According to reports, Microsoft is set to slash the price it charges OEMs for Windows 8.x. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to pick up a copy of the tiled OS for any cheaper, but it does mean significant savings for (some) PC builders.
At the moment, Microsoft charges all OEMs $50 per copy of Windows 8. The price cut will see this license figure reduced by 70 percent to $15 per copy. However, there is a caveat — it will only apply to devices that will be sold for $250 or less at retail. In other words, Microsoft is hoping to kick start a run of lower-priced PCs, in an effort to compete with Chromebooks.
…Just how great is the Chromebook threat to Microsoft? Massive. Just take a look at the laptops for sale on Amazon and you’ll see three of the top five best sellers are running Google’s Chrome OS. PC vendors like ASUS and HP are now also rolling out inexpensive and attractive Chromeboxes, challenging Windows on the desktop.
Consumers who just want a device on which to browse the web, check email, update Facebook and work in the cloud, don’t need to spend a fortune on a new PC that offers features, and power, they don’t need. And let’s be honest here, many new PCs come bundled with ‘crapware’ that PC makers add to systems to help increase their razor thin profits. Chrome OS powered devices don’t.
Read the full story at: http://betanews.com/2014/02/24/microsoft-now-fighting-the-windows-8-x-war-on-two-fronts-can-it-win-either-battle/
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