Microsoft Reveals Windows 8 OEM Licensing Prices

[exfileme]

Supply chain sources have spilled the goods on licensing fees for Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT.

Microsoft Reveals Windows 8 OEM Licensing Prices : Read more

 

[CaedenV]

... Win8 Pro AND Office? not a bad deal at all considering most products pack Home without office.

 

[bourgeoisdude]

"Earlier reports indicated Microsoft would charge at least $85 per device in licensing fees for Windows RT, but it's possible Microsoft lowered the price so that market prices for ARM-based Windows products don't surpass Apple's iPad pricing."

Or the earlier reports were simply wrong, it would make absolutely no sense at all to raise prices for OEM licensing with this version of windows with so much market share at stake.

 

[DRosencraft]

Pricing doesn't seem terrible for any OEM looking to bundle both Win8 and Office '13, considering what the retail price would likely be getting them separate.

 

[Osmin]

Windows 8 definitely needs a touch screen to succeed. The Metro interface with a mouse or touch pad is cumbersome to use. Until my ultra book or desktop gets a touch screen, its either Windows 7 or Mountain Lion on all my computers. Don’t force feed Metro down my throat until I am ready.

 

[festerovic]

They are going to have to give it away to get it to be a success. The smell of doom is in the air.

 

[dimar]

My screen doesn't like it when I touch it

 

[waethorn]

[citation][nom]bourgeoisdude[/nom]"Earlier reports indicated Microsoft would charge at least $85 per device in licensing fees for Windows RT, but it's possible Microsoft lowered the price so that market prices for ARM-based Windows products don't surpass Apple's iPad pricing."Or the earlier reports were simply wrong, it would make absolutely no sense at all to raise prices for OEM licensing with this version of windows with so much market share at stake.[/citation]


You have to read one thing to know this isn't official, if you didn't already remember the false Window RT pricing quote from before that all the bloggers followed: "Unnamed Taiwan-based notebook supply chain makers are reporting".

Ya, so I'm an unnamed Chinese ODM and I say that Microsoft is charging 4 gold shillings and a parrot for Windows 8.

See how that works?

In any case, what Microsoft charges OEM's is NOT what you're going to be able to buy System Builder software for. System Builder software is sold through distribution. Big OEM's buy directly from Microsoft, and they DON'T get individual media kits, COA's or documentation like you get from distribution. Those OEM's have to print their own COA's and issue their own recovery mechanism, be it a partition or DVD, so they get the licenses for a lower cost. They also have minimum order purchase commitments which standard distributors do not. Distributors don't have system builder SKU's yet, so take all of this with a grain of salt. Microsoft has never historically issued pricing for system builder SKU's before RTM either.

 

[blazorthon]

[citation][nom]Osmin[/nom]Windows 8 definitely needs a touch screen to succeed. The Metro interface with a mouse or touch pad is cumbersome to use. Until my ultra book or desktop gets a touch screen, its either Windows 7 or Mountain Lion on all my computers. Don’t force feed Metro down my throat until I am ready.[/citation]

If you don't like Metro, then don't use it. Windows 8 doesn't mean that you must extensively use Metro. There is a desktop shell and a start menu is easy, quick, and free to install. ViStart/ViOrb or Classic shell and you're good to go. Yes, they work with the latest version of Windows 8 and will work with the RTM version too.

 

[sabarjp]

All I read was that OEMS, instead of finally shipping laptop screens with non-crap displays, will be adding worthless touch instead.

I swear it feels like the resolution of laptop screens is getting worse with time.

 

[super d spamalot]

[citation][nom]Osmin[/nom]Windows 8 definitely needs a touch screen to succeed. The Metro interface with a mouse or touch pad is cumbersome to use. Until my ultra book or desktop gets a touch screen, its either Windows 7 or Mountain Lion on all my computers. Don’t force feed Metro down my throat until I am ready.[/citation]

No, it doesn't. Unless you're saying that using the mouse wheel to scroll and the left button to click on things is "Cumbersome", in which case you must hate every GUI in existance. Windows 7 -> Winkey, mouseover, click. Windows 8 -> Winkey, scroll wheel, click. Doesn't seem like a radical departure to me...

And nobody is forcing you to use anything, stop being so overly melodramatic just because you don't want to admit that you're too inept to adapt quickly to a new UI. As I've said here before, give it 2 years and you and all the other haters will be saying it's the best Windows yet, just like the bandwagon hated XP because it was too different from '98.

 

[teh_chem]

[citation][nom]blazorthon[/nom]If you don't like Metro, then don't use it. Windows 8 doesn't mean that you must extensively use Metro. There is a desktop shell and a start menu is easy, quick, and free to install. ViStart/ViOrb or Classic shell and you're good to go. Yes, they work with the latest version of Windows 8 and will work with the RTM version too.[/citation]
I thought MS was actively removing code from Win8 in order to remove the ability entirely to use/have the start menu. No?

 

[blazorthon]

[citation][nom]teh_chem[/nom]I thought MS was actively removing code from Win8 in order to remove the ability entirely to use/have the start menu. No?[/citation]

That's why you're installing a new one with those programs instead of trying to re-enable MS's start menu which MS is getting rid of completely anyway.

 

[JOSHSKORN]

After seeing Windows 8, they probably SHOULD throw in Office 2013. Just one problem, I wouldn't know how to START Office 2013.

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]blazorthon[/nom]If you don't like Metro, then don't use it. Windows 8 doesn't mean that you must extensively use Metro. There is a desktop shell and a start menu is easy, quick, and free to install. ViStart/ViOrb or Classic shell and you're good to go.[/citation] Then why bother?
A) you cannot use Windows 8 without metro, they are tied together and bounce you back and forth. How are you going to get to any application that is NOT pinned to your desktop or taskbar?

B) Why hide the start button?

C) You really expect people to go out and look for these ADD-ON fixes? Why the Frack should I or anyone else be required to go out, vet some add-on (which MS may also disable for all we know) to fix a broken Operating System that WE spent money on?

In my experiences... people don't DO much in the way of ADD-ONs for standard software. That includes games, consoles, Operating Systems. Look at the strong number of people who use IE for a browser because its there. How about the game Unreal Tournament 3? Out the door, a fairly crappy game. Onces it all patched up, RE-ADD the disabled Vehicle Zoom and add about 50+ good maps, its a damn good game. But looking on line, no servers are running such patches and maps which would make a HUGE difference. Its too much hassle.

I expect and hope that Windows8 blows up in microsoft's face big time. I will go Linux before I go Windows8. After trying out Windows8 on a test computer, I downloaded LinuxMint, its price = $0. And it makes MORE sense in usage than Windows 8!

 

[belardo]

Charging for Office? For a while, Microsoft has been allowing vendors to install "Office 2010 Starter" for free. Its an AD-based Office-Home edition. No Outlook, and mostly functional version of Office 2010. Its a good deal.

Very few people are going to spend $500~600 for a WART (Windows Arm RT) tablet which has almost no Apps and cannot run Windows x86 software that also has less stats than the iPad3 for the same price.

 

[blazorthon]

[citation][nom]belardo[/nom]Then why bother?A) you cannot use Windows 8 without metro, they are tied together and bounce you back and forth. How are you going to get to any application that is NOT pinned to your desktop or taskbar?B) Why hide the start button?C) You really expect people to go out and look for these ADD-ON fixes? Why the Frack should I or anyone else be required to go out, vet some add-on (which MS may also disable for all we know) to fix a broken Operating System that WE spent money on?In my experiences... people don't DO much in the way of ADD-ONs for standard software. That includes games, consoles, Operating Systems. Look at the strong number of people who use IE for a browser because its there. How about the game Unreal Tournament 3? Out the door, a fairly crappy game. Onces it all patched up, RE-ADD the disabled Vehicle Zoom and add about 50+ good maps, its a damn good game. But looking on line, no servers are running such patches and maps which would make a HUGE difference. Its too much hassle.I expect and hope that Windows8 blows up in microsoft's face big time. I will go Linux before I go Windows8. After trying out Windows8 on a test computer, I downloaded LinuxMint, its price = $0. And it makes MORE sense in usage than Windows 8![/citation]

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Shell-Replacements/ViStart.shtml
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Shell-Replacements/ViOrb.shtml
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Shell-Replacements/Classic-Shell.shtml

No need to spend the ten seconds it takes to look for them because now they're right here in front of you.

A) Metro is only needed to log in and even then, there might be workarounds for that. Just install one of the above start menu suits (ViStart/ViOrb or Classic Shell or one of the several others) and you'll never need to use Metro except for logging in and clicking on the desktop shell. Even then, Metro can be customized to be far more useful than many of you people give it credit for. It does not need a touch screen to be useful like the hype suggests. If you've used it then you should know that.

B) The start button isn't hidden if you use these programs.

C) If people are too lazy to spend a few seconds to download a fix and then a few more to install it (if it takes you even five minutes to do this, then you either have a crap dial-up internet connection, a crap computer, you don't care about how long it takes, you're an idiot, or any combination of them), then I worry about the future of humanity. Notice how IE's market share just keeps going down and down. Most people who still use it regularly instead of superior browsers either don't give a crap, use it so lightly that the difference is hard to notice, or their computer illiterate people who don't know any better.

I too prefer Linux in many cases, but I won't pretend that Windows 8 is as bad as it is made out to be just because some other over-reacting people saw something that looked different from their usually stuff and freaked out over it and started spreading hype and other such crap.

 

[waethorn]

[citation][nom]belardo[/nom]Charging for Office? For a while, Microsoft has been allowing vendors to install "Office 2010 Starter" for free. Its an AD-based Office-Home edition. No Outlook, and mostly functional version of Office 2010. Its a good deal.Very few people are going to spend $500~600 for a WART (Windows Arm RT) tablet which has almost no Apps and cannot run Windows x86 software that also has less stats than the iPad3 for the same price.[/citation]

You can't install Office Starter 2010 on Windows 8 directly due to compatibility issues with the App-V components in the package. Upgraders will need a hotfix to rectify this, but they are killing Office Starter 2010 for new PC's. They are already telling OEM's and System Builders to install a new Office OPK that substitutes Office Starter with an Office trial. Seems they didn't like the idea that if given something for free, people will use it instead of paying for the full version of Office. They are going to be updating the Office Web Apps on SkyDrive to replace Office Starter as the "free" productivity package, probably because they can get better ad revenue by using online services instead of installed software. The first update will bring more features that will put the Web Apps more in-line (but not completely) with Office Starter. Eventually when Office 2013 ships, the web apps will be updated again to match the standard software and will include the Cosmopolitan theme (that's what they call the Metro-like theme for desktop apps that Office 2013 will share).

 

[Guest]

Windows Store software cannot be pirated. This will make the RT version much, much less popular than the Pro.

 

[pedro_mann]

[citation][nom]blazorthon[/nom]That's why you're installing a new one with those programs instead of trying to re-enable MS's start menu which MS is getting rid of completely anyway.[/citation]
So much for standardization.

 

[kartu]

Considering PCs don't cost much more than 10" Tablets, be glad, that Microsoft has failed to get much traction on mobile market.

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]blazorthon[/nom]No need to spend the ten seconds it takes to look for them because now they're right here in front of you.A)blah blah blah[/citation]
You ARE NOT GETTING IT! I know about the start menu replacements. Does this mean HP, Dell and whoever are going to install it on THEIR computers? Will there be a sticker, a flyer or some sort of tool or notice to tell people such tools like these are OUT there?

Your typical human is going to buy the shit-Windows8 PC, not know how to use it, get sick of it - take it back for a refund. What, is there some tech at Walmart of Bestbuy that is going to show them HOW to do it? Much less do it for them for free?!

Mentality of the consumer: Why the hell should I go out of my way to fix a broken product?! Such half-ass shit like the Playbook and the Touchpad is what resulted in their failures. People want their electronics to work out of the box, not fix them.

 

[three0duster]

Easy Fix to solve the Win 8 problem. I present to you, Windows 7! Windows 8 is so lame , I would consider it an embarrassment to release such garbage. I, like so many others, foresee it to be just like Vista.

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]waethorn[/nom]You can't install Office Starter 2010 on Windows 8 directly due to compatibility issues with the App-V components in the package.[/citation]
My post about office2010 and Windows7 has nothing to do with Windows8. it was an example of how MS gives the ability of the OEMs to include a functional MS-Office suite which costs them nothing.

Sad to see it go... its free and good enough for home use. Understandably, MS would rather make the $100 or so per home licence... than count on ads and hope the user eventually buys it.


I set up a few low-end name-brand PCs for some clients (I build only high end) and they would have bought Office2010. So instead, they used the Starter. I was going to install Libreoffice on one of them...

So when they kill off starter, I'll just go back to LibreOffice. Its up to them if they want or need a MSOffice. Makes little difference to me. What worries me more is the availability of Windows7 after the crappy Win8 hits the market. I cannot sell a sub-standard Win8PC to anyone.

 

[belardo]

[citation][nom]three0duster[/nom]Easy Fix to solve the Win 8 problem. I present to you, Windows 7! Windows 8 is so lame , I would consider it an embarrassment to release such garbage. I, like so many others, foresee it to be just like Vista.[/citation] Your solution is only VALID *IF* microsoft continues to sell Windows7 retail and OEM versions. If all you can buy is Windows8 in 2013... what WILL you do?

Your choices: pirate Windows 7 or whatever is left that is horded.... or go Linux.

On Amazon... I see opened and sealed WindowsXP going for $100~300! I sold some of my extra OEM XPs (I stocked up during Vista) online... sold them at costs.