The world has been waiting for Windows 8. And we are excited to deliver Windows 8 to the world.
Today events are happening all across the globe to celebrate tomorrow’s general availability of Windows 8.
Windows 8 represents a reimagining of Windows. It provides a personalized experience with a beautiful new user interface that puts you at the center. You get a great experience for entertainment AND creating content all on the same device, either with touch or with a mouse and keyboard. No compromise.
Windows 8 comes to life through a range of exciting new apps available through the grand opening of the Windows Store and new hardware from our OEM partners.
Onstage at a special event with press in New York earlier this morning, we showed off Windows 8 including some of our favorite new apps and hardware.
The Windows Store makes it super easy to discover, buy and install new apps in Windows 8. Friday , when Windows 8 becomes available – customers will find lots of interesting new third party apps in the Windows Store to install such as Evernote, LivingSocial, Cocktail Flow, Hulu, Wikipedia and Urbanspoon to name a few. Many apps from the Windows Store are free to try before you make a purchase and Windows 8 allows you to try and then remove any app without leaving a trace.
When we reimagined Windows, we also reimagined the PC experience from the ground up – and we are excited to have over 1,000 Windows 8 certified devices that will be in market beginning tomorrow. There is a Windows device for everyone. Our OEM partners are introducing a variety of new form factors. And at our press event today we showed off examples of from many of those form factors: beautiful tablets running Windows RT with instant on and extra-long battery life like the Asus Vivo Tab RT and our own Microsoft Surface, compact, touch-enabled x86 tablets like the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 to convertible PCs that switch effortlessly between PC and tablet like the Dell XPS 12, to thin & light Ultrabooks like the ASUS UX31 Touch, the Sony VAIO Duo 11 or Acer Aspire S7-191 to large, powerful all-in-one PCs with high-definition screens like the Dell XPS One 27”, the HP Envy 23 TouchSmart or Samsung Series 7. And you’ll catch many of these devices and PCs in our new ads.
If you missed our live webcast of our press event from New York this morning, you’ll be able to watch it on-demand here at the Microsoft News Center.
We will continue to celebrate the impending availability of Windows 8 today here in New York with a variety of activities leading up to midnight. Starting at 9:30pm (EST), several our OEM partners will be giving New Yorkers and visitors alike a chance to get hands on with their new Windows 8 hardware in Times Square. And the first Microsoft Holiday Store will also open at Times Square at midnight (EST). And don’t miss Times Square where Windows 8 will be featured on over 39 digital boards in the largest takeover of Times Square to date! We’ll be tweeting from Times Square all evening and posting photos so be sure to follow @Windows for all the latest!
Also here in New York at Pier 57 is an immersive and interactive 160-foot “mini” Manhattan – called Microtropolis – where the neighborhoods are represented through Windows 8 touch-enabled PCs and devices. New Yorkers can stop by and walk right into the experience through the avenues and streets. Hundreds of devices are scattered along the rooftops within the neighborhoods. We partnered with local artists, chefs, designers and other notable New Yorkers to curate their respective neighborhood experiences within the Windows 8 for all the devices within Microtropolis. This unique experience illustrates how Windows 8 can be personalized with all the things that are important to you. For more details on Microtropolis, see this post from Kristina Libby from earlier this week.
Our launch activity is truly global. We’ll be sharing photos and video from New York and many of the Windows 8 launch events from around the world (including Microsoft’s campus in Redmond) through our Windows Facebook page and our Windows YouTube channel.
In 140 countries, people will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for $39.99 (U.S.) online at Windows.com in 37 supported languages and 23 supported currencies starting 12:01 am October 26thmarket-by-market. You can also stop by your local retailer to pick up a Windows 8 upgrade, including special pricing on a Windows 8 Pro upgrade.
If you purchased a Windows 7 PC between June 2nd, 2012, and January 31st, 2013, you can register for the Windows Upgrade Offer where you can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for just $14.99 (U.S.). Those of you who have already registered for the Windows Upgrade Offer, you will be able to redeem your upgrade. Our OEM partners are also bringing new Windows 8 PCs and devices to market and are available for purchase in stores and online starting tomorrow. If you pre-ordered a Windows 8 PC or device, those pre-orders will start shipping if they haven’t already!
Also starting tomorrow, we are excited to have various retailers across the world announcing new Windows 8 offers for their customers. Below you will find a list of offers from retailers here in the U.S.:
Staples:
- Tablet Trade-in and Trade Up Offer – Consumers can trade in a working old tablet, buy a new Windows 8 tablet and receive up to a $250 Visa Giftcard. Available In-Store and Online 10/26/12 – 12/24/12. Customers must register their tablet herewithin 14 days of purchasing their new Windows 8 tablet at Staples. Customers will receive a prepaid label in the mail to ship back the old tablet.
- Buy a new Windows 8 device and get Free PC Start-Up, Free Training and Free Support.
- Buy a new Windows 8 device regularly $699 or more, and receive Free PC Start-Up, Free Training and Free Support and Free Data Transfer.
- For more information the Windows 8 offers, click here.
Best Buy:
- PC Home Makeover – includes Samsung Series 5 laptop, Samsung Series 5 Touch Screen All-In-One, Samsung Series 5 Touch Screen Ultrabook, 1 year Geek Squad Support, 1 year Kaspersky Antivirus and PC Data Transfer for $1,999. Available Online and in-store beginning 10/26, while supplies last.
- Buy 2 Samsung Touch LTs and 1 Samsung AIO, save $600 ($2,599 down to $1,999).
- Trade In/Trade Up– Bring in a working laptop (any PC as long as it can power on) and get at least $100 towards a new Intel-Inspired Ultrabook.
- For more information on the Windows 8 offers, click here.
The global list of retail offers can be found here.
We are very excited to bring Windows 8 to market and into your hands. For more on Windows 8, visit the brand new Windows.com!