The platform should hit shelves in a boxed version as well

Aug 7, 2012 09:47 GMT  ·  By

Windows 8 has been released to manufacturing last week, and Microsoft is gearing up for the commercial availability of the platform, set for October 26th this year.

The company hasn’t provided too many details on its plans for selling the platform, yet it seems that there will also be boxed versions of the platform available in retail stores, and the packaging for them has just made an appearance online.

Starting with October 26th, Microsoft will provide existing Windows users with the possibility to upgrade to the new Windows 8 operating system at discounted rates, to increase adoption.

Owners of a Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 license will be able to upgrade to the new platform for only $39.99 until the end January next year.

Moreover, last week Microsoft announced that those who acquire a new Windows 7 computer now will be able to upgrade to Windows 8 for only $14.99 when it becomes available for purchase.

Starting with late October, both Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro variants will be available for end-users, in retail packages that supposedly look like those in a recently published photo over at The Verge.

Overall, the packaging is expected to be similar to the one used for Windows 7 today, though Microsoft hasn’t provided specific info on the matter for the time being.

Of course, Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro (along with Windows RT, for that matter) will be loaded on new tablets, laptops and other PCs when made generally available.

When compared to the previously available pre-release flavors of Windows 8, the final version is expected to hit shelves with a variety of graphical changes packed inside, including new default wallpaper and lockscreen images.

The platform should also lack the Aero UI, but is expected to provide users with an increased number of options when it comes to customizing the Start Screen.