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  • Buy Almost Any PC and Get A Free Xbox
Technology Articles > Computers > Desktops > Buy Almost Any PC and Get A Free Xbox

Microsoft has teamed up with various PC manufacturers to bring you one of the best deals this season. Currently, if you purchase almost any PC (list below), you will be given a free Xbox. Why would Microsoft create such a deal? The answer is simple enough. Microsoft, along with most PC manufacturers, doesn’t want you to buy any kind of Apple device.

If these companies can entice consumers with a free Xbox offer, chances are that most people searching for a new computer will purchase one that comes with the free console. After all, it’s hard to turn down a free deal. If this sounds like an excellent way to get your hands on a brand new Xbox, here are the details.

How This Deal Works

The first thing that you need to know is that this is a student deal. You must bring a valid student ID to a participating retailer in order to claim your free Xbox. Those retailers that are taking part in this deal include Best Buy, HP, Microsoft Store, Dell, and NewEgg.com. This offer only exists in the United States, so keep this in mind too. Now, here’s the catch: you have to spend $699 or more on a new PC in order to receive the gaming console. Really, this amount isn’t hard to spend if you are looking for a new laptop or desktop. But, if you just want a Xbox, you might be better of simply purchasing one instead of going the free route.

That said, Microsoft is throwing another incentive into this deal: you can upgrade to Windows 8 for only $15 if you purchase your PC now. As you probably know, Windows 8 will be surfacing very soon. A regular upgrade will cost more than $15, but Microsoft really wants student support with this new version of Windows. So, if you buy your PC now, not only will you get a new Xbox you will also get a cheaper Windows 8 upgrade.

Upgrading to Windows 8: Good or Bad Idea?

I’m going to throw a word of caution into this article. Even though Windows 8 is coming out soon, it’s not necessarily a good idea to upgrade right away. More often than not, new versions of Windows aren’t perfect out of the gate. So, my advice is to hang onto that $15 upgrade offer for a few months. Then, when Windows 8 proves to be the best thing that Microsoft has ever created, you can go ahead and upgrade. Rest assured, though, that you will be able to hang onto that cheaper upgrade price for awhile, so there’s no rush to update once Windows 8 comes out.

What’s In It For Microsoft?

Not only does Microsoft get to spread the word about Windows 8, but the company will also get a lot of Xbox Live subscriptions out of this deal. In turn, PC retailers will be able to unload some PC that are currently running Windows 7. Since you will have the cheaper opportunity to upgrade, this isn’t a bad deal at all. In the end, if you love gaming and need a new PC, this is a great deal. If you don’t like gaming and have no use for a new Xbox, Microsoft is offering a $100 Staples gift card as an alternative. This deal is in full swing right now, so head to a retailer near you in order to cash in.