Free Windows 7 upgrade to be clean install only in Europe
Microsoft’s decision to release Windows 7 in Europe without Internet Explorer 8 bundled was an important one because it almost (but not quite) took the wind out of the EU’s sails concerning antitrust issues. But it’s also had a follow-on effect, and this one means European Windows 7 buyers will have less options when it comes to upgrading from Vista.
After seemingly getting fed up of the European Union’s stance on antitrust issues, particularly pertaining to the bundling of Internet Explorer with every new copy of Windows, Microsoft decided to end the argument in one fell swoop. It announced Windows 7 E, a Windows 7 made just for the European market, which is to be IE-less.
However, this has had a knock-on effect for consumers. We’re still awaiting official confirmation of the Windows 7 upgrade scheme, but John Lister speculated as to how it’s likely to go down. Anyone buying a Vista-powered machine between June 26 and Oct. 22 will likely be eligible for either a free or very cheap upgrade to Windows 7 upon its release.
Which is great because otherwise PC manufacturers are going to have a lean summer trying to offload computers with a soon-to-be outdated operating system. Simplicity is key to the whole operation, which is why consumers taking advantage of the scheme will be able to upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 with the minimum of fuss or bother.
However, in Europe there will be one key option missing: the ability to do an “in place” upgrade rather than a clean install, at least according to a leaked Microsoft memo on TechARP. While upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 is fine and dandy, upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 E is not. This requires a fresh install and the backing up of the hard drive which goes with it.
The EU’s stance against Microsoft has some merits but the arguments against bundling Internet Explorer in with the OS seem spectacularly stupid. And, as usual, it means us consumers are getting a raw deal, being denied the simplest method of upgrading that those in the rest of the world will be able to use.
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June 24th, 2009
The EU try to do what they perceive to be the ‘right’ thing but end up doing quite the opposite.
For example, foreign roaming rates. We all hate them, so the EU forced legislation to reduce roaming rates. Fine, that’s all well and good – vodafone even dropped them for this summer. Yet T-Mobile (my network here in the UK) is upping the prices of PAYG calls to compensate for this as of August, as I understand some other networks are doing. The EU has tried to do something good but ended up passing a cost onto the consumer.
The EU has put anticompetitive laws in place to stop people having a monopoly on markets. Fine. But when Setanta Sports went out of business in the UK, all the Premiership games they held couldn’t be bought by Sky (the company everybody who really wants to watch sports takes out because their coverage is the best) due to anticompetitive laws. Instead, Disney bought them through their ESPN sports broadcasting arm – which nobody here in the UK has really heard of nor owns. Consumers are either prevented from seeing 2 of the packages of football games for TV that the Premier League sells or forced to pay even more money for the privilege of watching them. The EU has tried to do the ‘right’ thing, but has just prevented consumers from getting the best service and prevented many from watching games.
Similarly, the EU has tried to do the ‘right’ thing by preventing anti competition with Microsoft. This is the wrong way to do this though, and Microsoft should be able to include its own software with its own operating system. There is nothing wrong with this – if anything it is beneficial to consumers. They should instead look to advise people of the alternatives somehow if anything.
I can’t believe some of these EU representatives get paid to do what they do – which seems to be ripping consumers off by doing the morally right things which often don’t make the best deals for the consumers.
October 22nd, 2009
Lol, actually for once I’m glad. This means i can buy an upgrade version (which is available for £30) and it will let me clean install! Thats the only thing that was putting me off the upgrade version!