We are seeing good momentum with Windows 8 today. When upgrading from Windows 7, Windows 8 has a lot to offer including a beautiful new Start screen with live tiles, plus the familiar desktop and faster startup and longer battery life. Today I’d like to share the pricing details for the Windows 8 upgrade editions that will begin in February. I’d also remind you to take advantage of the great upgrade offer which lasts until January 31st 2013.

Windows 8 upgrade editions will be priced as follows starting in February:

The Windows 8 Pro upgrade edition will be available online and at retail for $199.99 MSRP (U.S.).
The Windows 8 upgrade edition will be available online and at retail for $119.99 MSRP (U.S.).
The Windows 8 Pro Pack will cost $99.99 MSRP (U.S.).
The Windows 8 Media Center Pack will cost $9.99 MSRP (U.S.).

But we have our promotional offer available until January 31st 2013, you can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $39.99 ERP* (U.S.) via Windows.com using the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant or pick up a DVD copy at a local retailer for just $69.99 ERP* (U.S.). If you bought an eligible Windows 7 PC between June 2nd and January 31st, 2013 – be sure to register for the Windows Upgrade Offer and upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for only $14.99 ERP*** (U.S.). If you upgrade to the Windows 8 edition or buy a PC with the Windows 8 edition pre-installed and want to move to the Windows 8 Pro edition– you can purchase the Windows 8 Pro Pack (previously known as Windows Anytime Upgrade) directly within Windows 8 by going to the Start screen and typing “Add Features to Windows 8” and at participating retailers for $69.99 MSRP (U.S.) until January 31st. If are running Windows 8 Pro and want Windows Media Center and DVD playback, you can add the Windows 8 Media Center Pack for free until January 31st**.

If you are building your own PC from scratch, looking to run Windows 8 in a Virtual Machine (VM), or looking to run Windows 8 on a second hard drive partition – you will want to purchase the Windows 8 edition or Windows 8 Pro edition OEM product known as “System Builder”. You can find these products online at local retailers.

For questions regarding upgrade paths for Windows 8, see this article on TechNet. For more information on upgrading to Windows 8, I suggest checking out this page on Windows.com as it is a great resource for information on upgrading.

And if you have any issues regarding your upgrade experience or technical questions about upgrading then I suggest visiting the Windows 8 Microsoft Community forum and posting your questions there.

*Offers limited to five upgrade licenses per customer. To install the Windows 8 Pro upgrade, customers must be running Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, or Windows 7. The prices displayed are estimated retail price and the transaction may be completed in a different currency. The actual price of the offer will vary by region since it is dependent on a variety of specific factors including exchange rate, local taxes, duties, fees, local market conditions, other pricing considerations, and may vary by each independent reseller. The actual price you pay may be more than the advertised price due to these additional factors. Shipping and handling charges may apply to packaged DVD product.

**When moving from the Windows 8 edition to Windows 8 Pro via the Windows 8 Pro Pack – you receive the Windows 8 Media Center Pack and won’t need to install it separately.

*** The last day to register for the Windows Upgrade Offer is February 28th, 2013.