Consumer PC Price Cuts!

In an effort to bridge the gap between current Windows 8.1 and upcoming Windows 10 (not sure what happened to Windows 9), Microsoft is shepherding a dramatic decrease in the prices of consumer PCs and Windows-based devices.

These price decreases started in October with year-over-year reductions of 10% and falling, particularly for consumer-class PCs; higher-priced, business-class PCs will also be affected. Most are attributed to Microsoft’s decision to fight Chromebooks with a low-cost version of Windows 8.1 with Bing.

The potential consequences:
• PCs will become even more commoditized
• Smaller, PC-centric vendors will struggle to survive
• Prices may drop on popular, after-market, Windows-based software

For details, please see the Gregg Keizer of ComputerWorld article: “Drastic price cuts may damage PC industry, jeopardize Microsoft’s hopes for Windows 10”.