Windows 10 will cost $119 for the standard Home version and $199 for the Pro version when it is released later this month.
But customers with Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PC and tablet devices will get a free upgrade if the new software is downloaded within a year of its release.
That means around two-thirds of computer users will be eligible for the free upgrade, as around 75 per cent of PCs are powered by those two systems.
The pricing point for Windows 10 is the same as it was for Windows 8. Customers who have the Home version and wish to upgrade to the Pro version at a later date will have to pay an extra $99.
The free upgrade will start on June 29, with new Windows PCs also coming installed with the new software from that date. Windows 10 sees a return to the intuitive Start menu of old, after widespread complaints about the format of Windows 8. And it is using the tagline It’s the Windows you know, only better
to try and banish those ghosts.
Microsoft have also been hammering home how it will perform faster and will use up less power than its predecessors.
The computer giant also said Windows 10 will be more secure than ever
.
It also includes Cortana, which Microsoft as dubbed the world’s first truly personal digital assistant
, which will learn user preferences and help manage tasks and reminders. However, Microsoft makes a point of saying that experience may vary by device.
Other features include free anti-malware protection, and a new browser called Microsoft Edge.
If you have a Windows 7, or Windows 8.1 PC, you can reserve an upgrade at windows.com/windows10upgrade, which will come as a download as soon as Windows 10 is released.
It had been rumored that Microsoft would move Windows 10 to a subscription-based model, but this was debunked by the company back in January. There are still claims the firm may move towards that, as it has with programmes like Microsoft Office, in the future.