Windows 8 and Pro upgrades will jump to $120 and $200 on February 1st

This should come as no surprise -- we reported the increase back in October -- but Windows 8 upgrades will become a bit more pricey come February 1st. That means you have the better part of two weeks to take advantage of introductory online upgrade pricing of $40 (for the Pro version), before the sticker jumps to 200 bucks. Fortunately, you'll be able to utilize current pricing for the rest of January, including a DVD Pro upgrade available at retailers for $70. After the switchover, you'll pay $200 for a Pro upgrade, a standard edition of Windows 8 will run you $120, the Pro Pack will be available for $100 (upgrading from standard to Pro) and a Media Center Pack will cost $10. You could, of course, stick it out with Windows 7 or Vista or even XP for the indefinite future, but if a fresh OS is in the cards, now'd be as good a time as any to make the jump.