SA Windows 8 pricing roundup

If you’re looking to make that jump to Windows 8, MyGaming has had a look at some of the prices on offer for Microsoft’s latest OS iteration from around the web, both from retail stores with an online presence and stores that are exclusively online. We looked at Makro, Incredible Connection, Takealot, Wootware, Sybaritic, Prophecy and Rebeltech.

Just under five months on from its retail release, Windows 8 hasn’t received much support from consumers, currently sitting at just over 2.6% market share as of 1 March 2013, which, on the plus side, is competitive with Apple’s OS X Mountain Lion, which is at 2.61% market share. By comparison, Vista is just over 5% and that says a lot for what was, many agree, a low point in Microsoft’s offerings.

According to the latest Steam Hardware and Software survey (March 2013) for Windows desktops, Windows 8 Professional chews up 11.08% market share, up by 1.13% from the previous month’s survey (February 2013). By contrast, Vista commands 6.82% for both 32 and 64-bit versions, Windows XP sits at 9.05% and Windows 7 weighs in at a whopping 71.12%.

However, with Windows XP’s support timer now counting down to April 8th, 2014, many users are now wondering exactly what they can do to upgrade to the latest instalment of Windows. We’ve done some of the hard work for you, searching to see where the best price is on the internet.

Going just by price, Makro wins out here if you’re already running a copy of Windows XP or Vista, costing just R549 for an upgrade package, complete with your choice of 32 or 64-bit discs. Upgrade licenses are a bit tricky if you tinker a lot with your PC, because typically you have to reinstall the base OS first and then run the upgrade discs every time you reformat your computer. As Lifehacker documents for Windows fans, you don’t have to go through that process with an upgrade disc if you’ve already used the license.

Incredible Connection, Prophecy and Rebeltech also offer the upgrade pack, but Incredible Connection’s price is almost double what the other retailers are charging. Its a rather strange pricing scheme, especially when you consider that upgrades to Mac OS X used to be around the R250 price range.

With Windows 8, there are only two versions available to the consumer – Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. The vanilla version is cheapest at Takealot and Wootware, just edging over R1000 for what is essentially a mixture of Windows 7 Home Basic and Home Premium. Prophecy is by far the most expensive.

Windows 8 modern UI style

Windows 8 Professional is the most popular version on Steam, most likely due to the cheap upgrade licenses Microsoft was offering in the first few months after launch. You now need to fork out for an average price of R1690 – a steep investment even for a small home office setup. However, this is in line with pricing for Windows 7 Professional, which is still in distribution.

In conclusion, it looks like consumers won’t have to dig deep into their pockets to upgrade to Windows 8. If you already have a base Windows OS like XP or Vista, it’s a no-brainer at just R550 from Makro. If you want to buy a new retail copy, the vanilla version designed for home use is perfectly suitable and doesn’t break the bank either.

However, if you’re already on Windows 7, there’s little need to upgrade yet. The only reason why you’d buy into the Windows 8 ecosystem is if you’re on a older OS with limited critical update support, or you are looking to expand to own not just a Windows 8 desktop, but a phone and tablet based off the OS as well. Just like OS X and iOS pair well together, so Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 blur the line between devices, helping to create a cohesive experience and simplify the ability to share information between multiple devices.

More PC News:

Mortal Kombat coming to Steam?

Nvidia bundles Metro: Last Light with GTX600 series

Hackers hit Ubisoft’s Uplay