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Windows 8 is available for purchase now

windows.com

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Re: Windows 8 is available for purchase now

#11

Post by kmfrk »

b3b0p wrote: post #8

From what it seems, I cannot download Windows 8 on my Mac for running in Bootcamp or VMWare. I have to download it using an executable from Microsoft that only runs on Windows. This doesn't make sense to me. Why can't I just buy and download? Why not make it simple and easy for people to access it?

I think Microsoft insist on making users run the upgrade assistant to make sure people can run the OS. They ran into a major lawsuit once, because they advertised laptops as Windows-ready, when in fact they weren't.

I believe this is the lawsuit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Windows_Vista#Vist....

Re: Windows 8 is available for purchase now

#12

Post by WorkingDead »

bornhuetter wrote: post #7
WorkingDead wrote: post #5

Its on sale for $39.99. Just checked the Apple store and Mountain Lion is $19.99. Way to go MS.

This again? OSX versions are more incremental - part way between what MS would call a new OS, or a new Service Pack. MS don't charge anything for Service Packs. Apple also have lower margins on their OS because it's built into the cost of their hardware.

Justify it any way you want to but MS is getting out competed in almost every area and that is just one more example. Apple gets a small sum every year form their customers and MS pisses theirs off with $140 price tags every 5 years.

Re: Windows 8 is available for purchase now

#13

Post by kaitari »

tiredoffps wrote: post #6
octopus wrote: post #3

I find this discouraging: To install Windows 8 Pro, customers must be running Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. If you would like to upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8 Pro, click here. What if I want to install Windows 8 in a VM ? Do I need to install an older version of Windows first ?

After you download the upgrade assistant helper and Windows 8 Pro, there's an option to create a .ISO for a clean install.

Which means you need an older Windows OS installed first, because Upgrade Assistant only runs on Windows, right?

Re: Windows 8 is available for purchase now

#14

Post by subsystem »

WorkingDead wrote: post #12
bornhuetter wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This again? OSX versions are more incremental - part way between what MS would call a new OS, or a new Service Pack. MS don't charge anything for Service Packs. Apple also have lower margins on their OS because it's built into the cost of their hardware.

Justify it any way you want to but MS is getting out competed in almost every area and that is just one more example. Apple gets a small sum every year form their customers and MS pisses theirs off with $140 price tags every 5 years.

I'm guessing you haven't been a sysadmin at any midsize to large corporation...

Re: Windows 8 is available for purchase now

#15

Post by [deleted] »

b3b0p wrote: post #8

From what it seems, I cannot download Windows 8 on my Mac for running in Bootcamp or VMWare. I have to download it using an executable from Microsoft that only runs on Windows. This doesn't make sense to me. Why can't I just buy and download? Why not make it simple and easy for people to access it?

[deleted]

Re: Windows 8 is available for purchase now

#16

Post by bunderbunder »

b3b0p wrote: post #8

From what it seems, I cannot download Windows 8 on my Mac for running in Bootcamp or VMWare. I have to download it using an executable from Microsoft that only runs on Windows. This doesn't make sense to me. Why can't I just buy and download? Why not make it simple and easy for people to access it?

They're only selling upgrades for the Pro edition on their website for the time being. So if you already have Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate running in Bootcamp or VMWare, that's where you should be running the upgrade executable.

If you're running Windows 7 Home or Home Premium, or don't already have a copy of Windows 7 at all, then what they're selling on their website isn't for you. You'll need to pick it up from a 3rd-party retailer for now. The fine print does suggest that they'll start selling all editions on their website in February. (Maybe they had some sort of agreement with retailers or OEMs?)

In shopping around, I've seen the System Builder edition from a local big box retailer for as little as $80.

Re: Windows 8 is available for purchase now

#17

Post by bunderbunder »

WorkingDead wrote: post #12
bornhuetter wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This again? OSX versions are more incremental - part way between what MS would call a new OS, or a new Service Pack. MS don't charge anything for Service Packs. Apple also have lower margins on their OS because it's built into the cost of their hardware.

Justify it any way you want to but MS is getting out competed in almost every area and that is just one more example. Apple gets a small sum every year form their customers and MS pisses theirs off with $140 price tags every 5 years.

Apple gets a small sum every year from those of us who bother to upgrade. But every few years they get much more than $140 out of us in the form of the purchase of a much higher-margin computer for which they don't have to split the profits with anybody else.

Also, let's compare apples to apples (ahaha). Apple only retails their OS in an upgrade so we can really only compare upgrade pricing. Apple charges about $20 for an upgrade every year, which averages out to $20/year. Windows 8 upgrades are selling for $40 right now, and the last version of Windows came out about 3 years ago. $40 / 3 = $13.33.

Now I absolutely agree with your assertion that $20 is a fairly small sum. But I'm not sure I agree that $13 is a price gouge by comparison.

(Spoken as a Mac and VMWare Fusion user.)

Re: Windows 8 is available for purchase now

#18

Post by agentworm »

WorkingDead wrote: post #12
bornhuetter wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This again? OSX versions are more incremental - part way between what MS would call a new OS, or a new Service Pack. MS don't charge anything for Service Packs. Apple also have lower margins on their OS because it's built into the cost of their hardware.

Justify it any way you want to but MS is getting out competed in almost every area and that is just one more example. Apple gets a small sum every year form their customers and MS pisses theirs off with $140 price tags every 5 years.

That works out to ~$28 per year. Just a little more than what an OSX user would pay every year.

Re: Windows 8 is available for purchase now

#19

Post by bunderbunder »

kaitari wrote: post #13
tiredoffps wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After you download the upgrade assistant helper and Windows 8 Pro, there's an option to create a .ISO for a clean install.

Which means you need an older Windows OS installed first, because Upgrade Assistant only runs on Windows, right?

Yup. But what they're selling on their website is only an upgrade version. So it's a pretty reasonable restriction.

Re: Windows 8 is available for purchase now

#20

Post by yuhong »

bunderbunder wrote: post #16
b3b0p wrote: post #8

From what it seems, I cannot download Windows 8 on my Mac for running in Bootcamp or VMWare. I have to download it using an executable from Microsoft that only runs on Windows. This doesn't make sense to me. Why can't I just buy and download? Why not make it simple and easy for people to access it?

They're only selling upgrades for the Pro edition on their website for the time being. So if you already have Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate running in Bootcamp or VMWare, that's where you should be running the upgrade executable. If you're running Windows 7 Home or Home Premium, or don't already have a copy of Windows 7 at all, then what they're selling on their website isn't for you. You'll need to pick it up from a 3rd…

Actually the Win8 Pro upgrade is for all edition of Win7.
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