Best Buy leaked memo spills Windows 7 upgrade details
Move along from Vista, people. Nothing to see here
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A leaked memo has revealed that Best Buy will begin pre-selling Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system on 26 June in the US.
The retailer confirmed late last week the date people can start buying Vista-based computers and subsequently qualify for a free upgrade to Windows 7, when it lands in October.
Engadget has published a copy of the memo here. It outlines prices for upgrade versions of Windows 7 Home Premium ($49) and Windows 7 Professional ($99), both of which will be available via the Best Buy website.
It looks as though the prices listed may in fact be promotional offers, as according to the memo the program will only run for 16 days.
“Microsoft is launching Windows 7 in mid-October 2009. This new operating system isn't just a ‘Vista that works’ program — it’s a new operating system with improved productivity, functionality and creativity that uses less computer resources,” opined Best Buy, which seems happy to note what a big fat failure Vista has been since its lead balloon launch in 2006.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has confirmed to The Register that it has no plans to slap Vista Capable-style stickers on machines worthy of an upgrade from the unloved OS to Windows 7.
The company has ditched those marketing tactics after a heap of bad publicity and a lengthy lawsuit that continues to limp along in the US.
Microsoft said in an official blog post last week that it was readying its Windows 7 upgrade option program, but didn’t spill any further information.
When asked about the specifics of what constituted a “qualifying PC” for the upgrade program, Microsoft was unable to tell El Reg because, according to a Redmond flack: “This has not yet been defined.”
Despite that lack of essential knowledge, the software giant was at pains to note that any computers that had Vista loaded would be capable of running Windows 7 too.
Microsoft’s official date for Windows 7 to hit the shelves is 22 October. In the meantime, anyone eyeing up a computer will be pondering whether to postpone a purchase. Unless they’re a secret Vista lover, that is. ®
COMMENTS
Go ahead and buy Now
Dear Dierdre:
I'd buy now, just make sure the vendor HAS (in writing of course) a refusal and refund policy on the MS EULA. Once you get the hardware wipe the disks with a boot floppy with PC-DOS and process for your refund...While waiting on that, go right over a site such as:
www.redhat.com
www.centos.org
http://www.canonical.com
www.pclinuxos.com
Any of these are good and have different look and feel, but have the same underlying quality. Go ahead and download/buy their latest distro of GNU/Linux, and oh by the way you'll probably get 2-3 decent office suites, utilities tools, VPN software and the like thrown in for free as well from any of them.
I won't whitewash that there won't be a learning curve, there will, but it won't be any worse than that going from 98 to XP or XP to Vista, and you'll really only have to require your two employees to do it for this one last time as GNU/Linux doesn't force huge UI changes on you with every version. A nice bonus, expect to get a better part of a decade out of your two new boxes as a opposed to 3-4 years. Also while at it don't bother with Mac's either, though better engineered that the mainstream OS, they force you a price premeim that comes gratis with LINUX, also should you buy full tech support from any of these distro's your support will most likely more comprehensive than Apple or MS's.
Sincerely. Small Business Owner
Like I said before....
MS COULD have done the right thing...
Win7 could have:
No hidden files or rootkits possible
Every program install in ONLY their own folder in program files
Every program run in their OWN memory and if they go out they're done
No one but Win7 writes to c:\windows or the registry
No one access internet without permission
No DRM
Standard interfaces for devices (dvd, bluray, cd, tape, printer, scanner, video, etc.)
and on and on...
but they didn't...so win7 is more shite piled on top of ME2
Vista can be OK, but it's still annoying
A few months after Vista came out my Dad decided he wanted a new PC. Went to Novatech and ordered one of the PCs of the spec they were selling with Vista, but without Vista installed (I really don't like having install partitions and no media). We got an OEM copy of Vista separately.
It installed without problems, and to be honest was one of the most hassle free installs of anything I've ever done. Generally it's run fine, and I'm pretty sure it's been problem free. Mind you in hindsight I could have just thrown Ubuntu on and that would have been fine too.
Mind you on the flip side I did a lot of research beforehand to find out the exact specs of the box, and then to get proper Vista drivers for them all. I also made sure I had all the little fixes to hand for the things like the network config you had to tweak in order to get any suitable performance.
The thing I really hate about Vista is the way someone decided to move everything round, especially in control panel. I could have sworn I've seen some options/prefs/whatever in the default "Change blah blah blah" text list, but for the same options not to be available in old-skool icon mode.
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