If you’ve ever considered possibly wanting to try out Windows 8, even if it’s sometime down the line from now, the special cheaper upgrade pricing is ending this Thursday 1/31. Right now it costs $39.99 if you have a license for XP, Vista or Win7; after Thursday it goes up to $119.99 or 199.99 (depending on the edition).

You don’t have to install it now if you buy it now; nor do you need to install it on the computer where you buy it. You can simply download after purchasing and burn to a DVD or place on a USB drive and store it for future purposes.

SHOULD you plan on upgrading? Right now it’s a matter of personal preference, but someday it may become more imperative. Windows 8 takes a lot of getting used to from a visual standpoint; however it has some pretty cool features built-in and likely more to come. It’s quite a hefty difference in price between $40 and $120, so it may be worth it to consider. FYI.

Check out this article for more in-depth coverage and detailed information on how to go about this if you want to stock up but not install right now.