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Software Research Firm Says Vista Coupons Won't Help
Marcus Yam (Blog) - October 12, 2006 10:48 AM
Print E-mail del.icio.us 34 comment(s) - last by Zoomer.. on Oct 15 at 1:13 AM
Apparently discounted upgrades aren't as enticing as free ones

A week ago, we caught wind of Microsoft’s plan to include Vista Upgrade Coupons with new PCs sold between October 26 and March 15, 2007. Microsoft and its partners’ aim with this plan are to promote PC sales over the holiday season even with a new operating system looming on the horizon. But research firm Gartner believes that the upgrade coupons will do little to help sales.

One such reason to doubt the effectiveness of the upgrade coupons is that it isn’t free – most buyers will still have to pay to get Vista. It’s currently expected that only new PCs with Windows XP Professional, XP Professional x64 Edition and Tablet PC Edition get free upgrades. Most mainstream, consumer-level PCs are sold with Windows XP Home.

The cost to upgrade to Vista Home Basic is $49, and to Vista Home Premium is $79. Potential buyers could save themselves the upgrade fee simply by waiting a few months. Gartner also believes that most consumers will not be able to upgrade their PCs themselves and will have to pay a retailer or a reseller to do it for them, further upping the costs.

Click here to read the Gartner blog post posted by Annette Jump, Principal Research Analyst, where she explains why Windows Vista Upgrade Coupons are unlikely to boost holiday PC sales.

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Is there any reason to upgrade?
By Snoop on 10/12/2006 11:15:13 AM , Rating: 1
In the past upgrading MS OS's has been for a reason. I just have not seen anything that makes me feel like I need Vista.




RE: Is there any reason to upgrade?
By michal1980 on 10/12/2006 11:21:04 AM , Rating: 1
yes even in rc2, imho it feels as stable if not more so then xp pro.

some may disagree, but even with all the beta drivers i've been using on an overclocked system to have no crashes, or errors, or things lock up.

The under the hood improvements seem very very nice and stable.

Are there still bugs? oh heck ya, but its mainly small driver issues and quarks.

I for one am excited about vista. and I held out when upgrading to windows.

on the surface it seems like a 'minor' upgrade. but using it makes me appericate the smoothness more and more.


RE: Is there any reason to upgrade?
By h0kiez on 10/12/2006 11:41:24 AM , Rating: 2
Lol...quarks.


RE: Is there any reason to upgrade?
By johnsonx on 10/12/2006 12:04:15 PM , Rating: 3
mmmm... quarks.... what flavor?


RE: Is there any reason to upgrade?
By MarkHark on 10/12/2006 2:04:18 PM , Rating: 2
C'mon guys, it's just a typo. I'm pretty sure he meant "quirks".


RE: Is there any reason to upgrade?
By johnsonx on 10/12/2006 3:58:25 PM , Rating: 2
Yes, we KNOW it was just a typo. It's just a funny typo. Maybe you don't know what quarks are. They have odd flavors, but they're still tasty!


RE: Is there any reason to upgrade?
By aguilpa1 on 10/13/2006 8:51:36 AM , Rating: 2
I was thinking of the small sub atomic particles that have no relation to the Furengi on Deep Space Nine, myself


By Spoonbender on 10/12/2006 7:29:26 PM , Rating: 3
So we should upgrade from our *stable* Windows XP because Vista is... stable?

Dunno, I'd be more tempted if it offered improvements, rather than fancier graphics on what we've had for 6 years already.


By CornellFiggs on 10/12/2006 2:39:00 PM , Rating: 2
I agree, after playin with Vista, I see no "reason" to upgrade, at least not in the near future. The only benefit I can see from Vista is DX10 and gaming, which is what do.

Other than that, Vista is no more stable that XP, at least in my configuration and what I use the computer for.

Yes, it looks pretty, but I usually disable all that "pretty" stuff to get better performance anyway.

Vista is in no way needed, but as per usual with MS, it will shoved down our throats.


Upgrade
By Alphafox78 on 10/12/2006 11:05:25 AM , Rating: 2
I understand waiting a few months, but the argument that the average user wont be able to upgrade is a little silly. the vista upgrade is very easy, just pop it in and it does the rest. There can be some issues, but its fairly straightforward to do an upgrade from XP.




RE: Upgrade
By rushfan2006 on 10/12/2006 11:16:05 AM , Rating: 4
I'm a little off-topic I know, but just wanted to say I think its a silly move in most cases to UPGRADE to a new OS version from the old one -- especially a MAJOR version upgrade.

When its time for me to get Vista (which won't be until probably this time NEXT year btw)...I'm completely scrubbing my HDD, and I'll do a fresh install.

I just don't like the idea of OS *upgrades* and many years of experience have shown me that things more often than not go a lot smoother when its a fresh, full install and not an upgrade.


RE: Upgrade
By sdsdv10 on 10/12/2006 12:24:09 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
I'm a little off-topic I know, but just wanted to say I think its a silly move in most cases to UPGRADE to a new OS version from the old one -- especially a MAJOR version upgrade.


Not if you had to live with the atrocity that was Windows Me! Me Dell 8100 wouldn’t make it thru one day without some type of crash or lock up.
I bought the XP upgrade CD and followed the instructions. It was easy and everything has worked perfectly ever since (over 2 years now). However, there is really no point in upgrading this now 5 year old PC to Vista, of either "fresh" or "upgrade" variety.


RE: Upgrade
By johnsonx on 10/12/2006 4:01:56 PM , Rating: 2
It depends on how old and/or screwed up your OS install is. For customers I look at their install: if they have a relatively clean install, and/or a lot of apps that would be difficult to re-install, then I recommend an upgrade. If it's a mess, and/or everything they have is easily re-installed, then I do a clean install.



RE: Upgrade
By randomlinh on 10/12/2006 11:19:49 AM , Rating: 2
do you have any idea who the average user is? I have dealt with many different people, and there are plenty out there who are your average user who wouldn't touch the upgrade.

add on the fact a major OS change... and the fact the 'average' user has so much spyware and crap on their system, an upgrade would be utter chaos... so they won't even bother.


RE: Upgrade
By BigLan on 10/12/2006 2:19:16 PM , Rating: 2
Vista upgrades should be much easier than win upgrades have been in the past. It's not an over the top upgrade anymore, the existing windows install is moved to a separate location, vista is installed then the user's data and apps are added into the new vista install. This should also get rid of a lot of spyware problems as they'll probably be flagged as incompatible with vista so won't be moved over.


RE: Upgrade
By deeznuts on 10/12/2006 2:26:45 PM , Rating: 2
All the "average users" in my office are scared to install adobe reader. Imagine what an upgrade of the OS will do to them.

I'm not an IT person either, but I'm the de facto tech guy since it is my hobby.


By othercents on 10/12/2006 11:07:49 AM , Rating: 2
Most consumers are not waiting for Vista and even if they do get the coupon they won't know what it is for. Those people are are waiting for Vista are more than likely going to build their own machines anyways and the upgrade coupons are worthless.

If I was planning to get a new computer I would wait so that I could have a Multimedia PC with HDDVD or Blueray. I would also want the computer to be able to display 1080p on my TV.

Other




By bldckstark on 10/12/2006 12:17:12 PM , Rating: 2
I agree in part. Very few people I know have even heard about Vista. When I tell them I have been working with it at home, they don't have any idea what I'm talking about. When they ask me what is better about it they only thing they usually understand is that it looks cooler. They get glassy eyed when I tell them that only some PC's will look that cool tho, because of the video requirements.


RE: Unlikely to boost sales, but also unlikely to deter
By TomZ on 10/12/2006 12:19:31 PM , Rating: 2
I disagree - Vista look sexier, it projects the impression of providing new multimedia capabilities, and it has higher hardware requirements than XP. That is the formula for driving higher PC sales - just as XP did in the past.


By crystal clear on 10/12/2006 1:52:18 PM , Rating: 2
This is for TOM
If you remember the transition from 16 bit computing to 32 bit computing,then expect a similar trend from 32 bit to 64 bit computing.

Majority of the buyers/user are the Plug & Play types,a very few are the Do it yourself types.
This majority seeks a USER FRIENDLY solution & Convinience,
they dont wish to undergo the pains/hassle of upgarding.
This means pre installed VISTA machines ready to go is their
choice.
Convinience gets priority over sexy looks.
Formula for driving higher PC sales is PLUG & PLAY -VISTA
installed machines on the shelves up for sale.


RE: Unlikely to boost sales, but also unlikely to deter
By TomZ on 10/12/2006 5:10:18 PM , Rating: 2
I agree with you, that Vista is going to be mainly used on new machines, and that the retail OS upgrade market is not so important for mainstream users. But my point really was that Vista can help drive new computer upgrade sales. For example, someone with a 3-4 year old computer is probably thinking about upgrading soon. Why would they upgrade now if they know they can buy the same machine with Vista in just a few months?

Also, I would point out that while the retail OS upgrade market is not so significant, the potential business OS upgrade market is for Vista.

But, I disagree with you about 64 bits. The transition to 32-bits was a big deal for consumers, because it eliminated all the issues inherent with a segmented architecture. But 64-bits is NO VALUE ADD for consumers. Zero.

BTW, thanks for the "personal" reply (I think)!


By crystal clear on 10/12/2006 6:58:02 PM , Rating: 2
Yes that reply was for you (indeed).You are some of the few
on this site who has a grip on things.
Your response-
"Also, I would point out that while the retail OS upgrade market is not so significant, the potential business OS upgrade market is for Vista. "

The feed back I get from many IT managers is-NOT FOR THE
MOMENT,WAIT TILL SP1 (Vista) IS RELEASED.
In the EU, I get a different response-Brussels will not
let Vista into EU so easily,there will be problems.
So the business sector will not move into Vista so quickly.

About the 64 bit(your response)-
Those using WinXP 64 will
can move into VISTA without much headaches,the others (average users) ofcourse will have their share of headaches.
Will need a lot of Support services from OEM/sellers/resellers/MS.(wait & see)

AS for those serious gamers they will not touch VISTA for the momemt.
To summarize it I think -A Slow but Steady transition is more realistic.


Forced to upgrade
By L33tMasta on 10/13/2006 12:38:41 AM , Rating: 1
As a gamer I'm forced to upgrade. But as I use the PC2 more and more I'm appreciating what MS has done to make everything easier. Also when I get my 8800GTX RC2 will allow me DX 10 GFX.




RE: Forced to upgrade
By jabber on 10/13/2006 6:27:36 AM , Rating: 2
Maybe not.

Possible/likely scenario -

Uptake of Vista is slow - Games Developers bitch (as sales of DX10 games struggle or have to deal with huge amounts of customer calls) to MS and MS then relent and allow DX10 on XP.

Have to say some fancy new lighting effects in games are not really enough to push me to the expense of a new OS and graphics card just yet.

And you dont have to upgrade. I'm sure the games will run just fine in DX9.


RE: Forced to upgrade
By mindless1 on 10/13/2006 6:33:41 AM , Rating: 2
Absolutely, the average system is not a mere one year old. The vast majority of game developers cannot begin by excluding 75% of their potential market automatically. It will take some time, it wasn't so long ago many games finally stopped supporting Win9x.


Or....
By marvdmartian on 10/12/2006 2:44:02 PM , Rating: 2
The one option this article fails to entertain is that people DO have the option to do no upgrade at all! I mean, for the uber-geeks out there, the Vista O/S will be the newest, meanest thing that they just HAVE to have on their system.......

But for the average joe user, who buys a computer to do e-mail, ebay, and solitaire, they're not going to care which operating system they have on their system. And imho, they certainly won't do it if they have to pay anything, or anyone to do it for them!




RE: Or....
By mindless1 on 10/12/2006 6:19:25 PM , Rating: 2
yeah but if they're really an uber-geek, are they buying OEM systems? I tend to think the opposite, that the lesser inclined users buy 'em and are the least likely to upgrade an OEM configured system, with OEM software and drivers to Vista.

Consider that many of these users, when they want a video card driver for their old Geforce4, end up going to Dell's website to look for it! They are simply not equipped to handle an upgrade that most likely will void their OEM's obligations as it wasn't an OS shipped on the system.

For example, power supply fan dies, system crashes after running for 10 minutes. Call in to OEM, and OEM has then begin troubleshooting when it's found out they don't have WinXP on the system. Result- the choice is either that the customer gets no further support or can opt to do a clean factory install of the OEM XP when it wasn't even an OS issue. Maybe a good CSR tech will find this fan fault, but don't count on it- they tend to assume it's the user/software/etc that's at fault.


too damn $$
By FXi on 10/12/2006 10:55:45 PM , Rating: 2
Not buying this OS, at ALL at the current pricing structure.

Ridiculous, greedy and pathetically underdone. It's a half finished product, late and with 3/4 of the original feature list dropped. Yet the price is sky high!

Nice way to demonstrate why governments and judicial systems are so eager to penalize you. I mean if you have a monopoly and then rip off the marketplace for billions of dollars, while your executives are off buying multimillion dollar yachts, what are people supposed to think?

The pricing is just proof of MS's real inner self. Thieves...




RE: too damn $$
By Etern205 on 10/13/2006 9:19:37 AM , Rating: 2
The pricing are for retail versions.
OEM should be a lot cheaper.


No compelling reason to upgrade yet
By AxemanFU on 10/13/2006 10:10:42 AM , Rating: 2
Vista will be nice, and will have lots of improvements, but nothing that is really compelling for most people. Nothing that makes it more capable, usable, that is worth the substantial upgrade cost. It's like asking us to buy a new car of the same model when they changed the engine from a V4 to a straight 4, and the cupholders are new, and the paint color is a bit different, but your 3 year old car with low miles still runs great. Are you going to eat that initial cost just to have brand new? Most people just won't.

Vista does have some hidden costs: Cranked up DRM, and pitiful gaming performance.




By Zoomer on 10/15/2006 1:13:05 AM , Rating: 2
The worst is the messed up driver system.

Urgh. User mode drivers?


Upgrade may be a bonus if.....
By kilkennycat on 10/12/2006 1:21:04 PM , Rating: 2
... the upgrade does not invalidate the copy of WinXP shipped with the coupon. Dual-booting Vista/WinXP is a very likely MANDATORY scenario for many of those with existing professional applications, games and hardware to avoid any problems with either legacy software or hardware no longer having vendor support in terms of Vista upgrades, or delayed vendor support.

However, I expect that registering the copy of Vista provided in exchange for the coupon (plus cash, of course) will invalidate the WinXP installation. After all, M$$ must maximize their profits.




By VooDooAddict on 10/12/2006 3:30:32 PM , Rating: 2
Dell and Gateway will just make Win XP Pro as the default OS so they can advertise free upgrade coupons.

It will be more of an issue for Best Buy in-store sold PCs.




Smoooth
By Hydrofirex on 10/13/06, Rating: 0
"I'm an Internet expert too. It's all right to wire the industrial zone only, but there are many problems if other regions of the North are wired." -- North Korean Supreme Commander Kim Jong-il

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