Windows license price hikes could make PC even more expensive: Report

Windows laptops just can't catch a break. As the memory chip shortage rages on, a new report from the Taiwanese newspaper United Daily News (UDN) says PCs are facing further price hikes as Microsoft raises its Windows 11 licensing fees for device manufacturers. According to a PC brand executive who spoke anonymously to UDN, Microsoft normally bumps its Windows license fees for PC makers by small margins every year. However, the latest increases are much higher than usual. "In the past, licensing fees mostly increased by single digits each year, but starting in July this year, the average increase has reached 7 percent to 10 percent," UDN wrote. Other brand executives interviewed by the newspaper noted that the licensing fee increases vary by processor type; more powerful devices with higher-end CPUs have seen bigger increases than lower-end models. These licensing fee changes are already impacting current PC prices, per UDN's sources. That would make sense since most Windows laptops and desktops sold to consumers come with their operating systems pre-installed. (In a win for DIYers, pricing for individual Windows 11 licenses remains unchanged.) When reached for comment by Mashable,