Of the many ways to buy Windows 7, the best deal Microsoft makes available goes to students, who can buy a downloadable upgrade version of Windows 7 for $29. However, a number of students have reported problems when trying to download and install the new version of Windows.
Microsoft says it is aware of several issues that people have encountered. Most common is the fact that folks can't easily go from the 32-bit version of Vista to the 64-bit version of Windows 7. "This appears to be a series of isolated issues that are often related to the user's Internet provider or installed third-party software," Microsoft said.
The company recommends students with products either get a refund or contact Digital River, the company managing the digital downloads, to try to get a physical disc with the operating system. In support forums, Microsoft technicians are also pointing users to a five-step workaround that is said to fix the problems.
Also on the podcast: The White House moves its Web site to Drupal; Microsoft opens up Outlook; Mozilla building a new social in-box; Facebook memorializes its deceased users; Amazon exits the wine business; and more.
Listen now: Download today's podcastToday's stories:
Students find problems with Windows 7 upgrade
White House Web site makes open-source move
Microsoft to open up Outlook data format
Yahoo Mail outages plague some users
Mozilla tries to build the ultimate in-box: Raindrop
Carl Icahn resigns from Yahoo board of directors
AOL names its post-Time Warner board
Nokia pushes back N900 Net tablet
The latest Android-based smartphone, the Droid, could debut as early as October 30, according to a cryptic countdown code on Verizon's Web site that promotes the new device.
The Droid will run the new Android 2.0 operating system on a 3.7-inch touch screen along with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The 5-megapixel autofocus and flash camera will offer both still and video recording. Wi-FI, Bluetooth 2.0, and GPS are there as well.
Some sites have already gotten their hands on the device, and are saying it's one of the best Android devices yet.
Also on the podcast: Sidekick data is coming back, Firefox is blocking Microsoft's .Net add-ons, Plastic Logic gets ready to release its new e-book reader, and Gartner tells IT departments to embrace social networking.
Listen now: Download today's podcastToday's stories:
Microsoft: Sidekick data recovery takes time
Firefox blocks insecure .Net add-on--awkwardly
Plastic Logic hopes there is a Que for e-books
Wolfram Alpha iPhone app is cool but overpriced
KaChing takes on mutual fund industry
Twitter co-founder's 'Square' comes into focus
Gartner: Growth coming after IT's worst-ever year
Wireless carrier T-Mobile USA has stopped selling all models of the Sidekick in the wake of a massive hardware failure that resulted in many customers losing their e-mail, contacts, and other data.
Sidekick customers had started experiencing problems connecting to the data network more than a week ago. Microsoft, whose Danger subsidiary powers the Sidekick service, said it was investigating the problems. On Saturday, Microsoft and T-Mobile posted an updated notice saying all data that was not currently on customers devices was likely lost permanently. And here we are--looking at one of the largest losses of online consumer data we've ever seen. We get an update from CNET's Microsoft expert Ina Fried.
Also on the podcast: Facebook's outage; Larry Ellison slams IBM; Apple and Google boards of directors continue to separate from each other; Miley Cyrus quits Twitter; and more.
Listen now: Download today's podcastToday's stories:
T-Mobile halts sales of Sidekick
Downed Facebook accounts still haven't returned
IDC: Spending on cloud services to hit 10 percent by 2013
Ellison rips IBM, shows off Sun-Oracle benchmarks
Reports: Hadron Collider physicist arrested on terrorism charges
'The Social Network' filming starts in Boston soon
OMG! Miley Cyrus quits Twitter via YouTube!
Google is building its browser, Chrome, the ability to tap directly into a computer's native processing power through software called Native Client. If successful, Native Client will help close one gap that separates Web applications from those that run natively on a computer's operating system. That would improve the competitive position of Web applications such as Google Docs compared to Microsoft Office--and thereby boost Google's Chrome OS project in comparison with Windows.
Also on the podcast: Don't shoot your iPhone, Windows 7 means cheap laptops, and the FTC tells bloggers to disclose their conflicts.
Listen now: Download today's podcastToday's stories:
Native Client in Chrome: Google flexes Web muscle
IE overall usage slips, but IE 8 gains
Windows 7 to usher in crush of cheap laptops
Macs and PCs found shacking up
Adobe pushes Flash video on mobile devices
More ads coming to mobiles via Google AdSense
Man arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot iPhone
Intel is creating, with Apple's apparent prodding, a new fiber-optic-based replacement for traditional copper-based computer connections to peripheral devices. Could it be the connection protocol for USB 3.0? Plus: AT&T calls Google a hypocrite, Microsoft lets you touch-type on a featureless blank slate, and more.
Listen now: Download today's podcastToday's stories:
Will Intel and USB make fiber optics mainstream?
AT&T calls Google a hypocrite on Net neutrality
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey invested in Foursquare
Nokia acquires 'social atlas' service Dopplr
Microsoft gets cleverer with multitouch screen keyboard
GeoEye gives look at Iranian nuclear site
Google adds anchor links to search results
The TechCrunch50 conference is in gear, and news from the event includes previous conference favorite Mint getting acquired by Intuit and Microsoft launching a new visual search feature in Bing.
Listen now: Download today's podcastToday's stories:
Intuit to swallow Mint for $170 million
Microsoft launches Bing Visual Search
Rogue ad hits New York Times site
Intel Forum preview: Moore's Law expressed as fewer chips
802.11n Wi-Fi standard finally approved
Intel reorg leaves EMC with longtime chip exec
Former Joost CEO ousted as chairman
Stephen Shankland reports on the depth of the Snow Leopard upgrade: It's not just 64-bit; the new OS X can run programs on the graphics chip, and has new facilities for handling multicore CPUs. Also, new dangers discovered from CT scans, the space shuttle docks, and wildfires encroach on technology in Los Angeles.
Listen now: Download today's podcastToday's stories:
LA fires threaten cell phone, broadcast towers
Apple's new OS geared for multicore future
It's official: Apple event Sept. 9
Apple, AT&T face yet another iPhone MMS lawsuit
Apple says it's not to blame for 'exploding' iPhones
Microsoft's Bing decides on bribery
Report: Wolfram Alpha to offer API for data feeds
Are medical imaging procedures always worth the risk?
Responses to the FCC's request for comment on how and why apps are approved (or not) for the Apple iTunes App Store came in at the end of last week. Today, we look at the responses from Apple, AT&T, and Google. Also: good and bad news for Pirate Bay founders; Snow Leopard ships early; Nokia enters the Netbook game, and more.
Listen now: Download today's podcastToday's stories:
Apple sheds light on App Store approval process
Apple to ship Mac OS X Snow Leopard Aug. 28
Swedish court orders shutdown of The Pirate Bay
Pirate Bay founders win debt-collection decision
Jailed SF network administrator faces fewer charges
Nokia gets into the Netbook game
Is it a hoax, a blunder, or a real leak that's telling us that an upcoming Apple tablet will compete with the Amazon Kindle? A Borders Books survey asks customers if they're planning on buying an "iPad" e-reader.
In other broken news, yet another Mac app goes Intel-only, Twitter may be shutting down follower spam, MySpace said to be buying iLike, Google explores Paris by tricycle, and more.
Listen now: Download today's podcastToday's stories:
Borders survey presumes a future 'iPad' e-reader
Adobe's next Lightroom to forsake PowerPC Macs
Ina Fried Interview: Judge orders Microsoft to stop selling Word
Mozilla nudges Firefox users to latest version
Twitter going after buy-more-followers services?
Huffington Post, Facebook sync up on social news
TomTom $99 GPS app heads to iPhone
After a week using the Palm Pre, CNET mobile phone reviewer Bonnie Cha tells us what she loves--and doesn't love--about the new smartphone and why it might be the first true rival to the iPhone (no, really, we mean it this time).
Also in today's podcast: vanity URLs come to Facebook; 2.8 million households are still not ready for DTV transition; Microsoft plans to discontinue MS Money this month; and more of today's top stories.
Listen now:
Download today's podcast
Today's stories:
Five of my favorite things about the Palm Pre
2.8 million not ready for DTV transition
Facebook vanity URLs coming this weekend
Google releases Quick Search Box for Mac
Apple finalizes PowerPC divorce with OS upgrade
Microsoft to discontinue MS Money
Rafe Needleman is editor of CNET's Webware. He's been covering technology since 1988, and has interviewed thousands of tech execs. He blogs at 
Leslie Katz is senior editor of CNET News' Crave blog, which focuses on gadgets, games, and all other digital distractions.
Erica Ogg keeps up on the latest consumer electronics and PC goings-on as chief correspondent for CNET News' Crave blog.
Jennifer Guevin is assistant managing editor for CNET News and focuses on science and green tech.
Josh Lowensohn writes for Webware.com, CNET's blog about Web applications and
services. 
