Bad news if you want to upgrade to Windows 8 but are yet to do so. Microsoft has announced its introductory offer will end on 1 February. From then on, in the US, instead of costing $40 to upgrade to Windows 8, it'll set you back $120, or $200 for Windows 8 Pro.
There's no word on what the new UK price will be, but I'm expecting a similar hike.
In fact, getting my calculator out, if Microsoft raises it by the same amount for us Brits, Windows 8 Pro will jump from £24.99 to about £125. Ouch.
So if you haven't upgraded yet but intend to do so, better get downloading.
Windows 8 brings with it a whole new interface that uses 'tiles', known as the Metro UI. It's 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.
Sales of Windows 8 PCs are "well below Microsoft's internal projections" one report says. Fujitsu has suffered a slump in sales of computers running the operating system, too, andblames it on the fact Microsoft's OS is "weak". One study showed just 39 percent of people were planning on upgrading to the latest version.
Acer has also joined in the Microsoft-bashing, saying it doesn't stand a chance against Apple. So it's not really been a swinging start for Windows 8.
Still though, Microsoft says it's sold 4 million copies of the operating system, while sales of its Surface tablet -- which runs Windows RT -- have been "modest". I can't see a spike in sales after this price hike though.
[Source: CNET]