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September 5, 2006 7:44 AM PDT
Microsoft sets Vista prices, expands testing
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Near-final Windows Vista version issued
September 1, 2006 -
Vista debut hits a delay
March 21, 2006
Last week, pricing information had been briefly posted on Microsoft's Canadian Web site.
Then on Friday, Microsoft issued Release Candidate 1 of Windows Vista, a near-final test version of the operating system.
Pricing for full retail versions of the software will be Windows Vista Ultimate, $399; Windows Vista Business, $299; Windows Vista Home Premium, $239; and Windows Vista Home Basic, $199.
Upgrades from Windows XP are priced at Windows Vista Ultimate, $259; Windows Vista Business, $199; Windows Vista Home Premium, $159; and Windows Vista Home Basic, $99.
The company said it is broadening its existing Vista customer preview program. The program lets developers and other business users obtain prerelease code. Microsoft said it will expand the program this week to "technology enthusiasts" so that they can test the consumer-specific features of Vista.
Current customer preview program participants will be able to access the latest Vista test code beginning this week. Microsoft will open the program to new participants in the coming days, it says. Vista RC1 will post to the company?s MSDN and TechNet Web sites for subscriber download this week. In addition, Microsoft says it plans to distribute RC1 DVDs to readers of a number of technology publications worldwide.
As for Vista's launch date, the timing remains unchanged, said Shanen Boettcher, general manager of Windows product management. Microsoft is shooting to wrap up development work in time to ship the operating system to large companies in November and have a mainstream launch of Vista in January, Boettcher said.
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Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Microsoft Windows Vista Business, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, pricing
133 comments
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Generally people can get software at cheaper rates than the price quoted my MS. For example, with an educational discount, I can get Win XP professional upgrade for $59. or I can buy an OEM copy of Windows XP in $120-$140.. and I am expecting same for Vista... but I don't mind paying full price either.
Gates is smart. That scenario is something no other operating system ever had to contend with. What's worse is that MS knows about the threat and it will take a breathing corporate counsel about 30 seconds to formulate a theory that MS is liable for shipping a dangerous operating system that allowed a company's secrets to be stolen or a bank's customers to be robbed to the last penny.
Imagine, amidst the maelstrom of the Vistapocalypse, MS buckling to its knees as swarm upon swarm of corporate attorneys crawl up its quaking belly and sink their teeth into its neck.
Its way too exspensive for my blood. :(
Why am I(and most of the world) not excited?
This will be a huge flop. People are getting wise to the BS that MS shovels.
Most home users are fine with home premium if their machines support graphics!!! and the cost is couple of dollars more than xp professional edition. They should be fine with windows vista home if the graphics does not support premium edition.
However, most people would buy vista when they buy new machines!!!
$20/yr for vista home upgrade is no big deal.
$40/yr for vista home premium upgrade is no big deal if you really want the functionality.
$54/yr for vista ultimate!!! coule be steep but $54/yr is not bad if you really need the functionality!!!
NOTE: Vista cost would make sense only if it truly provides good secure stable platform and users don't have to spend couple of hundred dollars to protect the machine from virus etc!!!
Who knows!!!
system.
If Microsoft is going to (continue to) up the price of software
that much, then you might as well get a decent system for the
combined hardware/software price, for example, a Mac Mini
with OS/X and OpenOffice. Grant it, it's not Microsoft Office, but
for most people, it'll get the job done.
Charles R. Whealton
Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com
6 versions of the same operating system depending on how
much you want to shell out?? - Come on, you've got to feel
ripped off. There is ONE current version of Mac OSX 'Tiger'. For
$129 you get the FULL version of OSX 'Tiger' (aka Vista Ultimate
- $399) or for $199 you get a 'family' pack which allows you to
install Tiger on up to 5 Macs. Jeez don't these MS leeches have
enough money already?
How much do Apple change for each 10.x release? and they've been doing it every year on average, never again will I give money to Apple.
As a PC (& sometime Amiga) user for 20years+, had a Mac conversion when OS X betas were kicking around, did the whole OS9 -> OSX 10.0.0 through to 10.4.2, then went back to Windows on XP SP2 and now running Vista RC1. I'll never return to Apple, they're way too expensive for my taste and strangely enough in the 18mths since switching back I've never a crash or a BSOD.
I've seen kernel panics in OSX (Dual 2ghz G5, collecting dust). YMMV.
best
george
Means I won't be switching for my media center PC.
Highly priced by Microsoft, the abusers.
Let's all tell then to take it back,
Because we're all going to a MAC.
Really 359.00 is obscene, and I hope I can find a way to get Vista from a file share client.
I think 100-200 would be a fair price. But at 359, plus tax will make the price 400. More than my laptop cost.
Shouldn't MS at least keep the price competitive against this after so much that has actually happen with MS Home/Office/Professional. I say keep it as low as possible. If the low & high is not wide, it will win the buyer to the genuine product.Lowering the price does not actually hurts MS at all,in actual fact, it helps people to trust them more. So please MS, it is up to you to look at a price when we compare with the pirated product. So this is the best way to stamp out piratcy.
No Thanks..
Be realistic here and just don't upgrade.
And no, I am not going to rush out and buy a new computer, just so I can run Vista. I will most likely wait until my 2002 computer dies.
these users will need new hardware. A Mini would include new
hardware, a new OS with all the features of Vista, and a very nice
suite of applications and tools. Plus it could be 100% backward
compatible by running the old 98/SE/ME software license under
virtualization. After adding $159 for a Vista upgrade, a new Dell or
HP will be a more expensive option. If you go that route, don't
forget a video card capable of supporting Vista's new Aero GUI.
That means look for "Vista ideal", not just "Vista capable".
If a person buys a "Christmas WinXP computer", Microsoft is going to have some kind of Vista coupon program, to reduce/eliminate the upgrade costs.
Apparently the Vista ideal you speak of is going to be called Vista Premium Ready by computer manufacturers.
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/capable.mspx" target="_newWindow">http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/capable.mspx</a>
As for me, I like my operating systems preinstalled. I wouldn't want to buy a new WinXP machine, and upgrade it to Vista. I would rather wait.
there natively.
sanbill
and is there an office 07 and whats so good about it if there is
im not sure if its right or not, its based on curency excange rate, microsoft could change the price for us aussies(sucks to be us) lol but this should help 'mate' good luck dutchy5347
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/pricingretail.mspx" target="_newWindow">http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/pricingretail.mspx</a>
and OEM price for the same from Tigerdirect is $139
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=335900&CatId=672" target="_newWindow">http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=335900&CatId=672</a>
If same applies to Vista, it might cost much less than the prices published by MS.
Also, if you buy it preinstalled from vendors like Dell or HP, it will cost same as Windows XP and the overall price of the PC will be almost same as it is now
Users have to pay for MS/INTEL errors like USB, they have to pay for bundled and inbuilt software like IE-Explorer. The SW becomes fatter and fatter like an Dinosaur. But there comes the time where dinosaurs died which I does not hope for Windows
Personnaly I do not have any problems with MS-OS, because I'm still mainly use ME and NT4. I'm working at a small company. Complex Network structures are not required and security issues like big companies we do not have. Vista/XP is used by us for testing and on Notebooks only. In 2009 we will think about working with Vista. All I need is to have internet access, writing documents and developing fatless hyper fast disk imaging software powercopy for all PC-based computers.
I hope MS-Software, MS-staff and shareholders will come back to the roots soon, because I came up with fatless DOS, liking fatless Windows too.
Thomas
At that price I will not be buying the new OS for my main Windows system because XP works fine and I don't see any reason to give myself added grief when I finally, after how many years now, got XP working without having to shut the system down or it locking up on me (too often).
I don't see many people buying it but I could be wrong. There are just so many more important things that $400.00 can buy.
The days of the $499 Dell is gone hard to sell a computer for $499 when the operating system cost $399, computer companies will charge way more for 2 reasons, first is the price of the new OS, and then the increase in hardware requird to run this monster. 2nd prediction if Microsoft thought piracy was a problem before go ahead and roll out a $400 OS and see what it looks like after that. If I was one of the linux types I would steady wearing out a keyboard trying to code in a really good replacement for Windows, a lot of people aren't going to pay that much for an operating system that will be full of bugs, security flaws, and need constant updates, not to mention that within a years time they will have to release a service pack if nothing else to stop the never ending downloads of defender's updates. Somewhere along the way Microsoft forgot something, all your marketing is an operating system, it is not an application, you really can't do anything with it, and stop and think that by the time you put $400 in an OS, another $400-600 in other software so you can do something besides update Windows Vista, your looking at over $1,000 in software, now throw in that high end graphics card so you can get Aero, 1-2gb of RAM, a 250gb hard drive, then of course you have to have a DVD burner, light scribe of course, your looking at $2500-3000 for a home computer with out the printer, etc all the things you enjoy now. seems like me that computer companies got together with Microsoft and found a way to prop up the sagging computer market, or maybe, just maybe they manage to put themselves all out of business! I have been one of the testers for Vista, it's slick, fun to use the 3d flip, but when all that wears off, it's no better then XP, no where near as good as Windows 2003, lacks any useable speed thanks to daring inovations like a popup that comes on to ask your permission to even open notepad, Nothing in Vista is new, and you can do the same with StyleXP, and XP sidebar and keep the speed and all the software you have now, and the computer you have now, and most importantly, you can keep your money in your pocket, not Bill's!!