Microsoft has launched a Windows 8 Upgrade Offer for Australia, enabling all those purchasing a new Windows 7 PC between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013 to be able to upgrade to the new upcoming Windows 8 operating system.
All eligible customers will be given a downloadable upgrade for Windows 8 Pro, at a retail price of approximately $14.99(AUD).
What’s interesting to note is that similar Windows upgrade offers for earlier versions of the operating system have been offered free of cost. Consumers who had purchased Windows Vista Home PCs during the offer period were allowed to get an upgrade to the equivalent Windows 7 version completely free of cost. However, Windows 8 Pro, which will be offered in the Windows 8 Upgrade offer, comes with several additional features lacking in the basic version, including the Windows 8 Media Center add-on pack, Hyper-V desktop virtualisation, BitLocker encryption.
If you thinking of buying a Windows 7 PC during this period, you must apply for the upgrade offer before February 28, 2013, when the offer expires.
The upgrade offer is available for all Windows 7 PCs that ship with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional or even Ultimate. Users will also be provided with an appropriate valid OEM Certificate of Authenticity.
However, there is no word from Microsoft as to when exactly customers will be able to download the upgrade for their PCs, since Windows 8 itself has not been launched officially. But you can rest assured, as Microsoft has said that those customers who register for the offer will be able to download Windows 8 from “the day it is made available generally.” The company added that the Windows Upgrade Offer will be the first of “many” consumer offers that will be launched with Windows 8, however nothing more has been said.
