There’s good news today: Microsoft has announced the global Windows 10 release date. It has also confirmed that eligible Windows upgraders will get it free for the lifetime of the platform – as long as they upgrade within the first year. But there are storms on the horizon…

Today Microsoft has confirmed to me that those ineligible for a free Windows 10 upgrade (that’s millions and includes some editions of Windows 7 and Windows 8) will have to pay a hefty price:

Windows 10 Home will retail from $119 while Windows 10 Professional carries a price tag of $199. A Windows 10 Pro Pack, which enables you to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Professional, will be available for $99.

Read more – Windows 10 Free Upgrades Explained

Windows 10 free

Interestingly a new listing from accredited Microsoft reseller Newegg states OEM versions of Windows 10 Home will retail for $109 while Windows 10 Professional will cost far less at $149. OEM software is always cheaper, though the savings are inconsistent ($10 and $50 respectively) so whether they will be adjusted remains to be seen.
More pertinently Microsoft has often run first year promotions whereby any early adopter could get new Windows editions for substantially less, but it seems this won’t happen with Windows 10. In a way that’s understandable considering the number of free upgrades the company will be giving out.

Expensive And Late

What Microsoft has not commented on, however, is the fact Newegg also states the release date for Windows 10 Home and Professional is August 31, a whole month after free upgraders will have it up and running on their PCs.

Newegg’s Windows 10 listings – Image credit: Newegg
Newegg’s Windows 10 listings – Image credit: Newegg

Read more – Why Microsoft Announced Windows 10 Is ‘The Last Version Of Windows’

Microsoft told PC World that it had no comment to make on the Newegg dates and this silence, combined with the fact that the dates remain up and unedited, suggests we should take them seriously.

Of course any users running older versions of Windows and frustrated by this should consider whether their PCs will actually run Windows 10 in the first place, since Newegg also revealed the Windows 10 minimum specification requirements…