Windows 8 Pro Upgrade 32/64 Bit (Product Key Card) - w / Free Updates to 8.1 Pro

I was left with no choice but upgrade after Vista stubbornly refused to let me install any new software. I was a little nervous about the process as I am no expert and when faced with a complicated computer problem prefer to throw the offending machine than carefully sitting down and diagnosing the issue.So I'm delighted to report that this upgrade was pain free, simply followed the link to Microsoft website clicked accept and yes whenever asked and everything worked as it should.Yes it takes a long time, about two hours for each step (first to download and install 8.0 and second step to upgrade to 8.1) but the computer quietly sits there in the background doing it's thing you are free to do whatever you like.It's also true all you get with this order is a product key on a piece of card, no CD or box (I suppose that could be an issue if you need to install on a non-active PC but if it's an upgrade no issue?)Do I like windows 8... no not yet, so far the only good thing I can find is it loads very quickly but I knew that already and I'm looking forward to Windows 10 which from what I read will be a big step forward and a free upgrade from 8.1 so win/win all round.

I have successfully upgraded my PC from Vista Ultimate to Windows 8.1 Pro, via this upgrade and I love Win 8.1 - it's great being able to download apps as I do on my phone and iPad, and the new interface problems are largely solved with 8.1, especially if you use a tablet and smart phone so have a feeling for how this kind of interface works. Win 8, however, is frustrating so definitely upgrade asap to 8.1 for a much improved experience (hence the 4 not 5 stars).The upgrade from Vista Ultimate was actually straightforward. From internet articles I was expecting to have to create an iso disc and do a clean install from external media, but in fact 8 Pro upgraded perfectly over Vista Ultimate via the installer, which was lucky as it wouldn't copy the iso to my PC or any attached media. I needed to install a number of updates to Win 8 before the Win 8.1 upgrade would download so I got some laundry done while I waited. There's no doubt that installing Win 8.1 via a Win 8 product key card is more time consuming than getting a Win 8.1 DVD, presumably that explains the price difference. However, if you've got a bit of time and enjoy playing with computers, this is a perfectly acceptable upgrade route.

I've got two XP disks in my desktop Dell, so I thought I'd sacrifice the lesser used of the two to get to know Microsoft's latest OS (until next year when Windows 10 appears). The price is irresistibly good for the Pro version.The whole process takes a very long time - mine was complicated by the constant restarts which booted into the XP disk (despite changes to the boot.ini file and the fact that I have a Linux partition). If I did it again, I'd disconnect the disk I wanted to keep. There were no hiccups that didn't relate to my configuration and the main XP disk survived unchanged.In fact Windows 8.1 saved me a lot of time & effort recently. The first XP disk had been working perfectly after the 8.1 update to the second disk, but, suddenly, I couldn't boot in, not even in safe mode. Changed the boot order and fired up 8.1. Immediately Windows 8.1 flagged up the fact that the other (XP) disk was corrupt and set about repairing it! It's 2Tb and almost full, so the process wasn't quick but it was successful and, up to now, both disks are working OK.The downside of the update is the huge number of broken programs. Most can be corrected by reinstalling but all of the GAOD programs have lost their registrations. Never mind; if I really need them, I'll find freeware alternatives or pay for the commercial originals, but I don't use any of them enough to be attached to them.Where I missed the simplicity of XP, I found freeware workarounds and still managed to enjoy the new features of Windows 8.1.Just one thought occurs: My Dell sounds a bit overworked (sometimes a lot) and I wonder if I could transfer the licence to a new machine when this one wheezes it's last. Anyone know the answer?

Not a lot to say about this as it speaks for it self, but be warned upgrading windows 8 is not always going to be simple, I was upgrading from Vista and should of been straightforward but it tools weeks to getting this going smoothly, as there is issues with freezing, knocking me off my Xbox live, weird yes! Mouse freezing, and it goes on. I hope for many it's easy but I thing it all depends on what you have installed on the computer, as windows 8 does not like old drivers, so just be aware that you may get problems. But I am a massive fan of windows 8 and find it consumer friendly and a lot easier than previous versions, think it is well underrated. I have knocked of 2 stars not because of product but because of lack of communication fro seller, they replied straight away when first wrote, then totally ignored me, and I am a believer of a good seller always looking after the buyer, so not happy being ignored, and so minus 2 stars.

Nightmare! I bought this hoping for a smooth upgrade from Windows XP and received a tin package with instructions to access the Microsoft Windows site , follow the download instructions. After typing in the unique 25 character registration code .It took over 5 hours to install but has not worked properly despite numerous attempts to scan the system for errors or file corruptions and despite expert remote help from I Yogi technicians ( very helpful ) still no joy .It has been suggested to me for a smooth installation one needs an installation disc which has not been provided .So now I have a part working Windows 8 with a start up menu full of tiles such as photos , windows store , calendar , news etc . Not one of which works !buyer beware !!

A faster Windows than Windows, if you will. I find Windows 8 boots and runs very quickly. It is also rock stable. I did find Metro to be useful on occasion, but decided that I wanted the day to day desktop experience and start button back. So rather than crap all over the OS with low ratings, I went out and spent less than 10 bucks on three applications from StarDock -- Start8 to get a better start button than Windows 7, ModernMix -- to allow me to have Metro apps in windows on the desktop (because some of the apps are better than the Windows 7 versions, for example Kindle and Skype), and Fences -- to perfectly organize my desktop. Once you do that, Windows 8 is a great experience. I wish more people would just do that rather than pounding the OS unfairly. Note that Windows 8.1 will fix most of these natively, although I will bet that StarDock will still do it better.

Al tener un precio relativamente "barato" lo pedí y todo ello con intención de instalarlo en un PC algo antiguo. Pero no me gusta windows 8, me parece mucho mejor windows 7 en su versión de 64b.Sobre otros aspectos decir que solamente deja instalarse cargándote todo lo que tienes salvo los archivos personales, que es como decir nada, porque lo lógico es tener copia de seguridad externa.Por cierto w7-64b se puede conseguir por 20 € y tenerlo instalado sobre la marcha, todo ello por internet.La atención de amazon buena, el producto que venden malo.

For full disclosure I use a lot of Microsoft Products (HTC Trophy, Outlook.com, Office, Bing) and was a huge fan of Windows 7, so I didn't upgrade without trepidation. Additionally, I chose to update my Asus Eee Slate, which has a penabled touch screen and several Bluetooth accessories I use with it (keyboard, mouse, headphones). I am also fairly competent with computers. Overall my experience has been very favorable even if it took a little getting used to. I do not have a track pad like most laptops so I cannot comment on use with these systems, but a traditional mouse and keyboard allow the OS to be very functional even without using the touch screen. I find that when I am using mouse and keyboard, I am not reaching for the screen at all.SOFTWAREThe big difference is the loss of the traditional start menu which is now replaced with the start screen. After about a week's use, I have come to understand the difference between the two types of apps. There are traditional Windows desktop apps which you can port over from any version of Windows (I have been using Adobe Design Studios, Office 2010, and others) with only a minor difficulty syncing my phone in the old Zune app. If you are trying to do this last part, you have to make the software forget your phone to let it sync again.In addition to the traditional applications are more touchscreen friendly apps designed to run in full screen or snapped mode only. Because of my screen resolution, I cannot use the snap function, but it basically lets you use two "apps" on the screen simultaneously. These apps are a bit simpler than their desktop countertops, typically performing a simple function. I like the people, messenger, email, music, and news apps that come preinstalled. The music app was able to sync my old zune music into the new xbox music service. I'm hoping at some point to be able to no longer need the old zune software, which is a possibility when the phone software gets updated.USE:The touch screen use is very intuitive and easy to learn. Slide from screen left to switch apps (like alt+tab), if you pause and slide back to the left before releasing it opens a menu where you can see all the open apps (like holding alt after pressing alt+tab). Slide from screen right to open the program menu and option to go to start screen. Slide from the top or bottom of the screen and different menus open depending on your program. To close a program drag the top of the program to the bottom.While on the start screen, a list of your common applications are displayed, some having live tiles that update some information for you. I like the layout better than my old cluttered taskbar. You can move the icons and resize them. I didn't find it very difficult to figure out with the touchscreen. To access your hidden apps drag up from the bottom of the screen.The normal keyboard functions like you expect them to including Windows pulls up the start screen. Win+tab, alt+F4, Alt+tab, etc work. Placing the mouse in the corners pulls up the menus from the left and right side of the screen. To bring in menus from the top or bottom of the screen, right click somewhere in the dead space of the screen.Some of the settings are tricky to find, but I will share with you. Right click the lower left corner and a menu will open letting you access control panel, etc. You can also find these functions by typing in the search box on the right menu or from the "All Apps" section.COMPLAINTSThis is more for complaints I read about and or was concerned with before the upgrade but am no longer affected by.1) It takes too much work to use a mouse and keyboard-I think it is essentially no more difficult or easier. It is much easier with the touch screen.2) IE10 will not import your favorites-All of mine imported.3) IE10 is separate from the desktop-most of the settings are located in the desktop version and while you cannot drag from one to the other you can transfer any page you are viewing on the tablet version to the desktop version by clicking the wrench in the lower right corner.4) Multitasking is difficult-multitasking is no different except tablet versions of programs open full or snapped screen only, which has its own benefits.5) Xbox music will not sync old Zune music pass data-it does.6) Spider Solitaire does not exist anymore. It is available in the Store-Search for Solitaire Collection7) Accessories would not work-All do8) Adobe software wouldn't work-It does--that's all I can think of right nowCONCLUSIONThat probably seems like a lot of things to get used to, but it is actually a lot more intuitive once you play around with it. My experience has been very good. I am very happy with the upgrade. I don't really have any complaints.UPDATE:I really like the interface. I originally updated from Windows 7 to this on my touch slate computer. I found all of the functionality easy enough and missed some of the tablet apps on my desktop, so recently updated that computer to Windows 8 Pro. Works great. No complaints. Syncs nicely.Also, my wife liked it enough that she updated her laptop to Windows 8 Pro without touch screen. Nice part for her was it also helped her get rid of a problem she was having with a new format/installation.

Will not update keeping software and files as it should over my Windows 7 Pro, That option does not appear on installation choices as it should. Software cannot be returned.

I have to say, that I when I heard that Microsoft was making a version of Windows to unify devices, I was a bit skeptical. I have since changed my views. I have installed this on a 2nd gen Asus Zenbook (that's non-touchscreen, for those that don't know). It's wonderfully simple to figure out, even with the new Start screen. Let me do my best to describe what I think.Apps:I upgraded from Windows 7 Pro 64-bit to Windows 8 Pro. All my original applications and windows software is still working, including Visual Studio 2010, Eclipse (including Java and Android development kits), pidgin, MySQL, MSSQL, the GIMP, Chrome, Firefox, LibreOffice and Cisco VPN (although, I did need to run a reinstall on the VPN drivers). I have since installed the Netflix and Hulu Plus apps from the Windows Marketplace. I haven't had much of a chance to go through the marketplace for Windows 8 applications, but I can give better reviews on these.The only issue I can find with the apps is how everything scrolls left and right. Very little scrolls up and down. There is the plus that I can search through all of them from a single unified location. Which brings me to my next point:"Charms" screen:Either hovering over one of the corners to the right of the screen, pressing the Windows key (also known as "Super", but I will refer to it from now on as "Win") + C, or on many touchpad enabled devices, swiping the touch pad on the right hand side, will open it. This gives you your basic search, share, start, connected devices list, and settings. I'll tackle each one at a time.The search option seems pretty simple at first. It allows you to search through apps and files. Okay, easy enough. The search also gives one the ability to search through the store and through apps. I can search Netflix for a movie or Hulu Plus for a specific episode of South Park, all from the desktop. This is quite handy for when you don't want to go through the start menu to look for something.The share option is meant to be used from within Metro apps that support the share option. This is meant to be app specific, and everyone will need to figure out whats apps support it and how. I'm sorry I don't have more information.The start button does exactly what you think it does: opens the start screen (which one can do by clicking in the very far, lower left corner of the screen as well).The devices list will list out all USB devices connect to the computer and give you the options to safely remove, just as this list has always done, only from the taskbar.Settings opens up the new Windows Settings tile, which to me is a bit lacking. It's one thing I think they could have expanded a bit more, honestly. For one thing, Control Panel isn't there. To get to the Control Panel. To get any admin options, or to the control panel, one can go into Windows explorer (Win + E) and click "Control Panel" in the ribbon, right-click in the lower-left corner for the list of stuff, you can go into the start screen and start typing "Control Panel", or hit "Win+I" for another settings screen to access the control panel. As a power user, I've found little shortcuts here or there, but for standard users, this change will be a huge pain, if they ever used any of these services.Yes, you read that right in the previous paragraph, there's ANOTHER settings screen, which you can open via "Win+I". This will give you options to choose settings specific to the desktop (Personalization), access the Control Panel, look at your PC configuration, and get quick help. At the bottom, there're icons to change other settings for things like wi-fi, sound, etc (essentially another taskbar location) and access power (restart, shutdown, sleep, etc). There's also an option to go to personalization settings the same as if you went into the "Charms" menu and click "Settings".Now, time to tackle the biggest change in Windows 8: The start screen.Start Screen:This screen is where the Windows 8 specific apps reside. They are laid out as tiles as you install new applications and software. ALL apps and software can be pinned here (currently, I have Chrome, VS 2010, Filezilla, Pidgin, MySQL pinned right next to Netflix and Hulu Plus). It's an interesting mix of old and new in one screen.The most helpful aspect of the Start screen is being able to search without really thinking about it. Want to find something? Simply hit "Win" to open the screen, and start typing the name of the app. I found this to be an easy way to "Add features to Windows 8" without opening the Programs and Features list in the Control Panel. This search also allows for searching within apps, the store, etc. If you don't want to search, and you merely want to look for it yourself, well, this is where things get a bit hairy.You can open the search, and not type anything, and start scrolling through the apps. It's side scrolling, as with anything else in the start screen, and to me, it's a mess. Microsoft tried to sort everything into the same start folders as they were before, but everything is tossed up as icons. Imagine going through an iPad or Android apps list with 100 things installed, because it's ALL THERE. I have yet to find a way to sort this, but if I find a way, I will update this review. Let's just say, you're not going to want to find things yourself in this way.Now, onto the one thing I've found that makes development a bit easier. Say you're making a Windows 8 application. You're in the desktop with Visual Studio open. You build it, and run it, and have it open. Great, so what? It looks fine in desktop, how will it look on a phone? Well, you can "Pin" them into areas on the left and right, and it will then show you the thinner, tall version of a phone's interface. RIDICULOUSLY helpful for finding phone interface flaws (although, I keep doing it more with my desktop, but I'm sure I'll get use to it). This also give you the ability to test out different sizes and "resolutions". This can be helpful to the user, as well, for multi-tasking a Windows 8 Metro/Modern (whatever it's called now) app alongside the desktop. Running something in Metro/Modern that you want to see while typing something on the desktop? Pin the app to an area and keep it open.Finally, onto some of the oddities I've found in my short time with it. I've already mentioned a few things (like the kludge of the start screen if you're manually searching for something). Esc doesn't always take you out of an app. to switch from app to app, you have to hover in one of the left corners, then swipe through to see all running apps (Metro or desktop). This is also the only place you can CLOSE these apps. You can always use Alt+F4, but there's no easy "Close" button. You have to hover over the icon in this left screen, right-click, and close. Alt+F4 has become my best friend. Alt+Tab still works like you'd expect to switch from software to software, so at least there's that. Also, the only place you can "Shut down" is from the settings menu (Win+I), it's no longer in the start screen. That only allows one to log off, or lock the computer. It's a minor annoyance, but one I can see coming up with some users.All-in-all, I give this OS upgrade a 5. Sure, there's some minor niggles, but for the most part, it's a great, unifying UI that gives people and developers to take mobile and traditional apps wherever they go. I give it my full approval.