Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in

Windows 9 May Cost Windows 7 Users $30

By - Source: BGR | B 25 comments

A report out of Indonesia claims that Andreas Diantoro, President of Microsoft Indonesia, has confirmed that Windows 8.1 customers will indeed get Windows 9 for free. We've heard some of this before, and it indicates that Microsoft is desperately wanting to get away from all the negativity surrounding Windows 8.

Diantoro indicated that Windows 8.1 users will be able to download and install Windows 9 quite easily. Previous reports specified that this would be accomplished using a tool that allows single-click installations. This tool will become a native part of Windows 9, providing faster updates that will make the Windows platform feel more smartphone-like.

For customers riding on the Windows 7 train, though, Microsoft may charge $30 for the upgrade. This nugget of news arrives by way of Russian leaker WZor, who indicates that customers will not need to re-install the whole OS. This seems very likely given that Microsoft offered a huge discount to Windows 7 users upgrading to Windows 8.

Microsoft is expected to reveal Windows 9 during a press event on Tuesday. The company is also expected to release a public preview so that Microsoft can get feedback before the platform hits store shelves in Spring 2015. Given that we're getting close to Halloween, the Windows 9 release seems like it's just around the corner.

So why is Microsoft making the update so cheap? As previously stated, Microsoft presumably wants to get away from Windows 8. The release of Windows 8.1 made a huge difference for the desktop user, but Windows 9 is expected to really shine. Benefits will include the return of the Start Menu, Modern UI apps running on the desktop and more.

On Tuesday, Microsoft is expected to not only reveal Windows 9, but a new branding that will eliminate the numbering. The move is part of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's "mobile first, cloud first" plan to offer services on hardware rather than become a hardware and services company, as former CEO Steve Ballmer previously envisioned. The platform is expected to be called merely "Windows" across a number of form factors, including desktops and smartphones.

"Microsoft is changing from a company that was Windows-centric to one that is services-centric," Michael Silver of Gartner told Reuters. "It has to be that way. Windows revenue is likely going to decline, and Microsoft's task is to replace that Windows revenue with revenue from services on all sorts of platforms."

Follow Kevin Parrish @exfileme. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.

Discuss
Add a comment
Ask a Category Expert
React To This Article

Create a new thread in the News comments forum about this subject

Example: Notebook, Android, SSD hard drive

  • 1 Hide
    chicofehr , September 29, 2014 5:20 PM
    $30? Darn!!! I want to spend that on the next steam sale :( 
  • 2 Hide
    someguynamedmatt , September 29, 2014 6:19 PM
    Quote:
    ...that will make the Windows platform feel more smartphone-like.


    Nope. Not until that line of thought stops. I use this desktop for professional-level work. I DO NOT want to be doing things on a smartphone interface. I don't care what you call it - as long as they're attempting to put the same operating system across a smartphone as they are a desktop PC, I won't be using it. That's just a fundamentally flawed way of trying to force a market on people.

    If Microsoft is going to be a 'mobile first' company, then I'll be leaving them behind for something willing to support a customer base that has actual work to be done. That's all I can say. Hopefully Windows 7 stays viable until they pull their collective heads out of where the sun doesn't shine.
  • 3 Hide
    Brian Blair , September 29, 2014 9:02 PM
    Oh so the corporate fat cats finally got knocked off their high horse and realized the power is in the people and not Richie Friggin Rich! Check yourselves fat cats, Just because you have money does not mean you can force people to do what you want! We will resist! And in the end the voting with the all mighty dollar always wins! That is the Fat Cat's weakness since the Fat Cat lives by the dollar! LOL
  • Add your comment Display all 25 comments.
  • 0 Hide
    Julian Galicia Thomas , September 29, 2014 10:07 PM
    how much will it cost windows 8 users?
  • 2 Hide
    ohim , September 30, 2014 1:17 AM
    Quote:
    how much will it cost windows 8 users?


    Quote:
    A report out of Indonesia claims that Andreas Diantoro, President of Microsoft Indonesia, has confirmed that Windows 8.1 customers will indeed get Windows 9 for free.



    Do you even read the article before you post? It`s the first sentence that the article starts with ...
  • 0 Hide
    MidnightDistort , September 30, 2014 8:29 AM
    $30 isn't bad provided that W9 will be worth upgrading to :) 
  • 0 Hide
    jlcoverdell , September 30, 2014 9:34 AM
    What a joke. Microsoft said it would be similar to XP now this turn. Will it ever quit? I have XP VISTA 7 AND 8/8.1. I found no major flaws between XP to 7. 8/8.1 however is a complete waste of space and so forth. I read through Yahoo news yesterday that W9 would only be free to a select few windows 8 user not across the board as stated here.
    Well once again I am not impressed. They are ending support for 7 in Oct unless you hbought your unit with it pre-installed.
    I have to agree with: someguynamedmatt on his response to this.

    I also add that this is a major deterrent for those of us who do not use a cellphone with internet (other than text). We were promised basically a remake of Windowos XP but with better security Not another system heading towards the looks of a cell phones OS. Microsoft is obviously not listening at all to customers.
    Somehow to me this seems like another Windows 8 in disguise. Microsoft is jealous of the cell phone OS and could care less anymore about people who still use a pc.
    Gates needs to get his head out of his ASS or at least have a Window put in is stomach so he could see what's really going on.

    Microsoft needs to re-incorporate Dos. a lot of business still use Dos (many state facilities). They need to make Windows smaller and less reliant on processor and other resources. Get ridd of all the crap rarely anyone uses (home users) and have bare bones to say the least.Ok granted they have various version home pro business and so on but there should be only 2 versions. I am tired of buying a system loaded with Microsoft crap I don't use or is only limited time (office).
    I just spoke of this yesterday on facebook. Get rid of things such as IE since more and more have turned to either firefox or chrome. Ie takes up a lot and is not a true tabbed browser. I set to open in other tab and instead a new window opens. Get rid of the fax viewer character map sound recorder and a bunch of other things I would consider more for businesses than the common person.
    Personally I have never had any issues that Microsoft claimed there are on XP. Other than the system itself on being slow (old hardware non up-gradable) it works fine with a lot of today's programs still.
    Here's something for those who gave up XP if you still have your XP disc. Microsoft only stopped putting out new updates You can still download all the updates up til this past April. I rebooted my old XP unit made a backup of all updates just on the off-hand they removed them. but they didn't. You will need to manually though download a bunch of them in order to get the correct Updater for windows.


    Quick question for everyone who has had both x64 and x32 is it me or is x64 actually slower? Also I have not seen a x32 since my Win 7 unit in the stores. ((Walmart Staples Best Buy etc).?
  • 0 Hide
    Marce Faidutti , September 30, 2014 7:11 PM
    ????????????

    Windows 10, no way to windows 9.

    =)
  • 0 Hide
    Swede69 , October 1, 2014 8:05 AM
    I will pay the 30$ just to not have to use Windows 9!!!! We only have a year then Windows 7 will NO LONGER BE SUPPORTED! Confirmed by MVP.
  • 0 Hide
    Andrew Walden , October 1, 2014 10:33 AM
    YES!! Just got Windows 10!! IT IS AMAZING!! And no I'm not joking. Go to preview.windows.com.
  • 0 Hide
    warhammer68m , October 3, 2014 12:58 AM
    it is amazing indeed Andrew
  • -1 Hide
    therogerwilco , October 3, 2014 9:28 AM
    Hey morons, it's Windows 10
  • 0 Hide
    turkey3_scratch , October 3, 2014 9:58 AM
    Quote:
    YES!! Just got Windows 10!! IT IS AMAZING!! And no I'm not joking. Go to preview.windows.com.


    Will you be saying the same thing after you have it for a month?
  • 0 Hide
    MidnightDistort , October 3, 2014 10:12 AM
    Got to play around with Windows 10 for awhile and it's ok. It's more or less Windows 8 with a start menu with some improvements. It's pretty quick like the the others and it looks like the task manager has a few improvements such as virtualization detection. The added desktop environments is a nice improvement. Wonder if it will be useful when gaming, being able to switch screens with a touch of a button would be cool to have when using online strategy guides or just talking about the game experience.
  • 0 Hide
    warhammer68m , October 3, 2014 7:32 PM
    Quote:
    Quote:
    YES!! Just got Windows 10!! IT IS AMAZING!! And no I'm not joking. Go to preview.windows.com.


    Will you be saying the same thing after you have it for a month?


    Certainly we will. it is windows 8.1 with windows 7 functions. all the good about windows 8.1, plus a start menu. In that mode you never will see metro UI again, unless you activate the start screen mode on purpose. It defaults to the classic style.

    The rethought snapping feature is even better then it was. Any store app can live inside a window on the desktop, and can be resized exactly like any desktop app

    It is pretty stable for a very early build. Reminds me of the very first betas of windows 7

  • 0 Hide
    nostall , October 4, 2014 8:55 AM
    Not much to add, except info./rumor has it that it is going to be called Windows 10: They're thinking of skipping 9 as a name.
  • 0 Hide
    jar head , October 4, 2014 11:56 AM
    So what Microsoft is basically saying is that its so bad they didn't want to give it an odd number and ruin the streak of good OS = odd bad OS = even
  • 0 Hide
    warhammer68m , October 4, 2014 12:17 PM
    it is called Windows 10 Technical Preview on the microsoft preview website. Some folks at Microsoft even think about not having a numbering for the next windows starting with windows 10. Windows 9 could be considered windows 8.1 that made drastic changes to windows 8.0. Windows 8.1 has 6.3 kernel version. windows 10 has 6.4. Windows 8.0 got from 6.1 ( windows 7) to 6.2 (windows 8.0) and 6.3 (windows 8.1, could be windows 9. Windows 8.1 was considered an OS upgrade, free for windows 8.0. The retail now sold is 8.1). 2 major kernel updates are enough to justify a version to skip a version.
  • 0 Hide
    warhammer68m , October 4, 2014 12:33 PM
    Quote:
    So what Microsoft is basically saying is that its so bad they didn't want to give it an odd number and ruin the streak of good OS = odd bad OS = even


    Is windows 8.0 or 8.1 stable? Yes! does it have major bugs? No! Was it a improvement in performance over 7? Definitelly yes. DOes everyone liked windows 7? No. Does everyone will like windows 10? No. WIll it be stable? Yes. As far as I can see, windows 8 drivers will definitelly work day one. Unless you tend to have hardware that always have been a problem for their drivers, yuo should have the same smooth and stable experience as in WIndows 7, but with more performance, better memory management, better UI choices indeed, and maybe even a cheaper price for upgrade than windows 8.0 when it came out.

    Will people complain? yes. People always complained as much as for windows 8, since Microsoft sold windows. Every version, about same adoption rate. Saying that people use the newest version because that is what they get when buying a new PC, well, those kind of people usually do nmot build their own PC, and only change about once in 4-5 years. Casual PC users do not change their PC whenever there is a change.
  • 0 Hide
    USAFRet , October 4, 2014 12:45 PM
    Quote:
    So what Microsoft is basically saying is that its so bad they didn't want to give it an odd number and ruin the streak of good OS = odd bad OS = even


    That concept means exactly nothing when you factor in Me, XP, Vista, 2000.
    The concept is 'every other one', no matter what it is called.

    If you recall, XP was hugely derided when it came out. Now, they can't get people off of it.
Display more comments
React To This Article