Microsoft Offering Students a Free Xbox 360 with PC Purchase

Student looking to buy a laptop or desktop computer this coming semester can pick a free Xbox 360 gaming console thanks to a pretty sweet Microsoft promotion. The Xbox deal is valid with the purchase of any Windows 7 computer starting at $699.

Students or their parents would need to verify their age (16 to 19 years old) or college enrollment (.edu email address) to qualify for the offer, which ends September 3. The offer is available at participating retailers in the US, with similar offers coming to Canada and France soon.

The promotion is a smart way for Microsoft to increase its gaming console market share, while also stimulating Windows 7 PC purchases among the valuable student population. Microsoft's press release puts it a little differently: "In one shot, with this great offer, Microsoft is giving students everything they need for a successful new school year." (I'm not sure if an Xbox 360 is really something students need for school success, but it is a sweet deal nonetheless. The Xbox 360 4GB model being given away retails for $199.)

If you don't care for or need an Xbox 360, you can instead get 10% off a new Windows 7 PC, according to Microsoft's Windows page on Facebook.

Article source:http://www.pcworld.com/article/228419/microsoft_offering_students_a_free_xbox_360_with_pc_purchase.html