Microsoft opened its Windows 8 operating system for pre-orders on Friday, with a promotion price for an upgrade to the full version of the software at $US70 ($A68) for a DVD pack.
Users can also wait for launch on October 26 to download the system onto their computers for $US40, an offer price that will expire at the end of January. PCs running Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 will be able to upgrade to Windows 8.
The boxed edition of the Windows 8 Pro upgrade will jump to $US200 after the promotion - the same price as the Windows 7 Professional upgrade DVD.
The software pack is currently available for pre-order in the US at Microsoft's own stores, Amazon.com, Best Buy, Staples and elsewhere. Microsoft has not yet announced the price of the full software to install from scratch, as opposed to the upgrade. It had not announced Australian availability at the time of writing.
Any customer who buys, or already bought, a Windows 7 PC between June 2 and the end of January 2013 will be able to get an upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $US15, a move designed to prevent a drop-off in PC sales before the launch of Windows 8.
Microsoft also said PC makers such as Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Samsung and Sony were also now taking pre-orders for machines with Windows 8 pre-installed.
The world's largest software company did not mention its own Surface tablet PC, which is expected on the market at the same time as Windows 8. Microsoft has not revealed the price of the product it hopes will challenge Apple's iPad.
-1.jpg&w=100&c=1&s=0)
.png&w=100&c=1&s=0)
