Microsoft announced a free upgrade to their WIndows 10 for 'selected' machines. Will this qualify? Otherwise, might as well wait for the new OS
1693602
It looks that way: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873214/windows-10-will-be-a-free-upgrade-for-windows-7-and-8-users.html
85083
Hi Ted, Not sure on this one. In the past there has been upgrade pricing, however I have not seen it on the last release. I think Microsoft is slowly adopting a just pay the price policy. I used to wait and buy the older version when the next one was coming out to just pay the upgrade price, but I think they have caught on! John
1860957
Microsoft has an "upgrade" that is free - Windows 8.1. It makes the W8 a bit more like W7, but not entirely. W8/8.1 takes some getting used to but it isn't too bad. If you get a touch screen laptop (this one is not touch screen) it might be a bit easier to get accustom to.
1406065
Can one simply upgrade the Windows 7 Home Edition to Windows 7 professional on this machine?
858519
I called Amazon and they could not verify that the free upgrade would be included. I also called Toshiba and I was told that units meeting certain requirements and manufactured after March of this year are eligible (what ever that means since we can't verify that information). Although I did not get a "guarantee" of any kind, I bought the Toshiba Satellite A505-S6973 anyway. Fortunately, it arrived with instructions on how to receive the free upgrade to Windows 7. I chose the online option to request the upgrade. The Windows 7 upgrade does cost about $12 for tax, shipping, handling. So not exactly free, but almost. They do require a copy of your proof of purchase that you can scan and attach to your online request or it can be faxed or mailed separate from you online request. Hope this helps.
1416779
Unfortunately, the computer comes with free trials for Microsoft & some other software. My wife & I bought & downloaded it through Microsoft directly. It runs great on the computer !
480156
No it is a free upgrade. Windows 7 is still preferred in most corporate environments and Win 8 offers few benefits if you don't have a touch screen so they are giving you the option to upgrade in the future. It is a no strings attached deal.
523769
It does not require a previous installation of Windows. It is not merely an upgrade, but a complete install. (I used mine to install a virtual machine of Windows using Parallels Desktop.)
1403019
Yes. But even if it has windows 8, the device should prompt you upgrade to 8.1 for free during update. Mine has windows 8.1
189192
Maybe you can, but why, windows 10 will be free in the near future and would be easier to upgrade and save you money in long run.
870471
Not sure about the RAM, I'd have to check. Should be able to upgrade the OS though. It comes with Win8.1, and win 10 tech preview looks to be built from the same inner workings.
2265573
win 8 not pro and does upgrade to 8.1 free. You have to do updates to win 8 before it can do the upgrade to 8.1
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It comes with Windows 8 and you can get a free update to 8.1. Honestly I wasn't all that crazy about Win 8, BUT once I got it, it didn't take that long to get used to it, and with a few tweaks, you can make it work more like Win 7 or before, there is a free program called Classic Shell http://www.classicshell.net/ that works great for making Win 8 look and work more like previous versions. The biggest issue is not having a start button on the desktop, and loading up in the apps menu instead of the desktop, this program takes care of that.Wretha
103305
You may want to contact mfg (they were very helpful over the phone- small company) to see if there is a downgrade option. When we purchased our unit, we were able to get Win 7 but having worked in the industry Microsoft usually "forces" OEM vendors to their latest version of software.
208210
Yes, it will give you the option to upgrade from a previous Windows edition (which will let you keep all your documents and personal media) in the installation menu. You may also wipe your hardrive and make a fresh install as well.
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Yes you can use Windows 8.1, and you can also use the new Windows 10 when it is released. You do have to take into account your memory specs and processor specs as well. I would suggest having over 2GB of memory and a fairly decent processor for best experience.
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Educated guess ... Maybe. It depends on which distribution you plan on using and how new the hardware is (as to whether or not you'll be able to find drivers yet). Bored with windows already?