Microsoft is threatening to make an upgrade from XP, Vista, and Win7 to windows 8 for $39.99 as a download.

http://windowsteamblog.com/windows/b/bloggingwindows/archive/2012/07/02/upgrade-to-windows-8-pro-for-39-99.aspx


The product will include Media Center. You will need to buy your own turkey baster.

The price of the downgrade back to your earlier version has not been announced.

slartabartfast


 The price of the downgrade back to your earlier version has not been announced.

LOL. There's always a catch. Nice price though. My DAW is so stable I hate to shake things up. But $39.99 may get me to shakin'

Even if they offered to PAY ME $39.99 I wouldn't do it. I've seen the preview of W8 and I hate it with a flippin passion. The GUI looks like it was designed by Fisher-Price !!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
.

I had the beta version (and later the consumer preview) installed and was not impressed.  I don't think I'll upgrade either.

I have the consumer preview as a second boot and although I don't care for the metro style, getting to the standard desktop is one click away, so I'll upgrade.

Just like the X1 adventures when they first introduced their new UI experience.  It will take some time to get comfortable with any new experience.

Although to be fair, if your current system is working fine and you can create music  then there is no need to upgrade at this time. 

Tom

The BIGGEST reason for me to upgrade will be the improved multi-core handling...

When Sonar runs on W8 the core processing is virtually level for EACH core...

In W7 core one always takes the big hit....

This will be a tremendous improvement in keeping CORE OVERLOAD at a minimum.

That. alone, is worth the $40

Looking at that site, it does not appear to be a Microsoft site.  Also its stated you have to buy the Win 8 from a non-Microsoft site so I wonder how legitimate this is???

fireberd


Looking at that site, it does not appear to be a Microsoft site.  Also its stated you have to buy the Win 8 from a non-Microsoft site so I wonder how legitimate this is???

Look again.

The Windows Blog is Microsoft's Official Blog for the Windows Operating System.

It's the Windows Team Blog, not the Window Steam blog...

tyacko


I have the consumer preview as a second boot and although I don't care for the metro style, getting to the standard desktop is one click away, so I'll upgrade.

Just like the X1 adventures when they first introduced their new UI experience.  It will take some time to get comfortable with any new experience.

Although to be fair, if your current system is working fine and you can create music  then there is no need to upgrade at this time. 

Tom

I am using Vista and I know I am giving up performance points relative to Win7. Now Noel et al point to potentially more significant performance improvements relative to Win7 - 
http://blog.cakewalk.com/windows-8-a-benchmark-for-music-production-applications/

As much as I hate the thought of upgrading and re-installing/re-authorizing all of my plug-ins, I think it is (past) time.
The only questions are:
1) (rhetorical) Is it also time to do a hardware update to avoid the same pain in a year or two?
2) I am also wondering about the feasibility of doing the upgrade "non-clean". In the past I have only every done an OS upgrade as part of a clean system over-haul. Is it reasonable to expect that I could just upgrade (in my case from Vista) to Windows 8 without losing my current installs and authorizations?

I didn't recognize it, the "windowsteam" didn't ring a bell.