Windows 7 seems to be getting some pretty positive reviews right now. I used it on one of my machines a couple of weeks ago and I have to admit, it was quite impressive. However, I think the price of Windows 7 is going to have to be pretty impressive too, if Microsoft want to reverse some of the damage caused by Vista.
I wrote about Windows 7 back at the start of November. It’s been a very popular post, with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of people landing on this blog each day; searching for Windows 7 pricing / upgrade information.
However, when you look at what they are searching for, you get a glimpse into the expectancy within the marketplace.
Windows 7 free upgrade?
Amazingly, 12% of people arrive here looking for details of a Windows 7 FREE upgrade for Vista users! However, almost 30% of people arrive here searching for information on a reduced Windows 7 upgrade price. In other words, whilst this is not a scientific study, it DOES seem that frustrated Vista users are expecting ’some kind’ of reduced upgrade option.
I think if Microsoft can match the improved performance of Windows 7 with a realistic price – it could work. However, as we head into a global recession, is there really a significant market for an OS that costs as much as a netbook or low-end laptop?
Related posts:
Yeah but vista ultimate was always impressive to me on a custom built machine. You want realistic build your own pc or notebooks. they come out to the same or less money then buying them off dell and hp. Plus they always stay with bios upgrades that dell and hp will never give you. Intel mother boards rock with default intel bios. And trust me it always stays new for you. I got my mother in april 2006. with a 2006 bios guess what my bios is 12/4/2008, And when your bios is new the pc is new. and all my drivers are 2009. ready for 7. Can’t do that with small pc makers. And just got informed from intel to stay tune for my january 2009 bios update soon to be released. to except newer cpu’s that did not comply with my motherboard now will hows that for realistic.
I’m one of the few, apparently, who’s been pretty happy with Windows Vista on my new laptop. It’s not like it blows XP out of the water or anything, but I have no horror stories about it.
Despite being happy with Vista, I’d like to upgrade to W7 when it’s out because of all the gushing reviews I’ve read already. If W7 is “lighter”, makes better use of my system’s hardware, and hogs less space/memory — why wouldn’t I upgrade?
I’m hoping for an upgrade option in the $80-$100 range. I wouldn’t pay more than that to upgrade from an OS I’m already happy with.
Thanks for some great comments!
I’ve now used Vista and The Windows 7 public beta on the same laptop and the speed increase alone is enough to justify an upgrade (in my opinion.)
I played with Windows 7 BETA today for a couple of hours on an Intel P4 with one gig of RAM. I was impressed, both with how fast it was and the ease with whick it installed and recognized all my hardware (except the modem). There are a couple of fancy visual effects which are nice (auto enlarging a window, the task bar preview of open programs, being able to peek at your dekstop with apps open) but the main thing that struck me was the speed. Granted I don’t have a lot of apps installed but what I saw “out of the box” was impressive. I’ve been using VISTA since the BETA days without much complaint . . . biggest pain was the UAC settings which I have disabled.
So Microsoft did everything they possibly could to shove Vista down my throat. I finally ended up with Vista a month ago when I bought a new laptop. If I had the choice, I would have gone with an XP loaded laptop. But, alas, I didn’t have the choice.
Since Windows 7 is basically what Vista should have been, why should I pay for an upgrade? Quite frankly, it upsets me even more that Microsoft’s solution to Vista’s problems is not a Vista update, but to rush a new release. I already have the damn OS you (Microsoft) shoved down my throat, but you won’t fix it now that I have it? What kind of price tag are you going to put on the Vista patch that should have been, as you dangle it in front of my nose?
Microsoft has a public relations problem here. I bet they don’t even care. They’re too big to be concerned. We’ll all come around in the end, anyways, because we have to use their software.
I wonder how well Linux will run on my new laptop.
I Hope that Vista Ultimate users get a discount for their paying more for their windows version…
I payed £264 for vista ultimate 64bit. Whilst i have had no major issues regarding anything that has been mentioned here, I agree that windows 7 should be a free upgrade for us vista ultimate users be it in a major service pack. I dont want to be left out cold.
I don’t think anyone is ever going to be 100% satisfied with anything Microsoft, but I AM going to pay the price wor win7 simply because I love it already and I am not the type who wants to deal with the hazzle of a pirated OS.
Microsoft just loves to give apple more things to make commercials abut.
3 apps may be plenty for current netbooks but by early next year more powerful netbooks will be out and people will just get the linux verson and either use as is or install windows XP on them.
Windows 7 is so great why is MS going to shoot it down with their dumb multiple versions again. If this happens then Apple wins.
I have been having trouble with Vista from day 1. I do tech support in my job, so I am aware of all the updates, antivirus and other precautions to ensure that everything is working as it should. After much trouble and a LOT of time, some things aren’t fixed. Shutting down my computer fails every time and I have to wait 1 minute to get another screen which prompts me to force the shutdown, and I cannot see the file extensions in the explorer, even after having unchecked “hide extensions for known file types’.
Microsoft should provide the upgrade to Windows 7 for free – I would consider that a fair move.
windows Vista is the Edsel of Microsoft.By thier own admission with the information about windowws 7.They should give us a reduced upgrade.