Windows 7 upgrade scheme becoming clearer
Fujitsu has confirmed that it will impose an upgrade charge on customers who buy a Vista machine before Oct. 22 and then upgrade to Windows 7. The full details of Microsoft’s upgrade scheme are due to be unveiled this Friday.
Fujitsu joins several other big-name manufacturers such as Acer and HP in saying they’ll allow some customers to upgrade to Windows 7 upon its release. It’s part of a Microsoft scheme designed to keep manufacturers happy by avoiding the problem of shoppers holding back on buying PCs during the summer and waiting for the new operating system.
However, Fujitsu is the first to say it will charge the customers a fee for the upgrade, though it’s not confirmed the exact price. That appears to confirm that manufacturers will have some leeway about passing on some or all of the costs they incur in running upgrade schemes. It’s believed Microsoft is charging between $9 and $15 for vouchers which allow a firm to offer an upgrade – which will, of course, be far lower than the full price of a new copy of Windows 7. There’s speculation some firms may charge customers more than the voucher price figuring it still gives buyers a good deal.
Best Buy has already revealed in a leaked memo that it will start offering upgrades from this Friday. That’s heightened speculation that Microsoft will announce the final pricing for Windows 7 this week, the logic being that it’s much easier to sell free/cheap upgrades when you can tell people how much they’ll be saving. Microsoft has a news conference scheduled in Tokyo on Friday.
While the full details of the upgrade scheme aren’t officially confirmed, reports from the usually reliable TechARP say it will only be available for machines running the Home Premium, Business and Ultimate editions of Vista, with upgrades to the equivalent edition of Windows 7. Firms will be able to select the exact dates they offer the upgrades, but it appears this must be between June 26 and Oct. 22.
Related Posts:
June 22nd, 2009
Eh, I’ll stick with Windows ME…runs faster..less resources…and if you think you spent too much time at the puter ..it will shut itself down for you.