Win 8 confusion

[seven2]

Hello
I came here instead of the Windows 8 forum b/c it seemed to be more relevant to my question.
I am confused;
I read that MS is selling Win 8 Pro rt for $ 45. I think you download and save to disc.
I tried to understand which is the best way to get the appropriate version of Win 8 yet I am confused by the terms, limitations and what you actually get.
I have Win 7 Home Premium so I believe I can use the key to my Office 10 to use it with Win 8.
I think my Documents etc come with with Win 8.
I hope the rest of Win 7 comes along too.
If I want Win 8 Pro, which I think is the best, where do I go, what do I pay, and how do I do it?
Am I premature and should wait a while or should I jump on the opportunity to get the full version of Pro for less money now?
Thank you for helping me sift through this.
Peter

 

[NoelDP]

No
Office is onlt part of a Windows 8 RT install on devices such as the Surface.
Office is a separate product to Windows in all other cases.
The 'My Documents folders have been a part of Windows since Win95 - but are merelt a defined storage are for data, not part of Office.
If you want Windows 8, your best option is to run the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant which will take youm through the whole process from checking your current system's ability to run Win8, which version is best for you, the purchase, download and install.
Windows 8 upgrade offer - Windows 8 special offer
Upgrade to Windows 8 - Microsoft Windows

 

[seven2]

links

Thank you for the informtion. I woud not use the first link as I am not buying a new Win 7 but have made the second link a favorite so when the time is right I can use it - or go to a retail store.

 

[LittleJay]

I just ran the "Upgrade to Windows 8" over the weekend and everything worked flawlessly. Since I have a copy of Windows 7 on another disk, I used the don't keep anything setting during installation and afterward deleted the windows.old folder to save space. I ended up installing the Windows Classic Shell for convenience sake. Since Windows 8 is probably going to be the OS of the future I figured I might as well get to learn about it. But like when I first installed Windows 7, I kept a copy of Windows XP to fall back on, I will keep my copy of Windows 7 also.

 

[seven2]

Win 8

Thank you for all that information which I am sure is going to come in handy.
Once you install 8 I wonder if you can put 7 in a VM?
Peter

 

[NoelDP]

You can - you would require a seconf Full Windows7 license to do so, though, since the original one has been subsumed into the upgrade.

 

[seven2]

Win 7+8

Oh, I was thinking of the VM where you use XP and figured you could do the same with 7 as you already purchased it.

While I have you, could you please tell me the cost you incurred obtaining Win 8 Pro using the system to which your link refers.
I should not assume it is Pro because I do not even know the choices. I would like the one similar to Win 7 home premium.

 

[NoelDP]

You're thinking about XP Mode then - which was only available to Pro and Ultimate/Enterprise Win7.
That was a special bolt-on produced to ease the transition away from XP, due to the huge differences in the platforms, and the large installed XP population.
No-one should have been producing software specifically for XP since the end of 2006 - and almost anything that runs on Win7 (or Vista) will run on Win8 without a problem.

 

[seven2]

Win 7+8

I now understand.
When I follow the link you provided what are the versions of Win 8 available and what is the cost?
I have Win 7 Home Premium and would be satisfied with a similar version of Win 8
Thank you

 

[NoelDP]

You'd probably be fine with standard Windows 8 (there are only two editions - std, and Pro).
Bear in mind that neither edition will play DVD's natively - both require the purchase of an add-on for such functionality.
Read the comparisons available, and use the Upgrade Assistant (you can cancel out at any time until you've paid for the upgrade!)

 

[seven2]

dvds

You'd probably be fine with standard Windows 8 (there are only two editions - std, and Pro).
Bear in mind that neither edition will play DVD's natively - both require the purchase of an add-on for such functionality.
Read the comparisons available, and use the Upgrade Assistant (you can cancel out at any time until you've paid for the upgrade!)

>>I am very glad you told me about the dvds.
I have Flip cameras for the grandchildren and we are always playing MP4 family files with Ashampoo on the pc.
I do not understand much about add ons and prices. Can you help out?
When I upgrade, how do I get the addon and how much does it cost?
Social security might dictate that I keep Win 7 till I have to change even though the $40 lasts through January. I have a desktop and laptop.

 

[NoelDP]

As I understand it, mp4's aren't affected, it's only commercial DVD movies.

Chances are that you'll already have an alternative player installed

I'm really not the best person to ask for details - my knowledge of Win8 is fairly sketchy.
I suggest that you post in eightforums.com for the details.

 

[Dwarf]

Try VideoLAN - VLC: Official site - Free multimedia solutions for all OS! It's what I use, and I've had no problems with it under W8x64.

 

[LittleJay]

plus 1 for VLC. The $40 upgrade you are referring to is for Windows 8 Pro, at least that was what I got. It is basically the same as Windows 7 Home Premium, except you have a couple of additional features like Bit Locker available. If you are still thinking about upgrading, then I would recommend 8 Pro. You can install 8 in a dual boot with 7 and use both OS. There is a lot of good info on Windows 8 in the Windows 8 Forum and I recommend you take a look there.

 

[seven2]

win os

Dvd movies makes more sense -that is why I keep asking before I pull the trigger.
I had VLC and it is ok but when I removed it with revo, I have never seen such a program with residual files.