President of Microsoft Indonesia Andreas Diantoro has confirmed that Windows 8 users will get Windows 9 free-of-charge.
Update: A spokesperson for Microsoft America has told us that the company “has nothing to share,” regarding this report, so it may not be as “confirmed” as the Indonesian site claims.
Original Story: If you’re thinking it hasn’t been that long since Windows 8 launched, you’d be right. Released just two years ago, in October of 2012, Windows 8 was plagued with problems and criticsm right from the get-go – so much so that Microsoft is desperately trying to distance itself from it by getting Windows 9 out there as soon as possible. But what about those dedicated Microsoft early-adopters who made the switch to 8? Well, Microsoft Indonesia president Andreas Diantoro has confirmed that as a reward for their loyalty, Windows 8 users will be able to upgrade to Windows 9 completely free-of-charge.
Speaking to Indonesian publication Detik, Diantoro said that users will be able to easily install the Windows 9 update after downloading it from Microsoft, in a similar way to how Apple currently rolls out its OSX updates. He said this in relation to the free upgrade from Windows 8, so it’s unsure if users on older OSs, such as Windows 7 and the no-longer-supported Windows XP, will be able to upgrade digitally.
Diantoro also didn’t make it clear if the free upgrade would extend to Windows 7 users, but we can probably assume it won’t. He also didn’t announce any pricing options for a stand-alone Windows 9 version.
Microsoft is rumored to be revealing the OS this month, and leaks have suggested it will feature the return of the Start menu, the Cortana voice-based search assistant that’s currently available only on Windows Phone, the Notification Center, support for multiple desktops, and several other UI enhancements.
We’ve reached out to Microsoft of America for confirmation that this deal will extend to those in North America.
Source: Detik (Indonesian) via BGR
