News - Full version of Windows 7 Home Premium to sell for under £65?

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British consumers could be in for a treat as Amazon UK suggests that Windows 7 will remain priced from as little as £65.

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Read more.

This is a positive sign, but only one that has appeared due to lack lustre posts and reviews saying the price is too high. I would wantto get Windows 7 Ultimate, but don't really want to spend over £100 pounds on it....

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Originally Posted by 3dcandy

This is a positive sign, but only one that has appeared due to lack lustre posts and reviews saying the price is too high. I would wantto get Windows 7 Ultimate, but don't really want to spend over £100 pounds on it....

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Ultimate really should have been killed off. The extra features it comes with (bitlocker) are not worth the extra price tag. Those features should instead have been included with pro to keep things a little simpler. Hopefully Microsoft will correct this in Windows 8.

£65 is a damn good price! Fingers crossed it stays at this figure.

Oh dear, i've a terrible fear that MS might do an apple and start charging for service packs :(

This is really anoying because buying a new version is often hard to do, and who here wouldn\'t apply a serice pack :(

This could really hurt the consumer if they are doing that, and the problem is, it makes sense.

constant income is what investors want not large pushes every few years.
they want to force business on to the software assurance schemes.

I just can\'t help but feel this is the croud cheering as Cesar was given emergency powers!

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Originally Posted by TheAnimus

Oh dear, i've a terrible fear that MS might do an apple and start charging for service packs :(

This is really anoying because buying a new version is often hard to do, and who here wouldn\'t apply a serice pack :(

This could really hurt the consumer if they are doing that, and the problem is, it makes sense.

constant income is what investors want not large pushes every few years.
they want to force business on to the software assurance schemes.

I just can\'t help but feel this is the croud cheering as Cesar was given emergency powers!

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I really don\'t think that will happen. After Windows Vista Microsoft are doing all they can to regain their image and ensure 7 doesn\'t fall in the same trap. Charging for service packs would be very damaging for them and their company image - after all why would people want to pay for corrections? You could however argue that Windows 7 is simply a service pack to Vista i guess.

Consistancy is exactly what companies want, and the gap between XP and Vista was not normal for Microsoft. XP SP2 was basically a new OS given away for free as a service pack. The delay in OS release won\'t happen again. Expect Windows 8 in about 3 years time.

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Originally Posted by Timmy!!!

Ultimate really should have been killed off. The extra features it comes with (bitlocker) are not worth the extra price tag. Those features should instead have been included with pro to keep things a little simpler. Hopefully Microsoft will correct this in Windows 8.

£65 is a damn good price! Fingers crossed it stays at this figure.

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Probably should have died, but it hasn't so could make do with this at a push....lol
Wish the price was more in the £30 like snow leopard, but here's wishing eh!!!

:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by 3dcandy

Wish the price was more in the £30 like snow leopard, but here's wishing eh!!!

:rolleyes:

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Yes but then you end up paying for a service pack which is NOT something that is wanted. Fewer platforms the better, and you want everyone to be on the most bug fixed version.

By putting a monetary contraint in the way, this can cause problems.

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Originally Posted by 3dcandy

This is a positive sign, but only one that has appeared due to lack lustre posts and reviews saying the price is too high. I would wantto get Windows 7 Ultimate, but don't really want to spend over £100 pounds on it....

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Ultimate is a waste of money. You don’t need Ultimate, you want Ultimate.

Are you going to use BitLocker? Do you speak several different languages – do you require multi-language support in Windows 7?

Home Premium or Professional is the one to go for.

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Originally Posted by Singh400

Ultimate is a waste of money. You don’t need Ultimate, you want Ultimate.

Are you going to use BitLocker? Do you speak several different languages – do you require multi-language support in Windows 7?

Home Premium or Professional is the one to go for.

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Precisely... in a somewhat odd way, we've gone full circle and are now back to the XP situation whereby you are virtually choosing between Home (Premium) or Professional.

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Originally Posted by 3dcandy

Probably should have died, but it hasn't so could make do with this at a push....lol
Wish the price was more in the £30 like snow leopard, but here's wishing eh!!!

:rolleyes:

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yep,but in addition to maybe cheaper/better* software you have been asked to pay premiums for Mac hardware.That would be easier to understand while the platforms were completely different (to PC) , but now ? Common.The same components but cost far more, why?

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Originally Posted by TheAnimus

Yes but then you end up paying for a service pack which is NOT something that is wanted. Fewer platforms the better, and you want everyone to be on the most bug fixed version.

By putting a monetary contraint in the way, this can cause problems.

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The major revision changes (10.5 to 10.6) are NOT service packs. It's the minor revisions that are the equivelent of service packs (10.5.6 to 10.5.7). The only problem is that Apple releases new OSes too often, so the differences between versions appears to be minor, more so with 10.6 than ever before

Microsoft used to do new OS releases very close togther as well remember? The only reason that changed is because of the botch job they made on "The Windows eXPerience" which was supposed to be a subscription based service.

Yes, Apple might be shooting themself on the foot by releasing the OSes so close together, that I agree with.

before I start, am I right in thinking that you can't upgrade an OEM copy of windows to a later version? Just looked on a couple of sites and could only find a full retail upgrade of vista for >£100.

If that is right, then I have never understood MS's policy on windows retail pricing. I presume the vast majority of windows sales come from pre-installed copies on Dell, HP etc... machines. Those companies are presumably paying much less than we can get even OEM copies for, and much cheaper than retail pricing. Are the people with pre-installed copies really going to pay >£100-£150 to buy a new retail copy of windows?? Actually, even if you could upgrade an OEM copy, again, who's going to pay £100? If they chose not to upgrade, those are lost sales.

Likewise, I presume the number of people actually building their own machines is relatively small these days (though obviously a small part of the windows market is still a big chunk of pie...) so would a price reduction really hurt that much? It would help fight Linux as well, which might actually be an option for people capable of building their own machines.

At about £60, I'm tempted to update the old spare machine I've got to Win 7 - partly as it would be nice to have as a full retail copy that I can use on another machine at a later date, rather than the oem copy it's got at the moment. I would never consider it at much more than £60-70 though.

I think my general point is that the price always seemed too high, and that I've always felt a lower price would generate more sales. Without starting an argument, there is the piracy thing and personally, I think there are people who pirate but wouldn't if the cost was lower. But there are also people who want but don't need a new copy/version of windows, but who have been put off by high prices.

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Originally Posted by GaryRW

before I start, am I right in thinking that you can't upgrade an OEM copy of windows to a later version? Just looked on a couple of sites and could only find a full retail upgrade of vista for >£100.

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You can upgrade, but you'd still have an OEM license - it just updates the license you have (eg, XP to Vista), not upgrades it to a Retail license.

It's always been cheaper to just buy another OEM license.

Of course, who knows this time. We don't have any OEM licenses, or at least the prices for them. Given the Retail pricing (according to this article, £65 for Home Premium), then it looks like OEM licenses will be limited to actual registered OEMs this time. Win 7 Home Premium Retail appears as if it'll be cheaper than Win Vista Home Premium OEM!

Ahhh - support. OEM is presumably based on the assumption the PC vendor will provide the support (or if self-build, then you're on your own).

Maybe that's why they have always charged a massive premium for retail copies. It's not that hard to install windows though, is it?

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Originally Posted by GaryRW

It's not that hard to install windows though, is it?

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No, no it isn't. But for the average joe out there, yeah it is hard and most of them wouldn't have a bloody clue how to even begin!

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Originally Posted by Singh400

No, no it isn't. But for the average joe out there, yeah it is hard and most of them wouldn't have a bloody clue how to even begin!

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Yes they would.

"HEY! SINGH! YEAH YOU! I bought this... like... Windows 7. The Sales rep said it would make my computer run faster... and umm, I know we don't get on well, but I'll buy you a beer, or something, if you could install it for me."