Windows 7 Family Pack Dissapears For the Holidays

Notebooks.com ^ | December 5, 2009 | by Josh Smith

[Swordmaker]

If you were hoping to upgrade all the computers in your house to Windows 7 as a present to your loved ones, and let’s be honest an upgrade from Vista really will show you care, you’re going to have to pay extra. In a move that makes about as much sense for pleasing your customers as handing out coal filled stockings, Microsoft has discontinued the 3 license Windows 7 Family Pack.

WindowsITPro reports that stock of the discounted Windows 7 upgrade is already drying up at online retailers like Newegg; and though you can get it in some local stores, you’ll pay a premium for it.

This move really baffles me, especially when it seemed that Microsoft was on to something with their “Windows 7 was my idea” marketing campaign; they go and make a Balmer-headed decision like this. Seriously Redmond, If you want to keep your camp of Microsoft loyalists happy, make it easy and affordable for your heavy users and families to stay on Windows.

I’m Josh Smith and Windows 7 was my idea; Microsoft just wasn’t listening.

[allmost]

Yeah WTF. Don’t dig too deep ace. Your OS realley sucks...

[Nooseman]

how does mac sell its operating system?

[free thinker 03]

just another reason to own a Mac. We always purchased the family pack for our Apple OS upgrades

[allmost]

ouch...

[Richard Kimball]

Either as part of the system when purchased, as a single license, or as a family pack (five licenses.)
Unlike Windows, Apple does not have different levels of it’s OS. There’s not a home, ultimate, etc.
For Snow Leopard, the pricing was $29 for a single or $49 for a family pack. On a lot of non Apple sites on the web it said the license was for upgrading of Leopard only, but when I bought it, it didn’t say that anywhere on the packaging, and I didn’t find it anywhere on the license agreement, although I didn’t scroll the entire thing.

[SmokingJoe]

“and though you can get it in some local stores, you’ll pay a premium for it. “

Funny.
You actually pay less for it here at eStore.net:

W7 Family Pack - Home Prem Upg

Mfg: Microsoft
SKU: MSCD89824WI
MSRP: $149.99

Our Price: $143.26

http://www.theestore.net/product_info.php?language=en&currency=USD&products_id=1441737

But yeah, it's a bone headed decision, which is typical of Steve Ballmer.

[The Comedian]

Giving your family Windows is child abuse and/or domestic violence.

Good for Microsoft for fighting the scourge of family Windows.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[Swordmaker]

how does mac sell its operating system?

I bought OS X.6 Snow Leopard in a family pack of Five licenses for $49. It's still available at that price.

[Swordmaker]

Yeah WTF. Don’t dig too deep ace. Your OS realley sucks...

Uh, no, it doesn't.

[Swordmaker]

But yeah, it's a bone headed decision, which is typical of Steve Ballmer.

I agree... MS should have kept the family pack special pricing through to January at least.

[Nateman]

I enjoy reading about Microsoft putting on the squeeze, but that's only because I'm a Linux user.

[driftdiver]

Sure didn’t take long for the Mac weenies to start throwing insults. So much for that “its always the windows guys who start it”.

MAC is over priced and pretty. Its not for business.

[puppypusher]

I had an older Compaq Presario notebook PC and I attempted to load Linux on it everything worked except the WI-FI networking. Card.

I worked hours to get that to operate but NO luck.

Untill Linux can install itself and load all of the needed drivers I would stay with windows.At least you have a general Idea
of what to do if a driver fails.Linux is just to complicated right now for the average person.

Untill they make it easier to use for the average pc operator Linux will be going nowhere.

[Nateman]

...worked except the WI-FI ...

Been there. Some versions just work others I still can't make work. However I still like it for the peace of mind I have against viruses. I also like the technical aspect too, the command line is quite powerful.

[Harold Shea]

Linux user here too.

My wife says you`re gonna ruin that computer constantly
changing distros,heck its fun.About to settle on dual boot
SUSE + Ubunto

She won`t let me near the iMac tho

[reagan_fanatic]

I had a similar situation with a netbook I bought that had Ubunto pre-installed on it. I needed to upgrade the media player codecs to play certain videos on YouTube, and I spent the better part of three days trying to get the upgrade to work. Never could get it to install properly.

Linux is a nice OS, but until they make upgrades and installations as easy to do as Windows does, I’ll stick to Windows. I have Windows 7 now, and I absolutely LOVE it.

[41Thunder]

"Funny. You actually pay less for it here at eStore.net: W7 Family Pack - Home Prem Upg..."

After reading the reviews for eStore.net, I would prefer to keep my money and forego the headaches of dealing with this company. Average 2.5/10 rating. Can you say RIPOFF!!!

[Nateman]

I have an old HP Pavilion with a corrupted Windows OS and no recovery disk. I wiped it clean and put on Linux. When my brother in law tossed out a computer with a burned out mother board I took out the hard drive and stuck in it that old beast. It’s now got 10 different versions of Linux on it that I mess around with.

[Big Giant Head]

Linux is a nice OS, but until they make upgrades and installations as easy to do as Windows does, I’ll stick to Windows. I have Windows 7 now, and I absolutely LOVE it.

Are you talking about Ubuntu? There are several distros that update and upgrade quiet easily and simply. I take it you haven't gone all Tiger Woods on your Windows marriage in a while? While Windows 7 IS quite a bit like a Swedish supermodel, but it cannot swing a golf club if you like to swing with lovely Linuxes. I've done a lot with PCLinuxOS and it upgrades and updates easily from Synaptic. Installs all the free software easily and simpler than any Windows machine.