Win8 price increase controversy

Computer store news: In three days, the price of Win8 will increase from the current 248 yuan to 700% to 1998 yuan. Familiar with the price of Windows Edition is thousands of dollars, unfamiliar is in the current environment facing more system choices, Microsoft's operational thinking is somewhat different.

Although Microsoft officially announced that Win8 sold more than 60 million copies in the previous period, similar to Win7, due to the low price offered, Win8 did not bring beautiful numbers to Microsoft in the first quarter, and even With Win8, the PC market is still experiencing an unprecedented decline.

In the big environment where mobile tablets and smartphones are gradually replacing PCs, Microsoft may really want to change the sales model of Windows business.

Price surges controversy

In October 2012, in order to attract users, Microsoft launched a special offer. The price of upgrading Windows 8 is $39.99, and that of China is 248 yuan. Not long ago, it was announced that from February 1st, the price will rise to 199.99 US dollars, and the standard version upgrade price is 119.99 US dollars. The Microsoft China Online Store shows that the upgrade price of Win8 in China will also be adjusted from 248 yuan to 1998 yuan, an increase of more than 700%.

The news from the Microsoft campus channel Xaar network also shows that the price of Win8 on the campus pioneer will also rise. At the same time, some OEMs said that Microsoft will increase the channel price of Win8, which may increase the price of Win8 computers.

There is a point of view that Win8 does not help the PC industry to achieve a reversal. At this time, the price of Win8 will increase significantly, and users will have no incentive to upgrade. There are also refutations that the two-month discount has been Microsoft's first attempt, and the decline of Win8 will not affect the share of Windows 8 in the industry.

In an open market, the price of a product depends on the price of the alternative. Windows has always been expensive for around $200, but the market has long been accepted because there is no substitute for a long time. However, the industrial environment has changed in recent years.

In 2012, the PC market saw its first shrink in more than a decade. This does not mean that users no longer use computing terminals, but instead of replacing some of the functions of PCs on smartphones and tablets. They are more likely to upgrade their mobile devices. That is, some of the features of Windows are replaced by iOS and Android.

On the mobile side, Android and iOS are free upgrades, while the latest operating system for the Mac, Mountain Lion, costs $128, which is already the original price.

With a certain number of alternatives, the high pricing before Windows continues to drive the rapid development of alternatives. At present, the PC industry is generally not optimistic about the recovery of the market, but instead invests in mobile services such as mobile phones.

But as an OEM believes, Windows is still a big deal today, and Google Chrome OS has some hope, but now you can use Windows without it.

Or should consider changing sales ideas

Windows XP in China is priced at $1998, Vista is priced at $1,880, Win72460, but why most users don't feel the system is expensive? They use pirated software, or they buy a computer with an OEM pre-installed system. That is to say, the personal online channel has a very small contribution to Microsoft.

High prices have always been a reason for Chinese consumers to use piracy, and Microsoft has been reluctant to give up such prices.

In the Internet age, the traditional way of selling software with a registration code has begun to become obsolete, and many ways such as free re-charge, basic software low-cost function module charges, etc. are not uncommon.

Microsoft has also introduced a more flexible version of the genuine charging method for enterprise customers, that is, purchasing genuine software for several years, and if Windows is upgraded during this period, the company can directly upgrade to the latest version.