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Windows 7 is shaping up to be a very polished OS, but according to Dell, it will be much more expensive than Windows Vista or XP.  (Source: Microsoft)
Microsoft is looking to cash in on its upcoming OS's popularity

Microsoft appears to be making all the right moves with Windows 7 -- a revamped and slimmed sequel to Windows Vista -- which is scoring critical acclaim with the press and beta-testing public.  The OS is expected to be a hot seller, when it is released in October.  And Microsoft is looking to do everything it can to promote a bountiful cash flow.

DailyTech already detailed how the company sought to encourage customers to upgrade their OS purchase, by only allowing 3 applications to run simultaneously in the introductory "Starter Edition".  Now new details have emerged from Dell, via CNET's Brooke Crothers, indicating that Windows 7 license prices will be much higher than with Vista.

Darrel Ward, director of product management for Dell's business client product group, states, "If there's one thing that may influence adoption, make things slower or cause customers to pause, it's that generally the ASPs (average selling price) of the operating systems are higher than they were for Vista and XP.  In tough economic times, I think it's naive to believe that you can increase your prices on average and then still see a stronger swell than if you held prices flat or even lowered them. I can tell you that the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista."

For businesses, Windows Vista Business will be replaced with the more expensive Windows 7 Professional.  Mr. Ward believes that business partners will be turned off by the price.  He states, "Schools and government agencies may not be able to afford (the additional cost). Some of the smaller businesses may not be able to enjoy the software as soon as they'd like."

Despite his concern about the high prices, he says that interest in the new OS is strong and may carry adoption to new highs.  He states, "When Vista came out we didn't have the motivation to do the types of services that we're doing now. We didn't have the clear customer demand for such services," he said. "We do have a visible number of customers, large and small, who are actually waiting for Windows 7 and who have already put plans in place to target the transition to Windows 7, they're asking Dell for help. That demand and this opportunity is stronger than it has been in the past."

He praised the XP Mode feature and strong driver support as critical steps by Microsoft to winning business for the new OS.  He did, however, say that he believes the drivers for Intel's Active Management Technology, which allows remote access to PCs for security, maintenance, and management, aren't where they should be.  He states, "Driver readiness--it looks pretty healthy compared to the past. (There are) some things that haven't been worked out. The WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Lab) drivers for AMT VPRO is a little behind."

In short, Mr. Ward's remarks reveal intriguing insight into Microsoft's new strategy of boosted Windows 7 prices, and what one of the world's biggest OEMs regard as the new OS's greatest strengths.  With the glowing public reception of the new OS, it seems likely to be a hit at virtually any price, and Microsoft is eager to cash in on that potential.



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This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled

By cgrecu77 on 5/19/2009 1:36:15 PM , Rating: 4
all I can see is that they will be more expensive. for a company like Dell, an increase of $5 is a big deal, since they sell so many computers (and can't really increase a laptop's price from 499 to 504 ...

but for an end user, it won't make much of a difference i think.




By gcouriel on 5/19/2009 1:45:22 PM , Rating: 5
First off, the article doesn't specify WHAT the price increase is. is it $5 more per license? $10? $20???

Secondly, this article is literally a "cut and paste" summation off CNet's article (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10242555-64.html... titled "Dell says Windows 7 price is possible barrier". Nowhere in the title, nor in the article does it mention pricing.

a very poor article. makes me wonder why they bothered to even publish it.


By mcnabney on 5/19/2009 2:08:23 PM , Rating: 3
I checked both articles. Almost a copy-paste. If it was a term paper it would be handed back to the student as a zero.


By Bateluer on 5/19/2009 2:15:39 PM , Rating: 4
Its not a term paper and DT is not a school.


By xti on 5/19/2009 2:51:56 PM , Rating: 1
when it rains cats and dogs, a st bernard fell on me.


By mcnabney on 5/19/2009 3:19:33 PM , Rating: 4
Your right. Copyright holders seldom take legal action against students. The bar for academic/professional honesty is a lot higher for grown-ups.


By theapparition on 5/20/2009 12:26:45 PM , Rating: 5
DT is a journalism site, and if you knew much about jornalism, you'd know that most articles are cut and pasted from the original feed. As long as you give credit to the original author (which was done here), than it's not a breach of ethics.

Open your morning newspaper, and probably 3/4 of the stories are off the AP wire.

Get a clue, please.


By Smilin on 5/20/2009 5:44:15 PM , Rating: 3
Actually they don't copy from the AP they use the AP article directly...and they pay them for it.


By Silver2k7 on 5/20/2009 6:03:45 AM , Rating: 4
it might be acceptable, but there is no info in it :P

so what would a new retail Vista 2 (sorry W7) Ultimate cost ?

What would it cost me to upgrade from Vista Ultimate to W7 Ultimate ?


By TomZ on 5/19/2009 2:05:16 PM , Rating: 4
Obviously this "leak" is a ploy for Dell to be able to negotiate better pricing with Microsoft for Windows 7. And it is great fodder for news sites like this one to get page hits and ad revenue due to the "controversy."


By Jackattak on 5/19/2009 3:57:39 PM , Rating: 2
Well, you read the article and made a comment, didn't you?


By crystal clear on 5/20/2009 8:38:09 AM , Rating: 2
I think this is not a ploy/leak rather loose talk by one of their managers.

Doesnt impress/impact Microsoft in anyway whatsoever,as for the pricing.... expect it to be similar to Vista.

Windows 7 is Vista, just much better....

So its a much better Vista at the same price .

Keeping this in mind, the recession ensures that pricing will stay on similar lines/levels of Vista.
The motivation to spend is very low & nothing will change that.

Getting people to upgrade in recessionary times is very hard even with lower prices,so expect a slow response from the market.

Pricing for OEMs is done on the basis of hard core sales figures/marketshare etc & right now its HP & Acer that gets the best prices from Microsoft.


By G2cool on 5/20/2009 8:48:34 AM , Rating: 2
What's all this talk of recession? I thought we're in the middle of an economic downturn.


By crystal clear on 5/20/2009 9:17:18 AM , Rating: 4
In India & China yes you could call it a downturn - a general decline in business and economic activity but in the USA/EU/Japan it is a full blown recession.

Recession-A significant decline in activity spread across the economy, lasting longer than a few months. It is visible in industrial production, employment, real income, and wholesale-retail trade. The technical indicator of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth as measured by a country's GDP.


By crystal clear on 5/20/2009 9:22:30 AM , Rating: 3
Forgot to add this-(Joking)

A recession is when your neighbor loses his job.

A depression is when you lose your job.


By crystal clear on 5/20/2009 9:35:03 AM , Rating: 2
HP Chairman and CEO Mark Hurd said it was unlikely that corporate IT purchasing patterns would change in fiscal 2009. "We have customers that tell me, 'We're just delaying as long as we can until we have to buy,'" he said during a conference call with financial analysts Tuesday. "CIOs have been given marching orders that say, 'Take that infrastructure, keep the infrastructure running... be very particular about new projects you start, and if you can avoid starting that project, avoid starting it.'"

http://www.infoworld.com/t/financial-results/hp-re...

'We're just delaying as long as we can until we have to buy,'"


By Bateluer on 5/19/2009 2:14:57 PM , Rating: 1
I did not read the Cnet article, nor do I care if it the DT article was a copy and paste of it, so long as the information is accurate.

Regardless, if the pricing of Windows 7 is equal to or greater than Vista, people aren't going to be in a rush to buy it. Again, most people are perfectly content with XP.


By mfed3 on 5/19/2009 3:25:46 PM , Rating: 5
he said high but not "much higher" as you so eloquently put it in your article headline. way to admit you have no idea what the price will be or how much higher it could cost, yet mislead readers with an anti-microsoft headline.

ps. way to get owned on your own blog


By justjc on 5/20/2009 12:45:58 PM , Rating: 2
Actually he said that the average price would be higher. This fits nicely with the statement "For businesses, Windows Vista Business will be replaced with the more expensive Windows 7 Professional." and the price being the same as Vista versions.


By jonmcc33 on 5/19/2009 3:30:03 PM , Rating: 5
Yes, but quoting what someone else quoted of what someone else apparently said is heresay. No facts or any pricing was given so it's not exactly something to stand on or worth repeating, let alone putting on CNET to begin with.

Also I see a reference to retail pricing? Who gets those? The person that buys a Dell certainly will not. They will be paying for an OEM license and will not see any significant difference.

Sorry Jason, you screwed up on this one. But I must admit that I have enjoyed SOME of your blogs lately so you aren't all that bad.


By foolsgambit11 on 5/19/2009 6:43:56 PM , Rating: 3
I think you'll find, if you read what the Dell business division manager said, that he was concerned about business computers having to pay more for licenses because there's no option for a barebones Win7 business build like there was for Vista.

The issue isn't that MS is going to charge more for Win7. Dell did not reveal that Win7 will be more expensive than Vista. Dell revealed that they are displeased with the relative lack of 'flavors' of Win7 compared to Vista, especially for business clients.


By misbfa1 on 5/21/2009 1:23:46 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Secondly, this article is literally a "cut and paste" summation off CNet's article (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10242555-64.html... titled "Dell says Windows 7 price is possible barrier". Nowhere in the title, nor in the article does it mention pricing.


Yeah, except the CNET article gets right to the point in the first paragraph.


By AnnihilatorX on 5/19/2009 1:54:57 PM , Rating: 3
I still think Windows 7 is a bit too similar to Vista to be branded brand new with an increased price tag. Vista certainly required much more programming hours and general expense from Microsoft.


By Dark Legion on 5/19/2009 5:04:31 PM , Rating: 4
But Will Windows 7 be more expensive than Vista is NOW, or back when it was released? That can make a massive difference; Vista Ultimate has gone from $400 at launch to $175 now(from Newegg). So for example if Windows 7 Ultimate will cost $25 more than Vista Ultimate is now, it will be half the price of Vista at launch.


By misbfa1 on 5/21/2009 1:32:11 PM , Rating: 2
Yes, especially since Win 7 is suspiciously Windwos Version 6.1 and Vista was 6.0.


By ZmaxDP on 5/19/2009 2:24:48 PM , Rating: 5
Don't you just wish there was an edit option???


By TSS on 5/19/2009 7:33:59 PM , Rating: 3
i hear every time they even mention the word "edit" around the designer of this system he screams "BLASPHEMY" for 3 and 1/2 hours.

too bad that almost forces you to think before you post. it's a real inconvenience.


By ebakke on 5/19/2009 4:46:05 PM , Rating: 3
I'm not bitter at all... since I have to pay nothing to keep using my XP installs that perform beautifully.


By bety on 5/19/2009 5:52:35 PM , Rating: 1
LOL. "populist"??! I know that is the image they sell, but Obama is an elitest in almost every aspect. He certainly is deeper into corporate pockets than just about any president you've ever had, though he doesn't like that to be publicized obviously! I am sure that Microscam has considered this and is confident they can leverage him with some loose change!


By mcnabney on 5/19/2009 8:52:42 PM , Rating: 2
Considering he just resolved 30 years of CAFE quibling, I am sure an executive that doesn't carry too many markers can do a lot. All those Union donations that the Democrats benefit from... not the biggest fan of increased CAFE standards. Sure, he is a politician and does purely political things (torture picks, burrying Bill Clinton in Haiti), but he appears to be governing from the intellectual middle. That sometimes means bailing out idiot banks to prevent a fatal collapse. I am witholding judgement for a while. If he puts-up a far-left SCOTUS nominee I will start to have concerns. If it is a brilliant, left-leaning justice I will be happy. Time will tell.


By bety on 5/19/2009 11:35:50 PM , Rating: 3
That is fair enough, time will indeed tell. I simply have extremely little faith in the man's sincerity or goals. I think he is one SLICK politician.


By streak24 on 5/19/2009 2:33:56 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Dell Reveals Windows 7 Much More Expensive Than Vista, Worries about Price


Without actual pricing details, isn't the inclusion of a qualifier like "Much" in the headline a bit sensationalistic and premature?

Let me fix that for you...

quote:
Dell Reveals Windows 7 Average Selling Price is Higher Than Vista, Worries about Price


By jonmcc33 on 5/19/2009 3:37:26 PM , Rating: 2
If you are getting a $500 PC then $20 isn't going to be a big difference, especially when you won't have Windows XP as an option and the other option is Windows Vista - which I am fond of but many mistakingly fear. You get a better product with far longer support options.

If we're talking about tens of thousands in additional licensing fees I am assuming that you're thinking in the hundreds of thousands (if not millions) being spent for the hardware? Then you can't really be talking slashing IT budgets.

We're talking about OEM licensing when it comes to Dell. We're not talking about retail licensing. There's a difference in price between the two.


By Screwballl on 5/19/2009 2:23:58 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
but for an end user, it won't make much of a difference i think.


methinks we should expect at minimum a $50 increase per consumer level license... aka $150-200 for W7 Basic, $250-300 per Professional, $300+ for Ultimate...
for OEMs with bulk pricing this may only appear to be a $5-10 increase but for the consumer that is a big increase.

Of course this is Dell speaking, they will just cut another corner ($20-40) to save that $5-10 and still charge us the same...

now we just need to find the registry hack that removes the June 2010 expiration of W7...


By Regs on 5/19/2009 3:15:02 PM , Rating: 2
Are they're really going to be that many early adopters? Doesn't it take years anyway for companies to switch to a new OS?


By Jackattak on 5/19/2009 4:05:53 PM , Rating: 2
Vista came out in late '06. That was about 2.5 years ago. Many companies were going to switch to Vista but got hesitant when they found out the performance requirements were so high (like the company I work for).

When Microsoft made the announcement that W7 was on the way, the hesitant companies now all breathe a sigh of relief (especially after the killer RC) and are that much closer to being ready to upgrade.

The point is that we've been waiting for 2.5 years all ready and we're ready to do this. It will sell like hotcakes (although my company will wait for SP1, as I imagine most smart companies do with any software, particularly Microsoft products).


Runs counter to good business
By Bateluer on 5/19/2009 1:40:47 PM , Rating: 2
I think MS needs to remember that most people still view XP as 'good enough' and have no desire to upgrade their OS. They are set in their rut and comfortable with it.

MS should charge less than Vista for Windows 7. If they charged substantially less, this would spur adoption and increase their sales significantly.

Seems a lot of companies have trouble with this pricing concept. Sony, I'm looking at you.




RE: Runs counter to good business
By psypher on 5/19/2009 1:49:56 PM , Rating: 3
Why would they not keep the price structure the same as Vista? Vista is downright cheap as long as you don't get a retail package. Most people get an OS on a new computer and don't even see it as a price component. Geeks like us will get OEM copies from Newegg for about $100-$150. With the amount of investment/time/effort that goes into an OS, we should feel lucky that they don't charge $400 for an OEM copy.

I personally would be happy to fork over my $150 for a copy of such a great OS (The RC is seriously great. Stable as a rock). Fortunately there are many legal ways to obtain free licenses for some people.


RE: Runs counter to good business
By mcnabney on 5/19/2009 2:17:30 PM , Rating: 2
XP Home is put on netbooks for about $25.

Is Win7 six times better than XP. I would imagine that for 99.9% of PC users the answer would be, no.

Actually, we shall see what the market thinks pretty soon.

Netbooks will be available with Linux, XP, and Win7 this winter. The Win7 ones will apparently cost at least $50 more than their XP versions. I wonder which version will sell more?


RE: Runs counter to good business
By Bateluer on 5/19/2009 2:19:22 PM , Rating: 2
Unfortunately, it seems the Linux netbook market is in its death throws. At least far as retail models with Linux installed on them go. A quick glance at Newegg will show only a handful of models with Linux on them.

Although, in all fairness, I am certain a lot of people buying netbooks are installing some form of Linux on them, Easy Peasy, Ubuntu Netbook Remix, or the like.


RE: Runs counter to good business
By mondo1234 on 5/19/2009 5:05:24 PM , Rating: 2
Worldwide sales according to Newegg? You need a more reliable informant....


RE: Runs counter to good business
By streak24 on 5/19/2009 5:49:41 PM , Rating: 2
Actually, NPD reported a few months back that 90% of the netbooks shipped between Nov 08 and Jan 09 had Windows on them...so while Linux did well at the beginning of the Netbook boom, Windows has quickly taken a dominant position. However, I wouldn't exactly equate 10% of the market to mean "death throes" since Apple seems to be doing fine with their 10% of the PC market...

http://blogs.computerworld.com/study_windows_clobb...


RE: Runs counter to good business
By mondo1234 on 5/19/2009 7:04:41 PM , Rating: 2
Not arguing your point at all, but you do have to take into consideration that according to DT, the xp license price was a mere $15.

http://www.dailytech.com/Netbook+Windows+XP+Licens...

That may have accounted for the high numbers for the quarter. Its possible that dell may not be blowing smoke on license figures as I am sure MS will charge more for the Win7. I dont think linux is finished on netbooks at all. Linux did well at the beginning because Vista is too big, and venders switched to leaner XP. A price drop and a leaner Windows makes a big difference in sales. A little competition from linux is always good for the marketplace. I think people in this blog tend to forget that.


RE: Runs counter to good business
By 67STANG on 5/20/2009 2:41:20 AM , Rating: 2
What does it matter? At least 50% of DT's users are going to pay the exact same for Windows 7 as they did for XP and Vista, by purchasing it from The Pirate Bay, Mininova or ISOHunt.... $0.00


By Master Kenobi (blog) on 5/20/2009 6:54:56 AM , Rating: 4
Apple has 3% of the global market. It's only 10% in the USA.


By AnnihilatorX on 5/19/2009 3:21:32 PM , Rating: 2
OP You are comparing OEM bulk prices with customer retail price.


By foolsgambit11 on 5/19/2009 6:36:00 PM , Rating: 2
1. Please post a link to your Win7 system pricing source.

2. A 2.6GHz AMD Phenom II x4 is about $175. A 2.4GHz Quad-core AMD Opteron is about $1000. Is the Opteron really six times better than the Phenom? (It depends on if you need the additional features of the Opteron chip, especially in MP capabilities. Shockingly similar to if you need the additional features of Win7.)

3. Comparing which OS is a better deal/fit for netbooks is only part of the question. In fact, it appears Dell's primary concern is business users - who probably won't be using netbooks. Additionally, assuming Win7 really does work well on netbooks, at some point, it is likely that XP licenses won't be available anymore. So people buying systems will get to choose between Linux and Win7. And OEMs then will probably charge the same thing for both systems and pocket the difference due to Linux being a cheaper OS.


RE: Runs counter to good business
By xfactor91 on 5/20/2009 5:20:23 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Is Win7 six times better than XP. I would imagine that for 99.9% of PC users the answer would be, no.


True, but your are mistaken. Everyone compares Win7 and Vista to XP SP3 take a look back when XP first came out. Even though it was much better than 98 it still cost what 300$? and had lots of bugs to be worked out. I mean think about it from a different point of view. Give Win7 8 years and 3 service packs then wonder what the market thinks.


Rating/Voting system
By GreenEnvt on 5/19/2009 4:03:02 PM , Rating: 5
I'd love to see a ranking system on Dailytech where we can rate the quality of a posted story, and maybe have the blog posters average score visible somewhere.

Poor articles like this one, which take great liberties with what is actually known in order to make a sensationalist headline, should be discouraged.




RE: Rating/Voting system
By TSS on 5/19/2009 7:38:31 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Poor articles like this one, which take great liberties with what is actually known in order to make a sensationalist headline,


while i support your idea, you've basically described every news show/website on the planet right there.


RE: Rating/Voting system
By mikecel79 on 5/20/2009 4:14:53 PM , Rating: 2
Brilliant. This guy deserves a 6 even though I know he won't get one.


Windows 7...
By mattclary on 5/19/2009 3:28:40 PM , Rating: 5
...Vista's hotter, thinner sister.




RE: Windows 7...
By mondo1234 on 5/19/2009 6:46:45 PM , Rating: 1
lol

+1


Microsoft hasn't learned anything
By SiliconAddict on 5/20/2009 12:41:13 AM , Rating: 2
The more expensive you make a product that shouldn't be the more people will pirate it. Fuck you Microsoft.




By KCjoker on 5/20/2009 3:03:05 AM , Rating: 2
Here's an idea...if you don't think a product is worth the price don't use it. Just because you don't think the product is worth the price the company sets doesn't make it ok to steal it.


By Smilin on 5/20/2009 9:22:25 AM , Rating: 2
By your logic Bestbuy only deals in stolen Apples then.


Is increasing the price of Windows 7 right?
By bongsi21 on 5/20/2009 1:12:10 PM , Rating: 2
Is increasing the price of Windows 7 right?
"Who will buy an OS that has the same function but with only added function if it prices too high".

Microsoft's marketing strategy is good but not great why?
1st they have a failed product called VISTA they change its interface add some diamonds to a failed product to make it work and fix the errors: GOOD,
2nd they let the product be tried out to the market *which they use BETA and schemes like
*OH! Win 7 was leaked to torrents which they intently leak it to generate HYPE:GOOD

BAD: the Win 7 is VISTA in the main hall which VISTA users should be the one's who are enjoying the benefits of a stable Operating System.
SO WHERE IS THE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY OF MICROSOFT TO ITS CUSTOMERS WHERE IN NOW THEY'RE GONNA SELL A REVAMP PRODUCT WITH A HIGHER PRICE WHICH VISTA USERS SHOULD HAVE IT FOR FREE...




RE: Is increasing the price of Windows 7 right?
By Smilin on 5/20/2009 1:22:31 PM , Rating: 2
YOU ARE THE MOST ANNOYING SHATBAG I'VE SEEN ON DT.

EAT THE BALLSACK. EATIT!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!


By Smilin on 5/20/2009 4:45:04 PM , Rating: 2
uncl osed tags BAD.


Vista is still brand new but here we go again
By thebeastie on 5/20/2009 11:33:43 PM , Rating: 2
Vista is still practically a brand new OS and here is MS releasing the same thing polished all security updates built IE8 and DirectX 11. But no one seems to be saying how inappropriate it is to just release a new OS right after the other one when it is so obvious %100 of all these new features could be released as a service pack to Vista.. They have release full new versions of DirectX in the past...

Its just sad to see so many masses of people worshiping MS and ignoring this obvious reality that we should be getting these polished updates for free via updates on Vista, what happened to the good old days?

If we are going to cheer on MS all the way then I guess they may as well release Windows 7 for a $1,000 because we are so stupid and desperate, and aren't in the least be interested in hiding it!




By themaster08 on 5/21/2009 5:26:50 AM , Rating: 2
I do see your point, but lets look at the past:-

Windows 3.1 - Windows 95 = 3 years
Windows 95 - Windows 98 = 3 years
Windows 98 - Windows XP = 3 years
Windows XP - Windows Vista = 5 years
Windows Vista - Windows 7 = 3 years

As you can see, all of the time differences between the main consumer OS's except the one between XP and Vista are 3 years, so your point of releasing another OS right after another becomes moot.

Revamping Vista could be possible, but Vista was ill-fated and leaves a bad taste in some consumers mouths (for what reason, I do not know. I have absolutely no problems with Vista, the best OS to date in my opinion). Even with a revamp, it still might not be enough to entice those who hate Vista to switch.

It would be easier to just release an entirely new OS with a new name, that way people can forget about the name Vista altogether. That way everyone is happy.


By crystal clear on 5/21/2009 10:23:31 AM , Rating: 2
Win7 is/was targeted at WinXP users specifically & not for Vista users.

Vista users now have the SP1 & SP2 (currently RTM & via WinUpdates by JUNE) to download & install.

The SP2 could be the last for Vista as -

Bill Veghte, the senior vice president for Windows, told companies and organizations to drop Vista deployment plans "if you're just starting your testing" and instead "switch over and do your testing on the [Windows 7] Release Candidate."

So all said & done, the focus is on how to get WinXP users upgrade to Win7 that Microsoft failed to achieve with Vista.

Yes existing Vista users will feel exactly what you say,but MAJORITY of the buyers till NOW preferred to downgrade to XP from Vista on purchase of their computers.

Now NEW buyers prefer to wait it out till Win7 is released to OEMs, before making the purchases or wait for a free upgrade to Win7 from Vista sales campaigns.
Example- Acer

TomZ posted this comment about Vista-

So the problem really is a PR and brand image problem.

To summarize it-

There is NO compelling reason to upgrade to Win7 from XP or Vista,but the next purchase of a Notebooks/desktops/Netbooks etc will offer the Win7 as the O.S.WORTH upgrading to & NO MORE of that downgrading to XP like now....


So when did Microsoft announce the price structure?
By psypher on 5/19/2009 1:42:39 PM , Rating: 2
Last I checked, the price for Win7 hasn't been announced. Why don't we wait until that point before we bitch and moan...




By Sazar on 5/19/2009 3:18:00 PM , Rating: 2
You'd think that the large system integrators and OEM's already have an inkling about the pricing structure. Contrary to what you may think, large companies do have price negotiations behind the scenes :)


dumb
By Chiisuchianu on 5/19/2009 3:29:27 PM , Rating: 1
Bad move. Everyone is talking about and wanting Windows 7 and this will just turn them off and make them wait until it's able to be pirated. This is the same dumb move Sony keeps making: hype for PS3, everyone talking about it, boom: lame bundle or whatever..




RE: dumb
By gamerk2 on 5/20/2009 7:58:40 AM , Rating: 3
Worse, most companies like mine still run on Celerons and 512MB (or less) of RAM, so XP mode isn't an option. And again, there is nothin in 7 to warrent an upgrade from XP. Heck, XP mode simply shows how desperate M$ is to get people to change over.


By teriba on 5/19/2009 2:05:27 PM , Rating: 2
Most of the comments seemed to have missed a couple details in the article. The average price has changed because features have been removed or versions have been removed entirely and so consumers might have to move up a level or two. THAT is the cause of the price increase. It's not saying that each version is seeing a price increase.

The example they used was the Business version being removed and those customers having to upgrade to Professional which means that their cost is increasing, it doesn't mean the cost of Professional is increasing.




By TheMissingLink on 5/19/2009 5:50:43 PM , Rating: 2
I didn't know Dell still made crappy hardware.I thought it all came from China.Speaking of crappy hardware ,windows RC is running OK on my junky e-machine.Why would anyone wanna buy Windows 7 right away when you can keep Rc for almost a whole year?Besides,it will be those who shell out $$$ for windows 7 later this year who will be the microsoft's real lab rats till SP1..SP2..SP3...ciao!




Proper Translation:
By CrazyBernie on 5/19/2009 11:31:59 PM , Rating: 2
Dell: "Yeah, so we need to make up for some lost business."

Dell Employee: "How are we going to do that, Mr. Dell?"

Dell: "Simple: we'll jack up the prices of our computers, but we'll blame it on Microsoft in advance and let them deal with the flak."

Dell Employee: "Sir, but isn't that-"

Dell: "I'm not paying you to think."

Dell Employee: "Right."

Ben Curtis: *whisper* "Dude, you're gettin' a new job..."




Microsoft learning from Apple?
By Ozziedogg on 5/20/2009 1:27:33 AM , Rating: 2

It amuses me that the windows fanboys around here use the same excuses to justify a possible price hike for win7 as what they accuse apple of doing, minus any style arguments.

Dells warning may simply be a market trick to help swing public opinion and force a license renegotiation with MS, but im sure everyone remembers the starting price debacle with Vista. Imagine if Win7 is 20% or even 50% more?




Reality check
By Smilin on 5/20/2009 9:21:15 AM , Rating: 2
So the article makes no mention of what the price increase will be so it's essentially useless.

However Microsoft is overdue to increase the price of Windows. It hasn't changed in over a decade.

Windows NT, 98, 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, and Vista were all the same:

$99 - upgrade.
$199 - full.
$199 - upgrade to "pro"
$299 - full "pro"

Going a decade without changing prices works out to a yearly price cut once you include inflation. Nobody ever gives MS any credit for this and they gloss it over when talking about a monopoly. If it was such a horrible monopoly why did they never raise the price?




No thanks
By ipay on 5/23/2009 5:10:28 PM , Rating: 2
I love how every company that has a somewhat monopolish product likes to jack the price up, essentially taxing the common consumer so they can take our money and do whatever they want with it.

American is burning because every company and service wants to nickel and dime consumers to death. Bill Gates needs to stop taking American money and throwing it away to Africa and other stupid causes. Even the governments tax system is a joke.

We pay a whole lot of money just so a bunch of people can show up to the office to tell us that there isn't enough money to go fix the roads or the schools. Pathetic.

You human beings are so stupid and shortsighted. We are on the path to a major civil AND world war, but hey, as long as the water is flowing at this very moment, none of you really care. As long as your stupid family has some sort of roof over their head and enough calories to stay alive, that's as far as your worries go.




Win 7 prices
By croc on 5/19/2009 9:38:40 PM , Rating: 1
I predict that OEM licensing info will be released to OEMs in June, business licensing and retail pricing in July. In the case of businesses, it is the licensing model that will be of more concern than the actual fees charged. Per-seat model? Whole of business model?

As of now, I doubt that Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc. have any real information that's not under strict NDA - as they will all be negotiating their terms, the NDAs in this case will be self-imposed. I agree with one of the previous posters that this is a ploy by Dell to try to negotiate better terms, though I feel that it may backfire as MS won't like public airing of any details at this time...




Sad
By Einy0 on 5/19/09, Rating: -1
RE: Sad
By MScrip on 5/19/2009 4:07:17 PM , Rating: 3
And what did you pay for XP all those years ago?


RE: Sad
By mondo1234 on 5/19/2009 5:02:10 PM , Rating: 3
last time I checked, it is the same thing they are charging now. I dont think XP has gone down in price in a long time if ever.


RE: Sad
By Smilin on 5/20/2009 4:46:23 PM , Rating: 2
Prices have been unchanged since at least Windows 98. See above.


RE: Sad
By Smilin on 5/20/2009 12:22:24 PM , Rating: 2
Please use M$ or Micro$oft instead of Microcash.

It stands out much more visibly and allows us to ignore your 12y/o drivel with less effort.

Thanks in advance!


Windows will eventually be free.
By reader1 on 5/19/09, Rating: -1
RE: Windows will eventually be free.
By pequin06 on 5/19/2009 4:21:34 PM , Rating: 3
Dude, what do you smoke?


By Master Kenobi (blog) on 5/20/2009 6:58:12 AM , Rating: 2
Some excellent stuff apparently.


By themaster08 on 5/20/2009 7:03:39 AM , Rating: 1
Perhaps on your planet, but you forget, the rest of us are on Earth.


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