Windows 8 Pro & and $30 Amazon.com promo credit for $69.99

[foxwood]

Amazon is offering a $30 promotional credit if you order Windows 8 Pro for $69.99 before October 20th. That means that you can get the physical disc for essentially the same price as the digital download (assuming you expect to spend at least $30 on Christmas presents anyway )

I think I'll purchase this for my HTPC - it's extremely unlikely that I'll upgrade it to Windows 8 before January 8th, but I can buy this at what is effectively the promotional upgrade price, and hold off the upgrade for 6 or 9 months to see how well everyone else fares

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-3UR-000 ... B008H3SW4I

To Receive $30 Promotional Credit:

1. Purchase one of the following Windows titles from Amazon.com:

▪Microsoft Windows 8 Pro,

▪Microsoft Windows 8 Pro Pack.

2. 30 days after your item is shipped, you will receive an email with a promotional code worth $30 on Amazon.com. The next time you are shopping on Amazon.com, paste the promotional code in the Promotional Code box at checkout, and the discount will be applied at the Order Summary screen during purchase.

Terms and Conditions:

▪Only those purchases made between 6:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) October 15, 2012, and 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) October 20, 2012 are eligible to receive the $30 promotional code.

▪Credit expires February 28, 2013, at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time), or while supplies last.

▪Amazon reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time.

▪The promotion applies only to qualifying pre-orders displaying the offer message on their product information pages.

▪Applies only to products sold and shipped by Amazon.com. Does not apply to products sold by other sellers.

▪If you return a savings item, the savings value will be subtracted from your return credit.

▪The promotion is limited to one per customer.

[ben55124]

Media Center users should wait for the upgrade from Microsoft that includes a free download of Media Center. This amazon offer explicitly states "Windows Media Center license sold separately".

[foxwood]

The upgrade from Microsoft won't "include a free download of Media Center". The upgrade from Microsoft will be a Windows 8 Pro upgrade, exactly the same as in this box, and the Media Center add-on will be an additional install, but free to all Windows 8 Pro users (at least until January 31st - who knows after that!)

Amazon are also offering the "Windows 8 Pro Pack" for $69.99 which will upgrade the "home" version of Windows 8 that most new PCs will come with to Pro with Media Center. With the $30 promo credit, this deal might make more sense than trying to use the online upgrade offer if you're going to buy a new PC with Windows 8 pre-installed.

[choliscott]

I'm trying to figure out why anybody would upgrade to Windows 8 for their dedicated WMC PC, especially if MS never changed anything on it (talking Media Center, not Windows itself).

[SilverRubicon]

I'm trying to figure out why anybody would upgrade to Windows 8 for their dedicated WMC PC, especially if MS never changed anything on it (talking Media Center, not Windows itself).

I don't plan on upgrading my media center, but I will be upgrading my gaming machine. If you think you may be upgrading in the future, it's not a bad deal. Windows 8 Pro for $40. Who knows what the future holds for metro style apps as far as WMC goes. Rather than launching a plugin, maybe starting a metro style app would be an alternative. Netflix has already developed an app. Don't know if the app will support remotes, but if it does that's an improvement over the Netflix plugin.

[ben55124]

The upgrade from Microsoft won't "include a free download of Media Center".

...wrong. Win8 will be free if you upgrade from Microsoft.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/258693/o ... rade_.html

http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/blog ... 39-99.aspx

[foxwood]

The upgrade from Microsoft won't "include a free download of Media Center".

...wrong. Win8 will be free if you upgrade from Microsoft.

That's a rather bizarre claim, but presuming you mean that "Media Center will be free if you upgrade from Microsoft" you're not quite right either - Media Center will be free if you have Windows 8 Pro, whether you get it by using the download from Microsoft or not. To quote one of your own sources:

"And if you want, you can add Windows Media Center for free through the "add features" option within Windows 8 Pro after your upgrade."

In other words, the upgrade WON'T include Media Center, you have to add it (for free) after you upgrade - which is what I said in the first place.

[tommo]

I'm trying to figure out why anybody would upgrade to Windows 8 for their dedicated WMC PC, especially if MS never changed anything on it (talking Media Center, not Windows itself).

I don't plan on upgrading my media center, but I will be upgrading my gaming machine. If you think you may be upgrading in the future, it's not a bad deal. Windows 8 Pro for $40. Who knows what the future holds for metro style apps as far as WMC goes. Rather than launching a plugin, maybe starting a metro style app would be an alternative. Netflix has already developed an app. Don't know if the app will support remotes, but if it does that's an improvement over the Netflix plugin.

If there is a clean way of booting straight to media center and the tv card drivers are there i will upgrade.


I would upgrade because of the metro apps. Currently nearly all the windows media center plugins that do some kind of video streaming suck, suck to the point you have to really fiddle and mess about with things to get them working. Media Center really in 2012 kinda sucks without some form of streaming, I mean £40 bluray players have iPlayer or youtube built in.

Now with Win8 I like the idea that instead of relying on these plugins or using a plain old web browser I can have fully supported apps, which install automatically and that work well on a 10 foot UI.

It would be great if they supported remote but a little Bluetooth keyboard with track pad isn't too bad until some kind developer makes a remote control plugin.

Crystal ball time - If a company or an individual or even a community project could start making these apps as an alternative to wmc that would be great. A Live TV app with guide is really all we need as well as remote control support.

[bobbob]

I'm trying to figure out why anybody would upgrade to Windows 8 for their dedicated WMC PC, especially if MS never changed anything on it (talking Media Center, not Windows itself).

the operative word is upgrade.

[bobbob]

I'm trying to figure out why anybody would upgrade to Windows 8 for their dedicated WMC PC, especially if MS never changed anything on it (talking Media Center, not Windows itself).

I don't plan on upgrading my media center, but I will be upgrading my gaming machine. If you think you may be upgrading in the future, it's not a bad deal. Windows 8 Pro for $40. Who knows what the future holds for metro style apps as far as WMC goes. Rather than launching a plugin, maybe starting a metro style app would be an alternative. Netflix has already developed an app. Don't know if the app will support remotes, but if it does that's an improvement over the Netflix plugin.

If there is a clean way of booting straight to media center and the tv card drivers are there i will upgrade.


I would upgrade because of the metro apps. Currently nearly all the windows media center plugins that do some kind of video streaming suck, suck to the point you have to really fiddle and mess about with things to get them working. Media Center really in 2012 kinda sucks without some form of streaming, I mean £40 bluray players have iPlayer or youtube built in.

Now with Win8 I like the idea that instead of relying on these plugins or using a plain old web browser I can have fully supported apps, which install automatically and that work well on a 10 foot UI.

It would be great if they supported remote but a little Bluetooth keyboard with track pad isn't too bad until some kind developer makes a remote control plugin.

Crystal ball time - If a company or an individual or even a community project could start making these apps as an alternative to wmc that would be great. A Live TV app with guide is really all we need as well as remote control support.

tommo, how are you struggling to get either iplayer or youtube to stream to WMC? I've been using brilliant add-ins for these for several years

[tommo]

iplayer - there is an ok app however it doesn't really filter things correctly.

youtube - macrotube? that was the last one i tried, was dreadful.

[bobbob]

there was a fix to the iplayer app to correct the filtering to properly reflect the rss feeds.

macrotube could be better but it works.

either way, what you said in the previous post didn't really tally with your original comments. post the installation of macro tube where you have to replace the you tube addins i have never had "to really fiddle and mess about with things to get them working". And of course "Media Center really in 2012 kinda sucks without some form of streaming" but thats not the case