# First Windows 7 Pricing/Upgrade Announcements



## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Expect an announcement on June 4th, that all PC's bought on or after July 1st with Windows Vista will receive a free upgrade to Windows 7. This is a fairly normal pattern for Microsoft and is used to keep PC sales from softening while the new OS is readied.

Also expect that Windows 7 Business Enterprise Volume License Customers will upgrade existing machines at $77.

More information will be forthcoming for other customer pricing.

Larry


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

Wow, I did a survey last night and they are targeting a very low price compared to previous versions, $64 bucks, I am simply amazed. I think this will be the shizNit!


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

Thanks Larry. $77 for enterprise upgrade is not too bad. I was hoping it would be a little lower than that so that other upgrade versions would enter the market at a very good price point. We'll see tomorrow.


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

smiddy said:


> Wow, I did a survey last night and they are targeting a very low price compared to previous versions, $64 bucks, I am simply amazed. I think this will be the shizNit!


if that's the same survey I took, it was for a student price...not a full retail price...


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Dang, just bought a laptop about 30 minutes ago (smoking deal at TigerDirect, BTW). I've never used Vista (have played with it on my Dad's laptop) and wasn't looking forward to it, but I have to have a laptop for work. 

Purchasing Windows 7 to replace my vista will cost how much? $64?


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## Ira Lacher (Apr 24, 2002)

How much will retail version cost to replace RC1?


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Re-iterating... So far there are only 2 announcements:

If you purchase a computer on or after July 1st 2009 with Windows Vista (any version), you will be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7.

Volume License Customers (business) will be able to purchase licenses for upgrades at $77 per unit.

No retail pricing has been announced, no upgrade pricing has been announced.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Larry



Ira Lacher said:


> How much will retail version cost to replace RC1?





spartanstew said:


> Dang, just bought a laptop about 30 minutes ago (smoking deal at TigerDirect, BTW). I've never used Vista (have played with it on my Dad's laptop) and wasn't looking forward to it, but I have to have a laptop for work.
> 
> Purchasing Windows 7 to replace my vista will cost how much? $64?


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## dorfd1 (Jul 16, 2008)

LarryFlowers said:


> Re-iterating... So far there are only 2 announcements:
> 
> If you purchase a computer on or after July 1st 2009 with Windows Vista (any version), you will be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7.
> 
> ...


how much will it cost for oems to preinstall windows7 on pcs?


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

ncxcstud said:


> if that's the same survey I took, it was for a student price...not a full retail price...


That is pretty good for the student price and I'm a student (part time).


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

dorfd1 said:


> how much will it cost for oems to preinstall windows7 on pcs?


About $5.00 per machine, but you'll see a considerable markup on that when you purchase the machine at retail.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

Marlin Guy said:


> About $5.00 per machine, but you'll see a considerable markup on that when you purchase the machine at retail.


OEM Bulk Licenses are not nearly that cheap. But they are cheaper than single/triple OEM licenses you see on newegg and such.


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Grentz said:


> OEM Bulk Licenses are not nearly that cheap. But they are cheaper than single/triple OEM licenses you see on newegg and such.


I have a student account with Ultimate Steal,from which I purchased Windows Office 2007 Ultimate for $59. I'll be interested if US will offer W7 Ultimate, and what the price will be.
I'm running W7rc on my 64bit laptop.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Vista to WIN7 retail "upgrades" will likely be a hot seller. 

That's the pricing I'm interested in....


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Where did you get this information? My understanding is that PC manufacturers like Dell and HP pay $25-$45 per license depending on versions. Of course they are responsible for technical support.



Marlin Guy said:


> About $5.00 per machine, but you'll see a considerable markup on that when you purchase the machine at retail.


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

There simply isn't any additional pricing information available as yet...

We will be looking for:
1. Retail - New
2. Retail - Upgrade
3. OEM - the type license you can purchase from vendors like NewEgg for your personal use that include no technical support from Microsoft and are generally your least expensive option.
4. Student - for those that qualify - do you have kids? You qualify.
5. Volume License - prices will vary here depending on, well, the "volume". Volume licensing can now be purchased for as few as 5 machines.

I expect we will see these shortly in the coming weeks.

One slightly disturbing report is that Dell has expressed some reservations about the Windows 7 pricing to them.

Larry


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## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

Think I'll stay with Vista....


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

A supposed Memo from Best Buy has been leaked regarding Pricing of Windows 7.

True or not, I do not know...

BestBuy memo that says Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade will be available from $49.99 and Windows 7 Professional upgrade from $99.99 through their website after 26th June ‘09 for a limited promotional period of 16 days. The editions customers buy won’t be shipped until October however when Windows 7 is officially released.

Larry


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

LarryFlowers said:


> A supposed Memo from Best Buy has been leaked regarding Pricing of Windows 7.
> 
> True or not, I do not know...
> 
> ...


The difference between the two?
Not bad $$.
W7 Prof. might be in my future.
Wonder what Ultimate Steal will be offering?

I might not use my BB Gift card until then.


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

I love Ultimate Steal  Can't wait what they will have for us


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

Good questions. I need to look at the differences too. At $50 per license for Home Premium, that could be a really economically way to upgrade 2 if not 3 of my systems. I think we need to see the anticipated pricing structure for purchasing in October to know if this pre purchase price if a good deal...if true. I'd also like to know the price for students and ultimate steal deals. I wonder if those will be released when the other prices are disclosed soon. 


BubblePuppy said:


> The difference between the two?
> Not bad $$.
> W7 Prof. might be in my future.
> Wonder what Ultimate Steal will be offering?
> ...


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Hansen said:


> Good questions. I need to look at the differences too. At $50 per license for Home Premium, that could be a really economically way to upgrade 2 if not 3 of my systems. I think we need to see the anticipated pricing structure for purchasing in October to know if this pre purchase price if a good deal...if true. I'd also like to know the price for students and ultimate steal deals. I wonder if those will be released when the other prices are disclosed soon.


When I bought Office 2007 Ultimate, thru Ultimate Steal, the license was good for two installations. Hopefully the same will hold true for W7.


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

I've installed Office 2007 from Ultimate steal on two computers, but at least 5+ times altogether. Works like a charm


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

ncxcstud said:


> I've installed Office 2007 from Ultimate steal on two computers,* but at least 5+ times altogether*. Works like a charm


:eek2: How?


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

If your PC's basic configuration doesn't change, there should never be an issue with reusing your license.

The registration process looks for major changes... CPU, drives, MOBO etc., if it sees no major changes it accepts the re-installation.

If you are make a legitimate reuse of a license and you run into a problem simply dial the 800 number that will be provided. Tell them what you are doing. In all the years I have been doing this I have never once been turned down. Of course I wasn't cheating either.

Larry



ncxcstud said:


> I've installed Office 2007 from Ultimate steal on two computers, but at least 5+ times altogether. Works like a charm





BubblePuppy said:


> :eek2: How?


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## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

LarryFlowers said:


> If your PC's basic configuration doesn't change, there should never be an issue with reusing your license.
> 
> The registration process looks for major changes... CPU, drives, MOBO etc., if it sees no major changes it accepts the re-installation.
> 
> ...


I wasn't thinking about cheating, just about if I replace a computer with another.


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## Grentz (Jan 10, 2007)

LarryFlowers said:


> Where did you get this information? My understanding is that PC manufacturers like Dell and HP pay $25-$45 per license depending on versions. Of course they are responsible for technical support.


I can anonymously confirm that is about right for OEM bulk pricing. More towards the high end of that $25-$45 scale in most cases 

As you said, there is no tech support from MS though. The OEM has to provide it.


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

The only reason I've installed it so much is because of the Windows 7 beta and RC and a hard drive failure on our laptop...


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

That wasn't an accusation :lol: ... But yeah you can call them and tell them you got a new pc... happens all the time.



BubblePuppy said:


> I wasn't thinking about cheating, just about if I replace a computer with another.


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## DawgLink (Nov 5, 2006)

I like what I am hearing but I am still going to wait a few months for the minor bugs to be fixed


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

This OS is better than anything I have seen in years... in beta! I am already using it as a day to day production PC.

Larry



DawgLink said:


> I like what I am hearing but I am still going to wait a few months for the minor bugs to be fixed


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## Hansen (Jan 1, 2006)

Completely agree Larry.



LarryFlowers said:


> This OS is better than anything I have seen in years... in beta! I am already using it as a day to day production PC.
> 
> Larry


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

LarryFlowers said:


> This OS is better than anything I have seen in years... in beta! I am already using it as a day to day production PC.
> 
> Larry


I'm using it as my everyday OS on both my laptop and desktop.

Like it a lot and I love the look and feel and speed of the OS. My favorite part of Windows 7 is totally useless though . I love the fact that you can shuffle your pictures (all of them) as a background. I've got mine set to change every 10 seconds, lol


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

To me, the best things about WIN7 are the improved UI coupled with the improved performance, due to a smaller overall data footprint that Vista.

The MS rep at CES2009 told me the memory use was 40% less with WIN7 - a major gain.


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## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

So 7 is going to be better than the dismal failure known as Vista, aka the new WinME?


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

SayWhat? said:


> So 7 is going to be better than the dismal failure known as Vista, aka the new WinME?


I'm guessing that it will be much better, and far more widely accepted.

MS is also going with a smart migration pricing model, to encourage folks moving to WIN7.


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## ncxcstud (Apr 22, 2007)

Saywhat - 

After using both Vista and ME extensively...i can honestly say that Vista was NOTHING compared to ME.

Vista's major problems were more driver based than anything. ME just plain sucked big time. ME crashed on my at least 5 times a day. Vista has never crashed on me, and neither has Win7


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## smiddy (Apr 5, 2006)

SayWhat? said:


> So 7 is going to be better than the dismal failure known as Vista, aka the new WinME?


Windows 7 is pretty nice, it is a leap ahead.


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

As usual, uninformed opinion did more damage to Vista than actual facts. While Vista, an OS that represented a major rewrite of core code, functioned well and did what it was supposed to, Microsoft failed to stay on top of 2 things... 3rd party driver development and the bad press Vista got from uninformed sources.

As someone who has over 400 PC's running Vista without issue and not an XP box remaining, I can speak from reality.

That being said, Windows 7 represents an extremely high refinement of Vista.. improving on the core code, eliminating unnecessary built in applications and using the legitimate complaints people had on Vista.

In other words, a natural progression in OS development.

Windows 7 will be a hit and it should be. The best thing about the general euphoria surrounding the beta and RC releases is that the uninformed and those that hate all things Microsoft won't have a leg to stand on.



SayWhat? said:


> So 7 is going to be better than the dismal failure known as Vista, aka the new WinME?


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## rebkell (Sep 9, 2006)

LarryFlowers said:


> As usual, uninformed opinion did more damage to Vista than actual facts. While Vista, an OS that represented a major rewrite of core code, functioned well and did what it was supposed to, Microsoft failed to stay on top of 2 things... 3rd party driver development and the bad press Vista got from uninformed sources.
> 
> As someone who has over 400 PC's running Vista without issue and not an XP box remaining, I can speak from reality.
> 
> ...


Agreed. I skipped XP and went to Vista. I've been more than satisfiied with it. Windows 2K was solid and I basically hated XP, too much GUI, I had to use it at work, but never really liked it. Vista on the other hand was and still has been pretty well rock solid for me. My Vista is mostly used as an HTPC, but I run and compile C# and encode hours on end and it's been solid and I don't think I've ever had it lock up but one time and that was some whacked out driver for the Hauppauge HDPVR on the initial installation.


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## dave29 (Feb 18, 2007)

Like Larry stated, Vista got a bad name from driver support in the beginning. 

Vista is an excellent OS and is far from a dismal failure. I had Vista Ultimate on all 8 computers in my house, they are all but 2 on W7 now, and the only reason they are on W7 is because I like "new stuff".


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

Vista is fine since the kernel change with SP1, but it was a dog before that.
Far from being an excellent OS.


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## Ira Lacher (Apr 24, 2002)

What they need to do is provide some cheap price for upgrading XP users to W7. Otherwise, there will be millions of users who will be quite content to stand pat with an OS that's entirely reliable.


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

As I pointed out in post #18 of this thread... information from the leaked Best Buy Memo:

BestBuy memo that says Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade will be available from $49.99 and Windows 7 Professional upgrade from $99.99 through their website after 26th June '09 for a limited promotional period of 16 days. The editions customers buy won't be shipped until October however when Windows 7 is officially released.

If those prices aren't cheap enough, then I guess you will have to stay with XP.



Ira Lacher said:


> What they need to do is provide some cheap price for upgrading XP users to W7. Otherwise, there will be millions of users who will be quite content to stand pat with an OS that's entirely reliable.


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

In the past, the upgrade license was valid going back 2 revisions IIRC. If it remains the same this time, that would mean that the upgrade pricing would be good for an upgrade from XP or Vista, but not W2K. I guess that is the main question in people's minds. I would be very happy to pay $49 for an upgrade from XP to 7. I would pay more also, but be less happy.


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

So Larry - I guess Win7 Ultimate is not part of that Best Buy promo? Or is Ultimate not even a candidate for upgrade packages?


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

There was nothing in the leaked memo about Ultimate. Even Vista Ultimate represented few sales, with most non-enterprise sales being either Home Premium or Business Professional, so I guess that is why they are concentrating their promotional efforts on those SKU's.

I imagine their will be some promotion for Ultimate as well, we just haven't seen any price indicators.

Larry



Drew2k said:


> So Larry - I guess Win7 Ultimate is not part of that Best Buy promo? Or is Ultimate not even a candidate for upgrade packages?


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## Ira Lacher (Apr 24, 2002)

Why should I pay a hundred dollars for the retail version of Win7 Pro when I can continue to run the extremely stable RC candidate (Ultimate) for another year for free? At that time, if Microsoft continues to gouge for upgrades from XP Pro, I will cheerfully reload XP Pro on my desktop and abandon Win7 with fond memories.


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## Tom Robertson (Nov 15, 2005)

Ira Lacher said:


> Why should I pay a hundred dollars for the retail version of Win7 Pro when I can continue to run the extremely stable RC candidate (Ultimate) for another year for free? At that time, if Microsoft continues to gouge for upgrades from XP Pro, I will cheerfully reload XP Pro on my desktop and abandon Win7 with fond memories.


That is a common approach. I've left most of my computers at their original OS versions all along and haven't upgraded any to XP or Vista. (In fact, one has a free Vista that I didn't bother with.) 

I have two laptops currently running Win7. With the BestBuy plan, I might do an official upgrade or I might revert them back in a year--if they are still alive at that stage. 

Cheers,
Tom


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

ncxcstud said:


> I love Ultimate Steal  Can't wait what they will have for us


URL for the site? Never heard of it


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## LarryFlowers (Sep 22, 2006)

Google it.. it's a software site for students. You need an email address that ends in .edu or be on a list of certain colleges to use the site.



wingrider01 said:


> URL for the site? Never heard of it


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## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

I would be very happy if Microsoft would add operating systems to the software available through the Employee Home Use Program. I loved getting Office 2007 (with EVERYTHING) for $19.95 

However, I don't see this happening.


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