Microsoft sets Windows pricing, upgrade programs

CNET via cnn.com ^

[normanpubbie]

(CNET) -- Microsoft recently announced retail pricing for Windows 7 that was at or below comparable Windows Vista prices, while also offering a chance for people to preorder the software at a substantial discount.

Microsoft confirmed that a program offering Vista PC buyers a free copy of Windows 7 will kick off on Friday.

From Friday through July 11, consumers in the U.S. will be able to buy an upgrade copy of Windows 7 Home premium for $49 or Windows 7 Professional for $99.

[normanpubbie]

IMPORTANT!!

If you have Windows 7 Beta on your PC, it expires the day after tomorrow! You need to upgrade it to the Windows 7 Release Candidate before it expires.

How to tell which version you have: If the lower right corner says Build 7000, you have the Beta. Build 7100 is the Release Candidate.

Free Upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 on new PCs
According to Microsoft, new PCs from Lenovo and HP will get free upgrades to Windows 7 when they are available. Acer is also offering free updates. No doubt other manufacturers will get on the bandwagon.

Installing the Release Candidate:
You can install the Release Candidate on any XP, Vista, or Windows 7 Beta system. The Release Candidate comes in both the 32-bit version and the 64-bit version. Find out which type of system you have by going to Start/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Information. If the System type is X86 then you have a 32-bit system. If X64 then you have a 64-bit system.

You can download the Release Candidate here. It will be an ISO file. Use Roxio, Nero, or Windows 7 to burn the ISO onto a DVD+/-R.

Obviously, you need a DVD-ROM or DVD-RW drive to install the Release Candidate DVD+/-R onto the computer.

To activate Windows 7 RC, you will need a free code key which you can get a number of places, including here.

How can I tell if my computer will handle Windows 7?
Get the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Beta here. Download, install, and run the program. It takes about 20 minutes to do its thing.

I ran the upgrade advisor on a machine that is several years old. The only "FAIL" I got was that Aero (transparent windows) would not run on my machine.

[Steamburg]

I wonder if their releases will be less buggy when Microsoft becomes an International Corporation headquartered in some more hospitable nation?

[RonboTex]

I wonder long it will be before the “Fuhrer” decides to nationalize them so we can have “government approved” software and monitoring on our PC’s.

[Yosemitest]

Who's gonna buy it?
Everyone I talk to, says they bought an Apple!

[NMEwithin]

Obamaware? :)

[camle]

funny how I remember how “plananed obsolescence” was a dirty word when applied to the automotive industry. it’s a way of life in computers....

[ShadowAce]

[marvlus]

later view.

[TomGuy]

I never could get XP SP3 to load on my system. I doubt I’d have better luck with Win7.

SP2 loaded okay.

[I did hear that SP3 causes conflicts with some drivers and dll’s.]

My XP SP2 works fine. I’m not sure why I would need 7. I haven’t read about any features that I can’t live without.

[Alex Murphy]

Ping to read later

[Bigh4u2]

I have the Windows 7 Release candidate (64 bit) installed now, and I can tell you it’s still ‘buggy’.

I’ve had numerous lockups and windows that just ‘sit’ there.

The other buggy thing (not windows problem though) is I can’t connect to the internet using USB using my Speed Stream modem.

I’m running a 5200 as a ‘router’ for two computers and the network connection will work with Windows 7, but not USB.

Seems Siemens doesn’t have a driver for 64 bit.

And I’m not going to buy another router for just two computers.

[Excellence]

Oh, I hope this works out.

[martin_fierro]

[Rodney Dangerfield]

WXP SP2 meets my requirements and does not use up as much resources as Vista, which is looking like it’s going to become the next “Windows ME” (Mistake Edition)

[rw4site]

I have already pre-ordered 64bit Windows 7. I’ve been using Win 7 Beta and RC since Jan. I love it. I suspect most problems with it are hardware related. I built my own PC after studying the hardware requirements for 64bit Vista. I’ve never had a problem with Vista and to date, I’ve experienced very little problems with Win 7. I’ve installed just about every software program I could possible use to test them and Win 7 has handled everything that will work on a 64bit systems.

I had a love/hate feeling for Windows until XP. I built my first PC for XP and it is still ready as a backup. The XP system will not handle Vista or Win 7. The PC I built for Vista is functioning just fine with Win 7. I have two new hard drives formatted and sitting on the shelf that will replace the current 4 hard drive setup I now have. When Win 7 arrives in Oct. I will remove a 74GB WD Raptor and install a 300GB WD VelociRaptor® for Windows 7. A 1TB WD Caviar® Black will replace the three slaves I’m now using. I’m looking forward to the retail Windows 7. I wish it were available now.

[LiberConservative]

I could never get XP SP3 to install on my laptop, either. Vista SP1 and 2 installed on my desktop with no problem. I’m moving to 7 since I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews and that it might be the best Windows OS ever.

[goldstategop]

I ran the Advisor and was told I can upgrade either to Windows 7 Premium or Windows 7 Ultimate. I am currently running Windows Vista Premium.

[normanpubbie]

I really like Windows XP. It has features that Win2K and previous lacked. By the same token, Windows 7 has features that XP lacks. For example, you can now burn files to a DVD and also burn an ISO file to a DVD. Using Windows 7 (or Vista), you can resize existing partitions and create new ones without losing data. XP did not do these. An eight-year old operating system is like an eight-year-old car. Maybe it's time to think about going to a newer model.

I never have used Vista. But according to everything I have seen, Vista is a resource hog and buggy. It didn't work worth a hoot unless you had 2GB of RAM. The hated User Account Control kept popping up. On my laptop, I have 1GB of RAM and Windows 7 zips right along. And the only time I see a "reminder" is when I try to install a new program. I've never seen it any other time.

I think of Windows 7 as the Vista Second Edition, with the nastiness removed.

If you are concerned that the install process might crater your system and you don't have a recovery disk (or recovery partition on your laptop), use Ghost or a similar program to make your own recovery disk or disk image. Might as well hedge your bets.

It is possible to dual-boot using both XP and Windows 7 on the same drive. I have both on my laptop.

Re XP Service Pack 3 installation problems: I installed it successfully on two machines but the third was stubborn so I abandoned the idea of trying to get it onto the third PC. I do not notice any improvement or even change on the SP3-equipped machines so who needs it? Of course, if you go to Windows 7, XP SP3 is moot anyway.

When you upgrade, you may have to reinstall programs (example Microsoft Office).

Another thing I just remembered. Windows 7 will not install on a FAT32 partition -- it has to be NTFS.

[RichardW]

I have experienced those lockups too. I have it on my laptop. Once it goes into sleep mode it just stops reacting and I have to do a reboot, then it works fine. Otherwise it looks promising but this “problem” whatever it is needs to be rectified. I have three Vista computers which have worked fine but I will probably migrate to Windows 7 anyway.

[antiRepublicrat]

Microsoft has come a long way. I remember some years ago Microsoft fudged the searches for “Linux” to point you to Microsoft products and reasons not to go with Linux.