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An age-old tradition may die with Windows 10

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 9:02PM EST
Windows 10 Retail Boxes Disk USB
Image: Microsoft

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Microsoft is getting ready to release Windows 10, a new PC operating system that will be available as a free download for a large number of current Windows users. However, the free Windows 10 upgrade offer is only good if you download the new OS within one year of the official July 29th launch date, and enterprise users will have to pay either way.

That means many Windows users out there will still have to buy licenses, and now they know what the retail box will look like.

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German tech blog WinFuture obtained images of the retail packaging for Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Home, suggesting that buyers will find both disk and USB versions of Windows 10 in stores.

As you’ll see in the following set of images, Microsoft appears to be going for a minimalistic retail box design that also reflects the fact that Windows 10 is bringing back the beloved Start button (at least for the disk versions). In terms of the color scheme, purple was chosen for the Pro builds while Windows 10 Home kits are blue.

In the future, Microsoft might offer additional Windows updates as over-the-air downloads, The Verge notes. That means Windows retail boxes will probably disappear, in time, potentially making this the last version of Windows that will be sold in a retail box.

As for in-store availability, it’s not clear when buyers will be able to purchase these Windows 10 install kits, but it’s likely that the boxes won’t be available in stores later this month when Windows 10 first launches.

Here are some of the images showing the purported Windows 10 retail box design:

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.