Microsoft Sweetens 'Buy a New PC' Deal for Windows XP Users with $100
Savings



Unfortunately, Microsoft has made it pretty difficult to figure out
which PCs work with its $100 promotion.

Well, if the stick doesn't work, try the carrot. At least, that seems to
be Microsoft's latest inspiration for getting the many, many users still
clinging to Windows XP – with 17 days to go before the operating system
reaches end-of-life status – to switch on over to a new operating system.

Or, in this case, a new computer.

Microsoft's latest promotion has the company dishing out a $100
on-the-spot discount for those looking to purchase a new PC or Windows
Surface device priced at $599 or more. As always, there are a few
catches with the promotion.

First off, you have to actually be browsing Microsoft's store using a
computer that's running Windows XP in order to even see the offer to
begin with. That, or you can take the more fun approach to the
promotion: If you physically lug in a Windows XP to a Microsoft Store,
they'll give you the $100 savings. (Here's hoping your ancient desktop
computer is a wee small.)

Second, Microsoft's promotion only works on "select PCs," and it's
unclear from the online store just what, exactly, the instant savings
will apply to. That's a smidge frustrating on Microsoft's part, and it
just might be worth a trip to said retail store (or a quick phone call)
to ensure that the new system you're interested in picking up actually
works with the $100 discount.

Finally, Microsoft is also offering up "free premium phone, chat, and
sales support for virtually anything you need on your new computer for
the first 90 days" as part of the promotion, in addition to free access
to the Laplink data migration service to get your files from your legacy
XP machine to your new system (assuming you didn't just leave it at said
Microsoft Store when lugging it in for the deal). However, as The Next
Web's Emil Protalinski notes, that's not really all that much of an offer.

"Three months of free support is already offered with most Microsoft
Store purchases, though it's nice to know it covers both phone and chat
options. The free data transfer option meanwhile is available to
everyone, thanks to a Microsoft partnership with Laplink," he writes.

Still, we can't blame Microsoft for trying. Perhaps as the days get
closer to Windows XP's last hurrah, Microsoft will start sweetening its
discounts even more — it did just throw up its initial $50 incentive one
week ago, and now we're already double that!

* * * *

Wow...90 days of free support talking to someone in...Pakistan...reading
off a script. Yeah, that'll do it.

--
Rand Paul & Ted Cruz…your 2016 GOP nominees, because ‘Mericans deserve
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