Microsoft gifts Windows users with 100 free albums on Thanksgiving

Start screen of Windows Phone 8.1Microsoft

Microsoft is offering Windows users an early Christmas gift by giving away 100 full-length albums and 50 multi-album box sets for $2 this Thanksgiving in attempt to lure more users to switch to Windows. 

The albums offered are by current top artists like Eminem, Imagine Dragons, U2, Katy Perry, Norah Jones, Kanye West, Mumford & Sons, James Taylor, the Rolling Stones, Green Day, Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Ray, and more. The box set deals for $2 are too attractive to ignore since it includes albums like Nirvana's "With the Lights Out," John Lennon's "Signature Box," and Frank Sinatra's "The Complete Capitol Singles". 

The deal is available only to Windows 8 and Windows Phone users based in the U.S. It is still unconfirmed until when the promo will run, thus music-loving Windows users should get it while it lasts. 

To get the free albums, users must first download and install the Microsoft's Music Deals app for Windows 8 and Windows Phone, then click on "Holiday Freebies" and scroll for the albums they want to download.  After selecting, they can click on the "Get it for free" button on the subsequent page. When the prompt pops up confirming whether they want to open the Music app, click "Yes." Then, it will start downloading and users can go back to the list of free albums to repeat the process. 

However, some Windows users claimed that it was quite difficult to download the albums to a PC. According to reports, downloading can be a pain when one is getting an album on the right-hand pane, and when they go back to the free albums list, they are asked to switch to the Music app although it is already open. 

Microsoft is clearly hoping that by offering this kind of deals, it can lure buyers to switch to Windows-based devices, especially to the Windows phone. According to research firm Comscore, Microsoft's share in the smartphone market is not more than 4 percent, thus the company is exerting more effort in attracting more consumers.