Microsoft Reveals North American Windows Vista Pricing

[Ranger REG]

Source: http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/abc6df7b-5182-4c8c-a210-83cbf0cee824.htm

We've broken down the price list for both the full version and upgrade for Windows Vista:

Windows Vista Business
Full: $299.00 Upgrade $199.00

Windows Vista Enterprise
Not Available For Retail Purchase

Windows Vista Home Premium
Full: $239.00 Upgrade: $159.00

Windows Vista Home Basic
Full: $199.00 Upgrade: $99.95

Windows Vista Ultimate
Full: $399.00 Upgrade: $259.00

For most users, Home Basic and Home Premium will be what you're looking for. Home Premium will have Windows Media Center built in, as well as Windows Aero. Basic is mainly for people with simple PC needs.

 

[Galethorn]

All I have to say is...

That's just obscene.

Guess they want to give the pirates even more incentive than usual to get a hacked and cracked version out there fast...

 

[Mycanid]

Ah well ... not much change. If MS pricing still remains the same for the employees you should be able to get these things from them for 90% off. Not bad if you know someone.

BUT as usual I will wait some time before even going that route and let MS go through it's normal 12-18 month flurry of patches until the OS becomes semi "stable". XP works fine for me at present, and many other people I know have no intention of upgrading. I knows boatloads of people still using Win2K and even '98.

We'll see....

 

[Shag]

Who ever pays for an OS? They come 'free' with a new computer. By the time this comes out just get a new box.

 

[trancejeremy]

Well, if you buy a computer from a store, yeah, it comes with an OS. But you are still paying for it (not to mention probably a $200-300 premium on top of that for it to be put together and all that).

 

[Ranger REG]

Who ever pays for an OS? They come 'free' with a new computer. By the time this comes out just get a new box.

Which is what I'm holding out, despite composing this post on a 6-year-old puter (P4 1.4 Ghz). But I have bought OS upgrades before, and they usually are around $100 (US).

Personally, there shouldn't be Home Basic and Home Premium (with the Media Center & Aero) packages. There should be just Vista Home (with the Media Center & Aero) for $100 (US) upgrade.

 

[Ranger REG]

Well, if you buy a computer from a store, yeah, it comes with an OS. But you are still paying for it (not to mention probably a $200-300 premium on top of that for it to be put together and all that).

If it's custom-built, yeah. But I'm guessing it'll be only $100 more expensive than the current packaging, if you're buying one of them mass-produced PCs like HP, Dell, Gateway, etc.

 

[trancejeremy]

You think Dell, HP, Gateway, etc. simply eat the costs of the OS? No, they charge the buyer exactly what they get charged (at the very least). Yeah, they probably get a volume discount, but the consumer still gets screwed.

At least these days, MS doesn't charge vendors per computer sold, not OS installed, like they used to.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

The real test will be if MS cracks down on the 'OEM' pricing like they have been hinting they want to do. Most of your cheap upgrades for XP are nominally supposed to be sold with new systems, but a lot of places stretch the definition or outright ignore it. If MS gets tough on that, people mihght actually be forced to pay for the boxed retail copies.

 

[Agamon]

All I have to say is...

That's just obscene.

Guess they want to give the pirates even more incentive than usual to get a hacked and cracked version out there fast...

A hundred bucks? That's the price of two non-top end games. How is it obscene?

My machine is pretty new, and I thought it would be kinda silly to wait for an OS to get it. I am purtubed, however, that I need to upgrade my video card to take advantage of DX10, but at least I only have the one. I'll get two next-gens once Vista is out.

What is Windows Aero?