Microsoft Hikes Up Windows 8 Pro Upgrade Prices By 400 Per Cent

Redmond, Washington — Bad news if you want to upgrade to Windows 8 but are yet to do so. When Microsoft announced last year a “limited time offer” for Windows 8 upgrade pricing, it was pretty obvious that it would not last for long, but some thought–or at least hoped–that the discounted price might be indefinite. Now, on the heels of “good momentum with Windows 8,” Microsoft has announced its promotional offer will only last till January 31. From then on, in the US, instead of costing $40 to upgrade to Windows 8, it will set you back $120, or $200 for Windows 8 Pro.

If you have been fence sitting on a Windows 8, and have not upgraded yet but intend to do so, it is high time you would better get downloading. Microsoft last week announced that it will end its aggressive upgrade offers on Jan. 31.

The present promotional offer merely cost $39.99 for online upgrade to Windows 8 Pro from most recent versions of the operating system, including Windows XP (Service Pack 3), Windows Vista and Windows 7. But, after January 31, the $39.99 upgrade price will end. Starting February 1, the same upgrade will cost you $119.99–almost five times the current price. Also, the current $69.99 price tag on a Windows 8 upgrade DVD will jump too, to $199.99.

The company recently said it has sold 60 million licenses for Windows 8, which was made generally available last October. Now, in a bid to spur demand and build excitement for its new tablet-ready, touch-enabled operating system, the company executive noted, “We are witnessing good momentum with Windows 8 today,” said Microsoft communications manager Brandon LeBlanc in a blog post announcing the new pricing.

In fact, the deal even undercut the Windows 7 Home Premium launch promotion of $49 upgrades. Windows executive Tami Reller said at CES that number puts Windows 8 “roughly in line with where we would have been with Windows 7” in a similar timeframe. Windows 7 has sold more than 630 million licenses worldwide, and it eventually eclipsed Windows XP as the most popular OS ever. Reller made a related announcement back in November, telling the audience at the Credit Suisse 2012 Annual Technology Conference that Windows 8 upgrades were outpacing Windows 7 upgrades in a comparable time period.

Now, with a sudden twist in its strategy that will only last for few days, time is running out and hopes are dimming that Microsoft would follow Apple’s long-established policy favoring inexpensive operating system upgrades.

More importantly, Windows 8 brings with it a whole new interface that uses ’tiles’, animated rectangles that can display live information. It is a world away from previous versions of Windows, with quicker log-in and boot-up times, and the ability to sync between your PC and tablet. However, sales have so far failed to set the world alight, according to reports.

In spite of Microsoft’s self-reported sales figures for Windows 8, analysts have been less enthusiastic. The table below describes the pricing changes ahead: