Windows Upgrade Offer: all you need to know

If you are buying a Windows PC with Windows 7 between June 2 and January 31 you may be eligible for a low-cost upgrade to Microsoft's soon to be released operating system Windows 8. The price of the upgrade is $14.99 in the US and nearly identical in most markets, with a notable exception for Euro countries and the UK. Customers from the UK for instance have to pay $23.50 for the upgrade (14.99 GBP).

All customers, regardless of the eligible Window 7 version will receive an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro, Microsoft's flagship consumer product which includes an extended feature set that the regular Windows 8 version does not ship with. This includes Bitlocker encryption, the Group Policy or domain join.

The Windows Media Center Pack is not included in the upgrade and needs to be purchased separately to add the software and DVD playback to the operating system. If you do not want to pay money for DVD playback, you can try these free DVD alternatives instead. This is a difference between this upgrade offer and the separate Windows 8 upgrade offer that Windows XP, Vista or 7 users can take advantage of.

Here is a list of additional important information regarding that upgrade:

• Windows 8 installation media can be ordered at additional costs. The basic offer provides you with a download of Windows 8 Pro.
• If you are taking advantage of the upgrade offer, you can download the operating system starting October 26.
• An upgrade assistant will check your PCs hardware and software to provide you with information about possible issues or incompatibilities. Since you are upgrading from Windows 7, you can migrate installed applications, settings and personal files to the new Windows 8 system.
• You are required to enter information such as your PC's make and model, purchase data and retailer / manufacturer during registration. You also may need to enter the product key of your operating system and personal information
• The offer is only valid for end users, and limited to one upgrade per PC and a maximum of five per person.
• Eligible Windows 7 versions are: Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate
• The last day to register and order the upgrade is February 28, 2013
• The offer can be paid by Credit Card or PayPal. Only Visa and MasterCard are available as payment methods in all locations.
• You may have to pay in a foreign currency depending on your location in the world. Customers from Indonesia or Israel for instance pay in Dollar and not their local currencies.
• The upgrade is not locked to the PC you have bought. It will work on any PC running XP, Vista or Windows 7.

You can register for the offer on the Windows Upgrade Offer website. You will then be notified once the download becomes available (on October 26). Additional information are available on the website as well.

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