Worldwide upgrade offer on Windows 8

Microsoft has announced a Windows 8 upgrade programme for customers who purchase a Windows 7-based PC until next February.

The worldwide offer, which was launched last week in 131 markets, allows consumers who buy a Windows PC pre-installed with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate, to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for a nominal charge.

To be eligible for the upgrade, users must purchase a new Windows 7 PC, must register online, and purchase a download of Windows 8 Pro on the day it becomes generally available.

Windows 8 is a totally re­invented operating system that seeks to enhance user experience further. Featuring the Metro interface that is designed for touchscreen input similar to that in Windows Phone and on the Xbox 360, Windows 8 was first released as as a consumer review last February and has since been downloaded more than a million times.

The main feature of Windows 8 is Microsoft’s newly employed user interface Metro design, a new tile-based Start screen similar to the Windows Phone operating system where each tile represents an application, and at the same time displaying relevant information such as the number of unread messages on the tile for an e-mail app or the current temperature on a weather application.

A wide array of other features include the inclusion of Internet Explorer 10 as a Metro-style application, the ability to sign in using a Microsoft account, allowing for the user’s profile and settings to be synchronised over the internet and accessible from other computers running Windows 8, as well as integration with SkyDrive.

Information is available at www.windowsupgradeoffer.com.