It’s been known for a while that Microsoft will offer Windows 10 as a free upgrade to Windows 7/8.1 users, but the company has kept tight-lips on how much will cost the new operating system for those looking a retail version.
Today, the company has finally spoken and has said that Windows 10 Home will be priced at $119, while Windows 10 Pro will be priced at $199. The pricing is for the retail full version of the operating system, if you have a previous version of the operating system and you didn’t take advantage of the free upgrade program, then the upgrade version of Windows 10 Home and Pro will cost $99.
According to a new report from Neowin, the company issued the following statement:
Keeping that there is a free upgrade program, which will last from July 29, 2015, until July 29, 2016. During this time, Windows 7 (SP1) and Windows 8.1 with update machines can upgrade free to Windows 10.
The easiest way to get Windows 10 is to upgrade for free. You may also purchase a copy of Windows 10 if you decide not to upgrade, or if you need to purchase a copy for other reasons like installing on a PC you built yourself. The suggested retail prices for Windows 10 in the U.S. are the same as Windows 8.1.
Windows 10 Home has an estimated retail price of $119. Windows 10 Pro has an estimated retail price of $199. And Windows 10 Pro Pack, which enables you to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro has an estimated retail price of $99. All these are available in stores or online.
Recently, the online retailer, Newegg, listed Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro at $109.99 and $149.99, but it’s worth noting that these are the prices for the OEM version, which are a different type of licensing offered in with the retail version.
This is one of the biggest launch for Microsoft, as the company is trying to reach the 1 billion installs of Windows 10 through the course on the next three years, and to reach such number the software maker has to sell a lot of new devices and make sure every Windows 7 and Windows 8 machine gets upgraded to the latest software. Offering the upgrade for free to existing users is what Microsoft hopes will speed up the adoption of the new operating system.
