As we all know, Windows 8 is set to be released on October 26th and Amazon has the best price so far. Of course they’re adding to this by offering a free $30 store credit that can be used on any item Amazon ships!! This does mean that you can’t order from Amazon customer’s stores, but who cares.

I checked around and here are some of your other choices:

• Tiger.com – Windows 8 Pro Upgrade: $69.99 – Windows 8 OEM (Full version): $99.99 (32 or 64-bit) – Windows 8 Pro OEM: $139.99 (32-bit) or $129.99 (64-bit)
• NewEgg.com – Same as Tiger.com
• BestBuy.com – Same as both above

Amazon still offers the best deal given the extra $30 store credit as well as the pre-order price guarantee which protects you from over-paying. In other words, if you order it at today’s price and the price goes lower before it ships, you get the new price. The best part is that it can never go back up again.

Versions

Just like in the past, Microsoft feels the need to release multiple flavors of the same OS to market the various demographics that will use it, so this time around, we’re looking at four different versions.

1. Windows 8 – This is the most basic version and is the equivalent of a home edition of Windows.
2. Windows 8 Pro – The direct upgrade from Windows 7 Pro and Ultimate which includes additional features such as domain compatibility, remote desktop, Windows Media Center, etc.
3. Windows 8 Enterprise – Mostly the same as Pro (without Media Center), but comes with added features that would only be useful for IT professionals running large network environments.
4. Windows RT – This is the “mobile” version you’ll find on the lower end Surface tablets and other ARM-based devices.

A more detailed look at the different versions can be found at Wikipedia.

I’ve used the beta version of Windows 8 and I have to say, I really liked it. There’s some debate in the PC world whether Windows 8 will be a flop or not because of the new tile system they’re going with, but I can assure you that the tile system is more of a skin than anything else. In fact, if you prefer the standard desktop, you can bring that back with no issues.

Only time will tell how Windows 8 fairs in the marketplace and I plan to do a full write-up once I get my copy installed.