Yes you can upgrade the system but MS still requires that you have "an underlying license for a qualifying" version of Windows. That is XP, Vista or 7. How they plan to make those people upgrading from Win8 CP to Win8 confirm this is or if they even will is still unknown to me, or any other upgrade version for that matter. There is many different ways they may implement that. Windows 8 CP has not been added to the list of qualified upgrade versions. Don't confuse the two.
I am highly skeptical about your friends information on that. You may not have to read the COA, but I can't see MS giving someone that bought a new PC on one day an upgrade offer for $15 and telling someone that purchased theirs the day before that they cannot be eligible for the $40 either, no way. I will believe that when I see it in writing from MS themselves!
LOL, you can keep your hopes, I don't care. Just FYI, this is the procedure for the $15 upgrade: 1. You need to buy the win7 PC from MS appointed stores, and keep all particulars of the purchase. 2. Register at MS site before Feb. 28, 2013, providing full particulars of purchase(not just the COA). 3. Upon MS fully verified legit purchase, the user will receive MS email confirmation plus a code and full instructions for purchase/download of the upgrade. 4. Then the user can purchase/download the upgrade, the MS code will be required in this process. Edit: btw, if you read the comments section of Mr. LeBlanc's blog, many people had asked if pre-installed OEM's are eligible; Mr. LeBlanc replied other questions promptly, but seemingly avoided this question.
1) They would alienate 90 - 95% of windows users who are all potential clients 2) That would also restrict their sales ie., 90 - 95% less sales 3)They would have to enforce separate upgrade rules for different programs, that or tell every OEM user that they all have to purchase the "system builder" version, that goes 100% against their competitive upgrade pricing. They would probably even need different media for each upgrade program so they could enforce different rules for everyone based on how they originally got their previous version of Windows! 4) That goes 100% against their past practices, they have never treated an OEM version as inferior, never that I recall. I think you better ask your "friend" why he was pulling your leg and starting bad rumors, lol Ps., Yes I understand the $15 upgrade program, exactly the same as last time, I believe the price changed is the only difference, what would make you possibly believe their upgrade policy would change so drastically for everyone else? If this were to possibly turn out to be true, I have never owned any Apple product, not even an MP3 player, I will go out buy an iphone, ipad and ibook pro or whatever they are called on Windows 8 launch day, take a picture and post that and the reciept here on this site as proof...
Me either, that is why I keep referring to your friend. I just cannot fathom Microsoft doing such a crazy thing, but history does show...... Btw, I do mean that Apple thing, If Microsoft were to abandon everyone that bought a Windows PC I would do that - and try to make it as public as possible. I really have never owned any apple product, not that I don't like them, I do not like their business practices. really sorry, I did not mean for this to be confrontational, it would be just crazy...
MS's 40 buck upgrade is targeted at XP users, in Jul it still takes a 45% U.S. market share, MS just wouldn't want these people to use other products. Just a rumor(yes, this time it is a rumor), OEM's will do something for those with XP OEM-preinstalled machines, I have no idea/info on this one.
But a very large percentage of them are oem users, as you say this is their last chance to get them to stay with Windows. OEM users and corporations probably make up 98% of that targeted group and most of those corporations use OEM licensed machines... It would be suicide for MS to do such a thing. I can't stop them from committing corporate suicide, it is their choice. I do not have any shares, lol. But if they don't convince that large group to upgrade to Win8 then their options once the support for XP ends are wide open. Hey, let me start up a good Linux flavour that looks and feels like XP and runs XP software. I'll do great. I don't think it is a particularly great time for both that and such a big change to the UI either. but that is just another reason that MS NEEDS great publicity and very large adoption rates for this new operating system. Send your friend a link here and tell him to think about it... Right now, MS cannot afford to bring in mediocre sales at launch. Anyone that reads this must agree. It would make absolutely no sense for them to target such a small minority of users with this promotion. It is critical that they crush Apple's numbers with this release coming on the heels of Apple showing fantastic numbers with sales going through the roof, especially in phones and tablets.. MS needs to turn the trend, that is why they are making such big changes, taking big risks, producing their own tablets, they know..
My friend is MS Taiwan, I think they have their own ideas. Maybe you can try with Jim in winunleaked, he is Redmond and has better chance to talk with Mr. LeBlanc.
Oh well. I am going to leave this alone. I think I said about all I can. Hey I will come back and look you up once we hear any announcements, goodnight and best wishes.
Yeah, sure, since Microsoft is still using OA2.2, we can get SLP2.2 keys and download the iso ourselves and upgrade for free!
If that's the case, I could live with that. I've used Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2 as workstation OS's on my working machines at home with no problems at all. I like the Server versions a little better due to that it's less bloated. And if it's really really the case, Server 2012 should be easy to configure for games and such just like 2008 and R2. But I feel confident in this whole Windows 8 activation thing, it will work out somehow, some way.