Instead a parade of executives made the case that Windows 8 is the foundation for the "best PCs ever made"--ones designed to work as both laptops and tablets, and for both work and play.

The purpose of the event was really to launch several products. New Windows 8 devices and software upgrades go on sale at 12:01 am local time tomorrow. The Windows Store--the app store, not the Microsoft retail stores--is also officially open for business. And Microsoft and its hardware partners will also begin selling Windows RT devices at the same time.
Read this

Microsoft launches Windows 8, Surface: By the numbers
The state of Windows 8 apps
Don't hate Windows 8!
Enterprises, evaluate Windows 8 now (even if you won't use it)
Windows 8: The road to RTM

CEO Steve Ballmer said that there were 670 million existing Windows 7 PCs "just waiting to be upgraded" and he cited estimates that another 400 million Windows 8 PCs will be sold each year. And Steve Sinfosky, the head of the Windows and Windows Live group, said the Windows Store has more apps than any existing app store had at launch (though he did not mention the company's stated goal of 10,000 apps at launch).

There were few surprises at the launch, which was streamed live. Most of the features of Windows 8, and the apps and services that are currently available, are well-known at this point. I was surprised that the company didn't announce any additional big-names apps coming to the Windows Store--perhaps that is coming over the next few days--and I expected to hear more details on new services such as Xbox Music. Instead Microsoft execs largely focused on new Windows 8 convertibles, laptops and desktops from their partners (they'll apparently be talking about Microsoft's own Surface hardware in a later session).

Sinofsky talked about some of the key improvements in Windows 8 including longer battery life, faster boot times, a smaller memory footprint, and compatibility with existing Windows apps. He said that around 1,000 new PC designs have already been certified for Windows 8. He also talked a bit about Windows RT, noting that while it doesn’t run legacy Windows apps, the experience and Windows 8-style apps will get better over time through Windows Store updates and it already supports some 420 million hardware peripherals. That's a competitive advantage over IOS and Android tablets.

Mike Angiulo, who is in charge of hardware and the PC ecosystem, and Julie Larson-Green, the Vice President of Program Management for Windows, demonstrated some of the basic features of Windows 8 and showed off several Windows 8 PCs including laptops (Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon and the Acer Aspire S7-191), tablets and convertibles (the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 and Dell XPS 12) and all-in-ones (the Dell XPS One and Sony VAIO Tap 20). Angiulo said Windows 8 PCs with touchscreens will start at $499. The pair also highlighted several Windows RT tablets from tablets Asus, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, and of course Microsoft.

Ballmer gave the big picture on Windows 8. He said that, for the first time, Windows has "first-rate tablets," in addition to desktops and laptops adding that touch "pushes the boundaries of what a PC really is." He talked about the content and services that Microsoft is developing around these devices including a new version of Office; Internet Explorer 10; the Bing Apps (News, Finance, Travel, Maps, Weather and Sports); SkyDrive; Skype; and the Xbox music, video and games. Finally, he talked about how these Windows 8 services will work with smartphones running Windows Phone 8, which the company is set to announce on Monday (October 29).

article

Posted 11 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

They're putting on the big Happy Face FWIW. OTOH...

In a blog Microsoft advises biz with win7 PCs that win8 is highly compatible, so they have a minimum of testing if they want to see about using it for mobile employees that could benefit from a tablet [don't say anything about upgrading]. Samsung & Toshiba have their own replacement Start Menus for their products. An article [I think at PCMag but could be wrong] profiles Sinofsky & mentions how he killed tablet development years ago [getting ready to throw him under the bus?]. Some cell phone industry insiders predict it'll be 3 or more years before Windows 8 including Phone has significant, though still last place marketshare - ignoring fanboys & MS employees, others don't seem as optimistic. Many [most?] successful & somewhat successful iOS &/or Android developers are taking a wait & see stance -- why skip improving an app that's making you money today, spending your time/resources porting it to the Windows Store where it might make you money someday? Why spend time developing Windows Store apps today when according to ZDNet, "[Android is] now notching up some 1.3 million activations a day, which includes around 70,000 tablets ("We were late to them", notes Schmidt) every 24 hours." Verizon [a huge carrier in the US] last I read had problems with win8 Phone that MS wasn't helping them with, & might not even offer it at all. Win8 RT tablets use the same ARM processors as Android tablets -- they're incapable of running, don't have the horsepower to run most of the Windows apps/games you run now, even if those apps were ported to run on ARM rather than x86... most apps in the Windows Store will logically target the most customers, meaning those RT tablets & win8 phones which are the lowest common denominator. Translation -- you'll still run the stuff you want/need on the desktop rather than the new interface.

Most people don't know anything about win8 other than the fact it seems almost every retailer is running some sort of promo this week. Makes sense for MS to join in. As for Microsoft's Huge win8 advertising blitz -- guess it's to be expected, but a small little voice insists on reminding me that Hollywood spends the most bucks hawking movies that are real dogs... the good ones they don't have to. Same with the best books, or cars. Or, ummm, Android tablets. :)

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20044887

Windows 8 and the Surface tablets: The experts weigh in

Windows operating system forces buyers to confront the trade-offs of chipset choices.

It gets confusing quickly: There are two versions of Windows to choose from, Windows 8 and Windows RT.

Windows 8 has two choices of chipsets: x86 (such as Intel Core i5, what your PC is probably running today) and new x86 system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs from Intel and AMD, which function more like the chip in your mobile phone.

Windows RT works only with ARM-based chip designs by Nvidia or Qualcomm. Here are the trade-offs that will matter to most consumers:

• Battery life and boot time versus "performance": Windows devices with SoC and ARM chips have the longest battery life and the shortest boot time, but they won't perform as well for intensive computing activities. The Microsoft Surface running Windows RT that I've been testing stutters while playing 1080p video, for example, but Windows 8 tablets running Core i3 or i5 don't have this problem.

While RT devices have longer battery life, many consumers may find the trade-offs in terms of task flexibility too restrictive.

http://news.yahoo.com/surface-tablet-buzz-starts-windows-8-excitement-muted-200918581--finance.html

U.S. shoppers woke up with mild Surface fever on Friday, lining up in moderate numbers to buy Microsoft's groundbreaking tablet computer designed to challenge Apple's iPad.
and no surface in new zealand so for it will come one day.Friday US Saturday NZ

http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-US

Posted 11 years ago #
Inas
Member

Microcenter.com (which has brick-and-mortar stores throughout the USA) is selling Windows 8 Pro upgrade discs for only $38.88 if you sign up for their newsletter - it's a great deal.

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

Here is a nice win 8 video:

Learn Windows 8 in 3 minutes (OK, it's 4). I run through the basic concepts you need to know to use Windows 8 in just 4 minutes. I thought it would be three but I was having too much fun. I'm sure you could figure these tips out in 20 minutes of playing around yourself but I figured I could save you a little time.

win 8 video

Posted 11 years ago #
Inas
Member

Thanks, GooGoo, much appreciated.

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

Lifehacker has some very good articles and tips about Windows 8. Some worth printing .

Lifehacker windows 8

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

Cute little video to get your Google search and Chrome back if one makes the switch to Windows 8.

Get Your Google Back On Windows 8 With A New Dedicated Website [Updates]

October 28, 2012
By Yaara Lancet

Google has launched a new page aimed entirely at Windows 8 users. They’ve given it the appropriate name “Get Your Google Back”, and its purpose is to help new Windows 8 users install Google products which are obviously not present by default.

Get Your Google Back includes two new products for Windows 8: a Google Search app and Google Chrome, both designed for the Windows 8 “Modern UI” (previously known as Metro). It’s a super-simple page that leads you through the process of adding the Google Search and Google Chrome tiles to your Windows 8 start page. Both apps have been designed to work with touch-screen, and bring all the familiar Google features to your Windows 8 desktop.

While installing two apps can’t be that hard, Google is making sure you won’t switch to Internet Explorer by accident when you upgrade to Windows 8. The Google Search app is also designed to stand out on the Windows 8 start screen, with Google Doodles appearing right on the tile, and all the familiar Google features such as voice search, image search and Google Instant.

Coupled with a video that’s decidedly cute, Google is definitely aware of the humorous side of getyourgoogleback.com. It makes getting your Google back so easy that you probably won’t resist doing it.

Did you install these Google apps on Windows 8? Did this page help you do so?

article and video

Posted 11 years ago #
Whiterabbit-uk
Games Guru

I decided to purchase a copy via the windows upgrade assistant. It cost me just over £26 plus another £14 for a hard copy. I've not installed it yet as i'm undecided as to which computer to install it to yet. From what i've read its not going to be very friendly towards computer users who use their computers specifically for gaming, so I may install it to my secondary computer.

Posted 11 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

I decided to purchase a copy via the windows upgrade assistant.

Go here for the free Media Center license, even if you don't need or use it right away
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/feature-packs

Posted 11 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

" From what i've read its not going to be very friendly towards computer users who use their computers specifically for gaming, so I may install it to my secondary computer. "

I haven't seen anything concrete indicating win8 is better/worse than win7 for gaming, though that obviously only means I haven't seen it, not that no such evidence exists. What I'd humbly suggest is getting the ISO, as I understand it an option with the upgrade assistant, then installing as a trial alongside win7 in your gaming PC. By the time the trial's over & you have to activate you should know if it's suitable for your gaming or not. If not, then you can put it on whatever PC & not have to worry about (RE)activating it there. If you do remove it, the free EasyBCD makes it a snap to revert to win7's boot loader [if you haven't already], lets you delete the win8 option from the boot menu, & then you just have to quick format the partition where win8 lived.

Posted 11 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

"Windows 8 has two choices of chipsets: x86 (such as Intel Core i5, what your PC is probably running today) and new x86 system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs from Intel and AMD, which function more like the chip in your mobile phone.

Windows RT works only with ARM-based chip designs by Nvidia or Qualcomm."

There are several companies making ARM-based chips/chipsets, though I've heard TI is leaving the market, & who knows what will happen with AMD -- ARM chips are what you find in most smartphones & tablets. The current generations of ARM chips are more powerful than last year's, which were more powerful than the year before etc., but they're still nowhere near the CPUs in a PC/laptop. Anyone thinking about getting a tablet can see what they're capable of by looking at the apps they run [Amazon has a test drive feature where you can run Android apps in your browser]. It *may* turn out that Windows Store apps [like Apple's] outperform Android apps on average, since Microsoft & Apple absolutely control the hardware specs -- Android apps are generally written so they'll work with different ARM chips [having different levels of performance] and different versions of Android, & so might not be as optimized for the tablet or smartphone you're using. Still, the same ARM chips in a win8 RT & a Android tablet are going to have the same power & capabilities -- win8 RT doesn't employ some magic alchemy that transforms an ARM chip into something it's not -- so browsing the Apple, Google, & Amazon app stores can give a decent idea of what to expect.

There's a big difference in horsepower between Intel's i3 & i7 CPUs, & there can be a big difference between the lowest & highest end ARM chips too, so beware comparisons based on tablets using a high end ARM chipset [the iPad or Surface] vs. a low end chip in a cheap tablet running Android -- Android tablets can use the full spectrum of ARM chips available & vary from very cheap, painfully slow & cludgy, to expensive, fast, & very nice.

Posted 11 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

Personally I'm a bit cynical re: win8, but I think like a lot of folks that's more a jaded reaction to the marketing than anything else -- it's hardly the stuff of rainbows & unicorns, but 1st & foremost a way for Ballmer & friends to make more $ while reducing their competitors' market-share. To help get you to spend more money, win8 & win8 tablets/phones encourage you to use more on-line Microsoft services buying apps, storage, phone calls [Skype], probably video [rumors are they might buy Netflix, a big streaming service], Office apps as a service & so on. Microsoft would love to have you using a win8 smartphone, & a tablet -- from what I've read, phone & tablet manufacturers pay a lot more per license than the $40 limited time upgrade offer. There's nothing wrong with that -- companies like Microsoft exist to make $ -- but it is what it is. There are relatively few improvements in win8, MS can't touch Apple when it comes to designer-type image, so they advertise win8 etc. based on smoke & mirrors. That out of the way...

Win8 may be more secure [hopefully it is] but time will tell as the people who develop malware have a go at it -- bear in mind that most successful attacks use phishing etc., exploit weaknesses in humans rather than computers &/or networks. Win8 may be slightly faster than win7 because of better memory management, but YMMV -- win8 also includes some new driver models & new ways of doing things, so at least until software developers catch up, lots of your stuff may not work as well. Win8 has better hardware compatibility -- note that while it works out-of-the-box with more stuff, many manufacturers will not give Microsoft their full software/driver set, so for the same features you have in XP, Vista, or win7 you may be dependent on the manufacturer writing new software & drivers. AMD/ATI for example is not updating their stuff for any graphics cards earlier than their 5xxx series. For my current model printer Epson doesn't yet offer the full range of software available in win7. Win8 does have a nicer/better Windows' Explorer & Task Mgr., though most users don't/won't use the advanced view to access that stuff, & it's little or nothing you can't have in win7 via 3rd party apps. I haven't seen or read anything with concrete examples of how win8 is bad for gaming -- Microsoft's app store will mean competition for lighter weight games, will take in some gaming dollars that might otherwise be spent elsewhere, so it's expected that some of the people that make their money selling PC games would discourage it. Graphics drivers, critical for more demanding games, may not be as optimized for win8 this early in its life-cycle, audio drivers may suffer the same way, & it's also generally too early for any win8 specific tweaks. Win8 *may* start faster than earlier versions, but YMMV -- there's not a lot that could be done to improve on win7 start times, so they also improved the ways win8 sleeps... like better memory mgmt they had to work on that anyway to improve [tablet] battery life. Some may find the VSS-type file protections &/or the win8 restoration features nice, but if you practice a good backup strategy they're IMHO pretty meaningless.

The big news for win8 is the new touch screen interface, something you can love, hate, & more importantly, ignore if you want. On a PC/laptop dive beneath win8's touch screen interface [I'm tempted to add: "Please!" :) ] & you find a somewhat plain version of win7. Install one of your apps like today's GOTDs, & you might get an icon on the new screen, but click it, tap it, run it & it goes straight to the Windows you're used to. Click or tap another icon & you see the familiar desktop, absent the Start Button & Menu, that is unless you've added one of the many Start Menu replacements available -- some of those Start Menu replacements, like IOBit's, will skip that initial touch screen interface for you when win8 starts, going directly to Windows desktop. Use the touch screen interface when you want to run light duty apps/games written for it. Find a game you like for your win8 cell or tablet, no need to wait for the developer to write a Windows version, run the same game using that touch screen interface.

Otherwise win8's appearance & much of the hype is all about tablets. There are more bicycles sold than cars because most anyone can ride one most anywhere & they're cheaper -- tablets can be a lot cheaper & much easier to use than PCs, are much more mobile, & are new enough that lots of people don't have one yet. Tablet & smartphone sales are increasing -- PC sales are down. Tablets, essentially larger screen smartphones, may or may not be here to stay [e.g. netbooks], but while they're on the upswing there's money to be made & so it seems that everyone parrots the hype that they're the future. And win8 sports a tablet's touchscreen interface. Fact is people that need PCs/laptops will still need PCs/laptops -- those who never really needed a PC or laptop because all they did was watch video &/or surf the web have a lighter weight choice, probably a better choice, & that's a tablet. BTW, for the average user [not corp. IT] the cloud's the same sort of thing, a lighter weight alternative, e.g. something that can work when/if you didn't really need to buy & install something like MS Ofc. in the 1st place, but previously felt you had little choice.

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

https://windowsupgradeoffer.com/

try it may work I told just say you got new windows 7 and they thank you
Buy a Windows 7 PC and get Windows 8 Pro for $14.99

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-3121_7-57536310-220/windows-8-buying-guide/

http://www.cringely.com/2012/10/28/steve-ballmers-dilemma/

Steve Ballmer’s Dilemma
Windows 8 shipped last week to mixed reviews. Ballmer himself called it “a bold re-imagining” of Windows. It’s bold alright, but not bold enough. Windows is doomed.
Six years from now (four hardware generations) Windows will be dead. Or free.
And for all his bold re-imagining in New York last week, Steve Ballmer knows this, and that’s his dilemma.

Desktops are fading now, notebooks will be fading soon, both to be replaced by tablets and smart phones where Microsoft not only doesn’t dominate, they aren’t even among the major players.

Having not invented any of the products it is known for, why should we expect Microsoft to invent its way out of declining markets? We shouldn’t.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/10/microsoft-fakes-excitement-its-surface-tablet-launch/58417/

Microsoft Faked Excitement for Its Surface Tablet Launch
Without any organic excitement for today's Surface tablet debut, Microsoft has resorted to faking it. Take the lines outside its 60 retail locations. The Seattle store had a bona-fide-gathering, found GeekWire's Todd Bishop, who describes the group as "stretching around the building." That sounds promising, but looking into it more he also found "a significant portion of those in line are somehow affiliated with Microsoft, either as employees, vendors, or contractors." Many of the others awaiting the new gadget, like the dozen people outside of the Times Square location yesterday, might have come for the $100 XBox Music Pass Microsoft offered the first 100 liner-uppers, in order to generate buzz. Unlike Apple, which can attract a well-attended union of Fanboys there more for the sport than the gadget, Microsoft doesn't have that power. So, instead, it's making it up.

http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/the-frontline-blog/2220103/tim-cook-calls-the-surface-tablet-a-confusing-product

Tim Cook calls the Surface tablet a 'confusing product'
Tim Cook doesn't like Microsoft's latest tablet. During his fourth quarter earnings call with investors Apple's chief executive dismissed Microsoft's new Surface RT tablet as "compromised and confusing".
"I think people, when they look at the iPad, they'll conclude they really want an iPad."

http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/the-frontline-blog/2220733/telephone-survey-finds-52-per-cent-of-consumers-havent-heard-of-windows-8

More than half of consumers haven't heard of Windows 8

The Associated Press (AP) recently performed a 1,200 respondent telephone survey on the popularity of Windows 8. Survey results showed that 52 percent of those surveyed never heard of Windows 8. Furthermore, of those that have heard of Microsoft's new operating system, 61 percent said that they had little interest in Windows 8.
According to the survey, only 35 percent of respondents said they thought Windows 8 would be an improvement over previous incarnations of Microsoft's OS. The general consensus from respondents was that Windows 8 was a radical change to Windows, and that change was a bad thing.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/missing-windows-8

What’s Missing From Windows 8?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_features_removed_in_Windows_8

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/microsofts-windows-8-consumer-and-windows-rt-editions-whats-missing/12486

Posted 11 years ago #
mikiem2
Moderator

Desktops are fading now, notebooks will be fading soon, both to be replaced by tablets and smart phones where Microsoft not only doesn’t dominate, they aren’t even among the major players.

Personally I find comments like this hilarious, only matched by "people" [darn, I can't think of a polite word for the term I want to use] like the CEO of I think it was Salesforce who said the same thing about *Anything* that wasn't in the cloud. Of course none of that will matter because the end of the Mayan calendar is approaching & our world will go *Poof* any ol' way. :)

Netbooks did [do] more than most tablets/cells, & there's anything but a booming market for those, because people found that they really needed laptops/PCs -- they were a new toy to buy, so people did buy them, & then in most cases went back to a laptop when they needed function And portability. Smartphones are cool because they're small enough to put in your pocket & up to your ear, & taking pictures &/or maybe shooting video works great when you don't want to lug a camera around. But you're not going to do any serious work [or reading, or play] with a smartphone -- the screen's just too small. SO enter the tablet, a bigger smartphone you really can't use as a smartphone because, well, it's awkward stuffing one in your pocket let alone trying to hold one up to your ear. :)

But tablets have touchscreens, which make typing a REAL drag, so to do real work you have to add a keyboard, & maybe a mouse or touchpad, & oh yeah, a stand to hold the thing up while you're using said keyboard/mouse/touchpad. Looks an awful lot like a modular laptop to me, just minus the laptop's horsepower. Works great if you're lying on your back watching a movie, or kicking back, reading a book outside in the shade, but more than that, not so much. It's actually pretty simple...

AMD & Intel keep cranking out more powerful CPUs, while graphics hardware gets more powerful every year, & software evolves to take full advantage of both so that we always want more. If we didn't want or need it, AMD/ATI, Intel, & Nvidia would/could just cancel R&D entirely, would have canceled it long ago. Someday they might -- someday they may be able to pack all that processing power in a small enough package it'll fit in a very slim case, & with good battery life & without causing burns, but that day's a bit far off. Wishing, declaring, demanding, proclaiming it's going to happen tomorrow won't make it so -- the realities of stuff like physics won't let it.

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2411922,00.asp

Win 8 Is 84% Less Frustrating Than Win 7, Says Bogus Report
The Washington Post should be ashamed of itself for running a puff piece to promote Windows 8. I was mortified when I saw the headline, "Windows 8 is 84 percent less frustrating than Windows 7, report says."

Really? A brand new OS just now getting into play is less frustrating than Windows 7 by 84 percent? How can this number possibly be calculated in so short a time?

This dubious information comes from publicity-seeking company Soluto

The Saluto tool will show you how often the machine has crashed in the last two weeks. It also appears that whatever it discovers, it sends back to its headquarters

It goes on to trash Windows 7 for crashing more than Windows 8. Let's get something clear about Windows that people seem to forget: Windows, in general, deteriorates with the installation of more and more programs over time. It's known that when Windows is first installed, it is a dream come true. Windows 7 has been in the field for over three years. There is no way that it will be as stable as Windows 8, which just came out.

I am sure the new install would crash less often, too. But of course, this is never once mentioned.

My dad tries Windows 8 for the first time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4boTbv9_nU

How Real People Will Use Windows 8

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2411508,00.asp

Poll Finds Lackluster Demand for Windows 8

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2411443,00.asp

Windows 8 was designed to solve this problem. It wasn't designed for laptops and desktops, it was designed for phones and tablets. The Metro, Modern, or whatever you want to called the active tiled interface, was taken directly from the Windows Phone. Windows 8 wasn't made for your current laptop; it was designed for the weird hybrid thing that you are going to buy next.

Microsoft is soft-selling this transition because it doesn't want to spook conventional users. Indeed, executives will tell you this was all by design.

" don't for get it's for tablets " not PC Desktop

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

Free ebook: Introducing Windows 8: An Overview for IT Professionals (Preview Edition)

The Windows 8 operating system is the newest member of the Microsoft Windows family. It differs from earlier Windows releases as much for what it does not change as for what it does change. That is, the features that IT pros loved about Windows 7 are still there in Windows 8—just better. The same keyboard shortcuts, management tools, security features, and deployment options are available in Windows 8. But in many cases, Windows 8 improves them in intuitive and significant ways. Some examples are the ribbon in File Explorer and faster disk encryption when using BitLocker Drive Encryption. This book describes these enhancements plus many of the new features in Windows 8.

Please enjoy this preview edition that contains Chapters 1-11. We will update this post with a link to the final ebook when it is ready.

Download the PDF version of the book here: Introducing Windows 8: An Overview for IT Professionals - PDF ebook

If you prefer a hard copy of the final book, you can order it here for $14.99 from our official distributor, O’Reilly Media.

article

go to article to download the pdf book

Posted 11 years ago #
Anonymous
Unregistered

it the Year of the tablets it do or die for Windows or we can get a Raspberry

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-reasons-raspberry-pi/

7 Reasons To Get A Raspberry Pi

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2013622/tiny-57-pc-is-like-the-raspberry-pi-but-faster-and-fully-open.html#tk.nl_today

https://www.olimex.com/Products/OLinuXino/A13/A13-OLinuXino/

http://www.pcworld.com/article/262009/two_more_tiny_sub_100_linux_pcs_join_the_fray.html

Posted 11 years ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.