Microsoft offers Windows XP users $100 off select Windows 8 PCs

With the Windows XP end-of-support date now less than three weeks away, Microsoft has yet another deal trying to woo users off the ancient 12-year-old operating system. The company is offering $100 off new Windows 8 PCs in its Microsoft Stores to anyone who can present their existing Windows XP device to a store associate.

There are a few catches though. First of all, the deal is limited to select PCs, a list which is only available in-store. Furthermore, all the computers must cost at least $599.

Before you rush off to take advantage (you have almost three months to do so), here is the fine print (we’ve highlighted the important parts):

Valid March 20, 2014 until June 15, 2014, or while supplies last. Available in select Microsoft retail and online stores in US (including Puerto Rico) and Canada. Offer applies to customers who make online purchase(s) with a qualifying Windows XP device, or customer who present a qualifying Windows XP device during purchase(s) in-store only. Offer valid on select PC or Surface devices priced $599 or more. Excludes Surface 2 and some PCs.

Not valid on prior orders or purchases; cannot be transferred or otherwise redeemed for cash or gift cards. Not combinable with other offers. Price discount does not include taxes, shipping or other fees. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Microsoft reserves the right to modify or discontinue offers at any time. Limit 1 per device.

You’ll notice there’s also a note of being able to “make online purchase(s) with a qualifying Windows XP device.” We fired up an old XP machine and went to the online Microsoft Store but unfortunately couldn’t find any proof of this deal, so we would recommend checking with your local store (best call in advance).

All that being said, as we mentioned with the last Windows XP deal ($50 gift card with new PC purchases), Microsoft is unfortunately not targeting the right demographic here. XP usage is high in emerging markets, rather than North America where most Microsoft Stores are located, and more so among businesses than consumers.

Also, as we noted last week, although Microsoft says both deals include “90 days of free support” and “Free data transfer,” neither of those are new. 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.

On April 14, 2009, Microsoft retired Mainstream Support for XP. The company will retire Extended Support for the operating system on April 8, 2014. That means no more security updates for your machine; if you still have a PC running Windows XP, it’s time to get a new computer, whether you’re entitled to a $100 savings or not.

Update: Microsoft provided us with a seperate link for the deal, but the page wouldn’t load completely in Internet Explorer 8 on Windows XP. Even in Chrome, however, while the 24 computers offered did load, none of the Microsoft Store pages indicated that an XP machine was detected, and thus there was no indication of an additional $100 discount when attempting to buy online.

➤ Windows XP Users: Save $100 instantly | Windows XP support is ending

See also – Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 pass 10% market share, Windows XP falls below 30% and Windows 8.1 overtakes Windows XP on Steam

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