Software giant Microsoft is gearing up for the release of its latest operating system, Windows 8, promising a brand new experience to all users interested in adopting it.
There will be two flavors of the OS pushed to shelves, one designed for x86 processors and another for ARM chipsets, and the first of them will arrive with a treat.
Among the various versions that Windows 8 will arrive in, one will enable users to downgrade to one of the older releases of the platform.
To be more precise, owners of the Windows 8 Pro SKU will be able to downgrade the platform to Windows 7 or Windows Vista, should they consider the older OSes better fitted for their needs.
Thus, the Redmond-based software giant will provide users with the possibility to drop the much discussed Windows 8 interface in the favor of the classic Start Menu and Desktop Mode they grew to love.
The downgrades will be possible without having to pay for another license to use the software, though users won’t be provided with the option to leave Windows 8 aside and go for Windows XP.
For those out of the loop, we should note that Microsoft has made a similar move with Windows 7 as well. Windows 7 Professional users had the possibility to downgrade to earlier OS flavors.
The feature is mentioned in the software license agreement for the Windows 8 Pro version that computer makers (OEMs) will be loading on their new PCs.
“Instead of using the Windows 8 Pro software, you may use one of the following earlier versions: Windows 7 Professional or Windows Vista Business,” the software license agreement reads, Computerworld reports.
The fact that Windows XP has been left out of the equation does not come too much as a surprise, especially since Microsoft is gearing up to end its life.
In fact, the company has made another step in this direction, in addition to announcing such plans for the past few years, namely removing Windows XP from the list of supported platforms for its Office 2013 productivity suite.
As far as the downgrades go, Microsoft and OEMs won’t have to provide an earlier OS flavor to users, though makers will be able to sell Windows 7-based PC for two more years.
The first Windows 8-powered PCs, including tablets, notebooks, desktops and other devices will become available for purchase on October 26th this year, just as Microsoft officially unveiled several weeks ago.
