Windows 8 Pricing vs. Chrome OS (Free) and Mac OS X (Just $30)

$0.00 unless it came preinstalled on a computer. I like free!

You wouldn't work as a coder for Microsoft for free. Really now, an OS is one large piece of work!
As for free, there are simply great apps for Windows for free - this is true. Microsoft brought the cost of owning a computer way down from the dominant years of Apple, which are still overpriced little wonders.

I pretty much agree. I will get it when I need a new PC. If the the upgrade price was $30 for home premium or $50 for Professional I would upgade several computers. I might go as high as $50 HJome and $75 Pro. At these prices MS sales would increase 10 fold.

I don't think you can compare success with a browser to success with an operating system! Two entirely different animals.

osx lion seems more like a service pack then a new os so the $30 seems overpriced imo.

But you cant argue with free

I think you said it best comparing what each company does. Google gives you an OS, but makes all their money by selling your personal information. Apple charges the cost of a pair of DVD's, but won't let you out of the door on a Mac computer for less then double the cost of PC. Microsoft charges a considerable amount for an OS that works with pretty much everything and pretty much everyone...but they are "evil" right? Of course Linux is free too, but you have to rely on your own skills or wait for the "community" to provide.

Apple: To get the $30 upgrade to Lion, you must already have purchased an Apple comupter. The difference in hardware prices relative to a simmilarly specced PC suggest that somehow OSx on a new system costs upward of $500 even for the cheapest of Macs. So providing what is essentially a service pack for $30 still seems exessive. 'Free' would have been the correct price.

MS: The difference in cost between a new laptop with Win7 Home Premium and the exact same computer with linux is typically $50-$55. Not exactly wallet raping numbers given what you get. Upgrading a system does however cost you more than a decent evening out. You also failed to mention the family packs (3 licences) for $150 if you look around... great if you have more than one system in the house.

Chrome OS: You get what you pay for. It would be sad to see people cheaping out to get one of these, only to find out that they really need Windows on it to get anything done. If you wnt to save the cash, look for something that has Linux on it, install chrome (the browser) and you have the same thing as Chrome OS, but also with the flexibility of a full OS. Chrome is in it's infancy and you'll lose that massive saving that you get from just getting a laptop with Windows pre-installed.

Not more than $50

it does sound like a good idea but i doubt that Microsoft will do less then W7. I think it will have the same price as W7, although if they would price it like apple i think they will kill a bit the piracy.

Well, for $29.99, I do hope they have solved the too small fonts problem with Mac. NO way to change all the fonts. Take for example the ridiculously small fonts in iCalendar and on the browser bookmarks bar. Mac are very hard on the eyes. Other than that, not too bad a Unix software, some call Linux for Grandma. It works, and has its high points. I find Windows overall still the easiest to live with every day, easy to customize, and very economical, as I use excellent freeware, and did not have to pay one and a half times for the hardware. My Mac Mini was a good choice for me to try out Mac software - the Mac ways, and now I am considering making it a Linux Mint Mini.

Worth of Win8? This is hard to say, since not every element is reveled just yet. I am thinking I would at least consider paying $99 for an upgrade, and $150.00 for a full version, though it may be more of a done deal should they offer it for $50 as upgrade, and $99 for full.
Would consider Outlook for $50, but not $120 - ouch! Or is it more now?

I wouldn't use that piece of junk even if they're willing to give me money for doing that.

Well, when i saw those prices i couldn't help but think "No wonder so many people decide to pirate the OS." The prices for it are a little up there, and although they need the money to keep developing such software, I wouldn't pay much more for windows 8 than I did for Windows XP at the time of its launch, so maybe like 120$, 125$

50 $ at most...

$0.00 i rather use ubuntu

I would pay the same price I paid on Windows XP.

30$ For an OSX service pack? That requires a previous 1k hardware purchase. Get Out.

Free Linux knockoff with no functionality? Why?

100$ For a usable operating system? YES!

Windows has always been WAY more expensive than Mac OS X, even the castrated versions (Home, etc...). The problem with Microsoft is that they rip you off with their Ultimate version of Windows when you can get more (and better) features with Mac OS X, which costs less than the Home version of Windows. And then Microsoft charges out the nose for Windows 7, which was nothing more than a service pack for Windows Vista (Windows ME of a new millennia)!

Considering Windows is among the most pirated pieces of software on the planet, I bet if they sold it for a small amount (30ish dollars, like Lion), they would pick up sales from those who would normally go through less legit means to acquire the product.

They are (I Hope) smart and smart would dictate a much lower price or risk a greater loss of market share with many competitors biting on their heels.
I'd say that $30.- or $40.- is SMART.
JP

I think that the price of Windows 8 would be as same as that of Windows 7 but as time will flow eventually it will decrease its cost but by that time i think Apple's OS would be in the flow in the market.