Software
Prices and packaging for Windows 8 go public
Last Updated on Friday, 12 October 2012 16:58 Published on Friday, 12 October 2012 16:58
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).
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). [zdnet]