Windows 10 Professional retail full version $163.00 at Amazon

[Steltek]

This is the full retail version of Windows 10 Professional, which can be reactivated on different hardware (unlike the OEM and system builder versions). It usually runs $199 and is rarely discounted. This price is for the version that comes on a flash drive (the download version is $26 more at $189).

https://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wi...qid=1486606004&sr=1-1&keywords=windows+10+pro

For me, it is worth the ~$30 premium over a Windows 10 Pro OEM or system builder version which is permanently tied to one motherboard.

 

[BenJeremy]

Just an FYI... the upgrade from Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 still works fine and activates. There is, however, one condition for the activation to be "legal" - you must use one of the accessibility tools, such as screen magnifier, or test-to-speech, presumably only once.

Of course, Microsoft isn't checking this, but if you'd feel better knowing you did everything clean and legal, just crank up screen magnifier, and you've met all the requirements of legal fiction that Microsoft has thrown up after June 29.

The reality, of course, is that there is no effective end date for the upgrade. CD Keys from Windows 7/8.x will continue to allow you to install the latest Windows 10 builds and activate, and nobody from Microsoft will check nor do they care (well, they care... they WANT you to upgrade).

Also, it is enough to simply get the Win7/8.x product key and directly install Win10 from scratch (at least with ISO install images from the past year); no need to pre-install an old version of Windows first to "upgrade" to Windows 10.

 

[shortylickens]

OH redacted! Thats the one I bought a couple weeks ago! AND IT WAS 189!!!




No profanity allowed outside of OT and P&N.


esquared
Anandtech Forum Director

 

[jackstar7]

Appreciate this heads up. In for 1.

 

[Steltek]

OH redacted! Thats the one I bought a couple weeks ago! AND IT WAS 189!!!




No profanity allowed outside of OT and P&N.


esquared
Anandtech Forum Director

The downloadable version is still $189.99 - it is only the flash media version that was/is discounted. It was $165 when I bought it, then Amazon decided to drop it another $2 after I had already ordered.

 

[cytoSiN]

Just an FYI... the upgrade from Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 still works fine and activates. There is, however, one condition for the activation to be "legal" - you must use one of the accessibility tools, such as screen magnifier, or test-to-speech, presumably only once.

Of course, Microsoft isn't checking this, but if you'd feel better knowing you did everything clean and legal, just crank up screen magnifier, and you've met all the requirements of legal fiction that Microsoft has thrown up after June 29.

The reality, of course, is that there is no effective end date for the upgrade. CD Keys from Windows 7/8.x will continue to allow you to install the latest Windows 10 builds and activate, and nobody from Microsoft will check nor do they care (well, they care... they WANT you to upgrade).

Also, it is enough to simply get the Win7/8.x product key and directly install Win10 from scratch (at least with ISO install images from the past year); no need to pre-install an old version of Windows first to "upgrade" to Windows 10.

Really?! Is this still viable if I'm using Win7 Pro on this machine and want to build a new one with Win10? Specifically, I can make a Win10 install USB drive now, and then enter my Win7 Pro code when I install and it'll work?

 

[BenJeremy]

Really?! Is this still viable if I'm using Win7 Pro on this machine and want to build a new one with Win10? Specifically, I can make a Win10 install USB drive now, and then enter my Win7 Pro code when I install and it'll work?

It might not activate if the other machine is online... i.e. don't use the same code on two machines at the same time. I'd guess if you took your current machine offline (and a drive wipe after everything was done) before installing, it might be ok. I haven't tried using a Win 7/8.x key post-install, so you might want to scan the interwebs to see if others have done that (I would assume it would work, but I simply do not know because I've never done that myself)

It's also interesting that I have re-installed Windows 10 on a couple of machines, when I could not recover the original product key (on same hardware, including HDD) and it activated one connection to the internet as if I had entered the CD Key.