Windows 8.1 Device's Price Drop by $100 if XP Users Upgrade

By Vincent Funaro, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Device's running Windows 8.1 will see a $100 price drop for users who upgrade to them from a XP computer.

Microsoft is now offering a special promotion at its online store and retail shops that will discount any PC in the price range of $599 to $2,299 by $100. This deal will be available until June 15 and is part of Microsoft's plan to get the last remaining users of Windows XP off the older system before the April 8 end of life date. After that date, Microsoft will no longer issue security updates to address viruses and other exploits to the OS.

Windows XP is currently being used by 30 percent of Windows users, however, many of them are said to be PCs from China and the enterprise space. Windows 8 accounts for 8 percent of the market share.

The Windows 8.1 update made its debut at the Computex 2013 technology show.

The new software brings back some Window users favorites such as the classic Start button found on many builds of the system. It also features some improvements to the touchscreen keyboard, optimization for cheaper tablets smaller than 10 and 11 inches, and the ability to view multiple apps on the same screen.

"With Windows 8.1 we bring new management capabilities and great advancements in security and mobility," said Windows chief finance and marketing officer Tami Reller. "It has been made better through customer feedback."

A Microsoft spokesperson recently elaborated on what apps would have to be re-installed once the 8.1 update is downloaded. For Windows RT devices, all Windows Store and Metro-Style apps will have to be re-installed and for x86-based users, testers will need to reinstall both their Windows Store, Metro-Style and Desktop apps.