14 DAY TRIAL // Moving users off Windows XP is Microsoft’s big bet of the year, as the company is planning to discontinue the 11-year-old operating system on April 8, 2014 and needs more consumers to adopt Windows 8.1.
In order to make sure that everyone knows how to move from XP to 8.1, Redmond rolled out a detailed tutorial comprising step-by-step instructions on the migration process, including backup and installation guides.
While the company indeed mentions that some apps and devices might not be compatible with Windows 8.1, it forgets to add that new hardware might be needed in order to run the recently-launched operating system and an antique XP machine will most likely be unable to do it.
In addition, Microsoft also provides instructions on how to purchase Windows 8.1, explaining that “DVDs of the upgrade aren't available in all countries and regions.”
Windows 8.1 is offered free of charge to Windows 8 users through the store, while everybody else needs to pay at least $119.99 (€90) to buy the core version.