Microsoft is offering the Windows 8 upgrade for a cheap price of only US$40 for a limited period. The Windows 8 upgrade can be availed from Windows XP and above.

Pcs that are running Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 are eligible for availing the upgrade to Windows 8. The upgrade is available for 131 markets and would only cost US$39.99. This promotion would only last up until January 31, 2013 and is only limited to purchases made through its website (windows.com). An upgrade for a packaged DVD for Windows 8 Pro would cost around US$70 during the duration of the promo period.
Brandon LeBlanc from Microsoft discussed in his blog post the different important details regarding the Windows 8 upgrade. Some of these information includes the amount of data that can be retained once the Windows 8 upgrade has been installed.

Here is a brief summary of what LeBlanc mentioned in his blog post:

  • Users who want to upgrade to Windows 8 can choose to have a "clean install"
  • Users with Windows XP can only keep personal files
  • Users with Windows Vista can keep setting and personal files (No Applications)
  • Users with Windows 7 can upgrade from any consumer edition and could keep their setting, personal files, and applications

Le Blanc also briefly mentioned Microsoft's goal in this low upgrade option for users. Here is what he mentioned:

We believe that your upgrade experience in Windows 8 will be a breeze by offering a faster experience, a single upgrade path, and compatibility from prior versions of Windows. We've continued to listen to our customers and have expanded the ability to download to over 100 countries and 37 languages. We have simplified the Windows upgrade experience with the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant which supports you during your upgrade with everything from selecting your language to pausing your download to built-in compatibility checks - it's seamless. And if you're an enthusiast you will have the flexibility to download and control how you upgrade.

Though it was not mentioned, Microsoft has invested a lot with Windows 8 with the hopes of users would once again prefer Windows as opposed to other OS. The low upgrade price is one way to entice users to consider Windows 8 for their computing needs.

Read the full blog post from Microsoft here.