Windows 8: Only Upgrades On Sale In Australia


Want to buy a full version of Windows 8 to install on a new machine? You’re out of luck. Microsoft just confirmed at its Australian Windows 8 launch that the only offers on sale today are an upgrade for existing Windows machines to Windows 8 Pro.

We already knew that Windows 8 Pro upgrades cost $39.99 online or an easily-discounted $69.99 for a boxed copy. But many readers have been asking what they’ll have to pay for a copy that can be installed on new hardware.

Microsoft’s official answer at its launch event: you can’t do that yet. There’s no official local price for a full copy of Windows 8 Pro, or for any regular version of Windows 8. I couldn’t quite believe this when I asked, so I got MD Pip Marlow to confirm it. Twice.

That won’t stop people ordering from overseas. But it seems like a very backward move in terms of getting geeks enthused about Windows 8. What do you think?

Update: As several commenters have pointed out, there are OEM copies available from local sites. These aren’t technically supposed to be sold on their own, though the rule isn’t often enforced. The fact remains that “official” copies of Windows which can be installed by anyone (not just a system builder) have not been launched for Australia.


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