Acer announced this week that it will provide free Windows 8 Pro upgrades to customers who purchase a Windows 7-based ultrabook now.
The deal is available to those buying the Acer Aspire M3, M5, S3, or S5 between June 2 and Jan. 31, 2013. Microsoft is offering a $14.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade to anyone who purchases a Windows 7 PC in the same timeframe, and Acer said this week that it will refund the price of that upgrade for ultrabook buyers.
"The latest Acer Ultrabook deserves the latest operating system, so upgrade your Acer Ultrabook to Windows 8 through the Microsoft Upgrade Program and then Acer will refund the cost of your upgrade," Acer said on its Windows upgrade site. "Just our way of keeping you and your Acer ultra."
Once Microsoft releases Windows 8, which is scheduled for late October, Acer will add a link to its website where ultrabook buyers can submit refund claims with their Microsoft order number and ultrabook serial number.
For those who bought a Windows machine before the upgrade cutoff, Microsoft is offering a $39.99 Windows 8 Pro upgrade to anyone with a Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 device.
Acer has put a lot of effort into the ultrabook category. But according to data from Gartner this week, ultrabooks had little impact on overall PC shipments during the second quarter and are still considered to be in the early adopter phase. Gartner predicted that Acer "will most likely lower the ultrabook price faster than other vendors."
In other Windows 8 news, Mary Jo Foley reported that Microsoft will probably not offer the full boxed version of Windows 8 at retail stores at launch. She cited a system builder licensing document from a contact, which said Microsoft will "only offer an upgrade version of Windows 8 through the retail channel."
This likely won't affect too many Windows users - most get their Windows upgrades by buying a new PC pre-loaded with the new OS, upgrade from a previous version, or through volume-licensing deals.
If you're doing something like building a PC from scratch and want Windows 8, though, Foley said users will likely buy a system builder license for the OS at an undetermined price.
Microsoft recently announced plans for Windows To Go, a small, bootable USB drive that will allow for the easy transport of your entire managed corporate desktop.
For more, see PCMag's Hands On With Windows 8 Release Preview and the slideshow below. Also check out PCMag's Top 5 Best Ultrabooks and our guide to How to Buy an Ultrabook.
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