Sellers are using the online auction house to hawk Microsoft's new operating system weeks before official release—but buyer beware.
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By Paul McDougall
October 4, 2009 07:25 PM
PC users don't have to wait until Windows 7 is officially launched later this month to get their hands on Microsoft's new operating system—it's already for sale on eBay and at cut rate prices.
A copy of Windows 7 Ultimate was selling for $167.50 on Sunday, while a copy of the Professional version was going for $132.50. Numerous other eBay sellers are hawking other editions, at varying prices.
Officially, the full version of Windows 7 Professional is $299, with upgrades going for $199. Windows 7 Ultimate is priced at $319, with the upgrade version at $219. The full version of Windows 7 Home Premium is priced at $199, with an upgrade from Vista or XP costing $119.
Some sellers are pitching retail boxed versions of the software while others, the majority, are offering registration keys that allow users to activate a previously downloaded copy of Windows 7. Microsoft has already released Windows 7 to businesses, so it's possible the sellers obtained access to the software keys through their jobs or other professional contacts.
Fry’s was running a one day sale yesterday for the Professional at 129.00.