Windows 7 family pack and netbook upgrade prices unveiled
Microsoft has officially confirmed that a family pack edition of Windows 7 will cost $149.99. It’s also announced the price for upgrading netbooks to the full-fledged edition of the system.
The list price of the Family Pack will be $149.99, though some retailers had already noted they’ll be charging prices as low as $136.99. It’s not clear yet if that was a mistake or if the retailers are intentionally discounting the package.
As a reminder, this family pack works differently than an offer of the same name when Vista came out. That was only available to Ultimate buyers and allowed them to add Home Premium to other machines at $49 a time. The Windows 7 deal is for Home Premium only and is simply a three-for-one deal. It’s a significant saving on the full price of upgrading three machines, though similar discounts have been available through other offers such as the limited-time “pay now, get it later” deal.
One surprise in Microsoft’s announcement is that the family pack will only be available as a limited offer (limited by the usual mysterious quota). As always with such deals, where there is not logistical or physical limit, don’t be surprised to see it extended or made unlimited later on.
Microsoft has also solved the last major pricing mystery of Windows 7, namely the cost of upgrading from Windows 7 Starter to Home Premium. That’s likely to be one of the most common edition-to-edition upgrades because netbook manufacturers are likely to save cash by installing Starter, but users may feel Home Premium is necessary to get the “proper version” of Windows 7. Such upgrades will cost $79.99 which may be a tough sell to budget PC buyers considering the upgrade brings few significant extra features.
Meanwhile PCWorld notes there has been some disappointment among people who took advantage of recent cheap PC deals from big-name stores such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy. Many of the laptops on sale at less than $300 are not eligible for the free upgrade to Windows 7 that is being offered this summer to avoid customer simply delaying hardware purchasing. That’s because the laptops run Vista Home Basic, while Microsoft is only running the scheme for Home Premium and higher editions.
If you’re thinking of buying Windows 7, check out our original guide to the various pricing options on offer.
Related Posts:
