The Windows Blog has a new post discussing the packaging and pricing for the upcoming retail release for Windows 8.1 on October 18th (a month away!). Pricing is $119.99 for standard and $199.99 for Pro editions. An add-on to upgrade to Pro (Pro-Pack) is $99.99, which allows you to go from 8.1 Standard to 8.1 Pro and includes Media Center. If you are a Pro user, a $9.99 upgrade is available to enable Media Center. Packaging is similar to Windows 8.
One thing to note – Microsoft is now releasing a ‘Full Version’ edition rather than just an upgrade edition this time around, due to consumer suggestions.
One shift to note in Windows 8.1 is that we 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 we’ve 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.
MSTechpages.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commission fees by advertising and linking to the following web sites. Amazon.com
Toshiba Canvio Basics 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0, Black - HDTB520XK3AA
$64.88 (as of December 19, 2024 15:16 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Laurensory External DVD Drive USB 3.0 Type-C USB Portable Player for Laptop CD DVD +/-RW Disk Drive CD ROM Burner Writer CD/DVD Burner Reader Compatible with Desktop Windows Linux OS Apple MacBook
$22.99 (as of December 19, 2024 15:16 GMT -07:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)