New cheap Windows 7 pre-order deals to compete with Snow Leopard?
Windows 7 is being talked up with nothing but the utmost praise. In that sense it’s the antitheses of Vista. In fact, Vista would have given a few limbs to have even half the positive press Windows 7 has been blessed with. But this doesn’t mean consumers will pay over the odds for Microsoft’s new operating system. So, with interest waning, could new cheap Windows 7 pre-order deals be on the way?
Windows 7 has been on sale as a pre-order for a couple of months now. However, the biggest discounts were halted very quickly after being offered, particularly in Europe. Microsoft claimed that all available units of Windows 7 at the lowest price point had sold out in the space of just two days. The half-price deal has now come to an end and Windows 7 will cost anyone purchasing it now a small fortune.
It may actually be prudent to wait. As Gizmodo reports, there is a high chance of further pre-order pricing deal prior to launch. Gizmodo advises readers to wait because they’ve “heard some stuff.” I haven’t heard whatever they have but I still think there’s a high probability of price cuts before the Oct. 22 General Availability release date of Windows 7.
This is partly because Microsoft cannot afford a failed launch. Rightly or wrongly, success is measured by sales, and Microsoft needs to guarantee strong early sales in order to push Windows 7 to the forefront of people’s minds. Poor early sales would send a message to mainstream consumers that Windows 7 isn’t an essential purchase, which would be disastrous coming on the back of Vista’s debut and subsequent years in the wilderness.
The pricing Apple has set for its new Snow Leopard OS could also force Microsoft’s hand. Apple is only charging its users $29 for a Snow Leopard upgrade in a deal that PC World reports will never expire. The prices Microsoft is now asking for upgrades to Windows 7 are likely to make most users decide to stick with XP or Vista until they actually buy a new system. After all, those two operating systems still work fine, the latter being fine after two service packs.
I’ve recently bought a new laptop computer with Vista pre-installed that qualifies for the Windows 7 upgrade. But if I hadn’t done so, I’d be keeping my hand in my pocket until new pre-order pricing deals were announced. If they don’t end up arriving then blame Gizmodo and not me.
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August 11th, 2009
I would quite happily upgrade all my machines to Windows 7, but not at the prices MS are looking for. Get a lot closer to apples price and we have a deal.
August 11th, 2009
Make Microsoft a hardware company with high margins and legally installable on a finite number of preapproved hardware you’ll support, and you might have a point.
Apple sells it as a package. Upgrades are only supposed to be on hardware they have already profited from. You aren’t even close to a one to one comparison.
Retail Windows upgrades are expected to be supported on hardware Microsoft hasn’t even sniffed extended margins. Most of them were cheap OEM licenses.
August 12th, 2009
If Windows 7 were like $15 a piece I might consider a upgrade from XP…otherwise…I don’t NEED Windows 7….it is just a unnecessary expense.
August 12th, 2009
Well the $29 is for an upgrade only. A full retail copy of OSx will set you back $100. I don’t expect MS to give Windows 7 away, but I still think, any more than $100 / £100 for a retail copy is too much.
August 12th, 2009
I agree Rimmer but my laptop has Vista and I have no choice but to go to 7.
The problem is I don’t like upgrades. I don’t know if it leaves Vista shit behind or not.
I have three laptops and one Gamer PC but I will only change one to make sure it’s what I want.
August 12th, 2009
ncaissie, just do a full install instead. You don’t have to have vista preinstalled to upgrade to W7. You just need the original vista license, if I am not mistaken. I believe W7 should even come with a transfer utility that lets you migrate user data & files across.
August 12th, 2009
Re: Transfer utility.
Both XP & Vista have it. I don’t know if earlier Windows versions do. On Vista, click Start, type “transfer” and select Windows Easy Transfer. For the keyboard challenged, it’s in Start – All Programs – Accessories – System Tools. It creates a series of 2GB files that contain everything you tell it – user settings, files, IE favorites, etc. Copy those somewhere like a USB or network drive. Then, on the Win7 machine, run the same program and tell it to read the files. Everything will be restored.
It works fine, but is slow. I’ve used it when re-imaging my wife’s XP machine (just doing a clean XP install).
August 14th, 2009
@Rimmer – Somewhat misleading. The $30 Snow Leopard is a full install and will work for anyone with a mac that has Leopard installed – basically any machine that is 2 years old. That will cover the vast majority of mac owners.
I’ve been using the RC of Win7 and love it…I will be buying an OEM copy of Home Premium. It is still a bit pricey (OEM should be about $50 IMO), but I cannot do without as I do not have another Win OS to put on this box and it’s my main gaming rig.
August 14th, 2009
P.S. Also forgot about the “Family Pack” upgrade – 3 copies of Snow Leopard for $50 to be used on machines with Leopard. Running 10.4? Family Pack is still only $230. 3 full OS’ (equivalent to Vista Ultimate) for any Intel Mac for less than $80 a pop.