Now is the best possible time to upgrade your Windows PC

Starting July 29, it's going to cost a lot more money to upgrade to Windows 10.

When Microsoft released its new, much improved operating system last July, it promised Windows 7 and 8.1 users an extended year-long grace period during which they could upgrade for free. The program was intended to draw back in consumers turned off by 8.1's flawed design, or the millions who had stuck with the way-outdated but pretty nice Windows 7.

But that's all coming to an end:

—Windows (@Windows) May 5, 2016

From the July 29 onward, Windows 7 or 8.1 users will have to pay the full $119 price for the operating system (or simply buy a new machine that comes with it).

If you're wondering if you should do it, the answer is almost certainly yes.

Windows 10 is a return to the smart design of Windows 7, but optimized and featured-up for more modern devices. It's also almost certainly the last operating system Microsoft will ever make — meaning once you have it, you can expect free upgrades for a long, long time. Getting on that train while it's still free is a very good idea.