Windows 7 pre-order pricing (Full versions: Premium £/?49.99, Pro £/?99.99)

[SimMike2]

Originally posted by: dslabby
Interesting article that answers many upgrade install questions. Too long to quote, follow link below.

Link to article:

http://www.vista123.net/conten...rade-paths-test-matrix

There is still the confusion about whether people are referring to "upgrade" as a verb, such in upgrading an in-place install of Windows, where all your programs and settings remain the same - which is what the above page talks about - or, using "upgrade" as an adjective, such as an upgrade copy of Windows 7. The word is the same, but they mean different things.

Since even many people who can do in-place upgrades of existing installs are going to want to do clean installs anyway, the question is how does the upgrade version of Windows 7 work. Unfortunately nobody knows just yet, but most people are secretly hoping they can do the old double-install trick that you can with Vista upgrades.

The big question is whether the upgrade version of Windows 7 can easily do clean installs without too much verification of previous ownership.

 

[moks78]

Originally posted by: lxskllr
Bump as a reminder. This is the last day of the upgrade pricing.

Last day indeed!

 

[Billyzeke]

Caved and ordered the professional today!

 

[ZetaEpyon]

Originally posted by: SimMike2
The big question is whether the upgrade version of Windows 7 can easily do clean installs without too much verification of previous ownership.

Paul Thurrott got the answer to this from a Microsoft rep, and the answer appears to be No.

http://community.winsupersite....that-work-exactly.aspx

 

[1Cheap2Crazy]

Originally posted by: ZetaEpyon

Originally posted by: SimMike2
The big question is whether the upgrade version of Windows 7 can easily do clean installs without too much verification of previous ownership.

Paul Thurrott got the answer to this from a Microsoft rep, and the answer appears to be No.

http://community.winsupersite....that-work-exactly.aspx

Thanks for the link.

In order to install the upgrade version of Windows 7, you must have a qualifying Windows operating system installed and activated. You cannot install an upgrade version of Windows 7 on a blank hard drive. The installation procedure does not ask you to insert a Windows disc in the drive for verification, the actual qualifying operating system must be installed.

So if I have to do a reinstall 6 months later, I have to first install XP?! Maybe I'll cancel my order come October.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: 1Cheap2Crazy

So if I have to do a reinstall 6 months later, I have to first install XP?! Maybe I'll cancel my order come October.

It's a nuisance, but not that big a deal imo. Who knows, a workaround might appear by the time it's released..

 

[qliveur]

I don't see it as that big of a deal, either.

OK, dumb question: how are people getting an extra 3% off by using PayPal? Are they using a PayPal debit card or just paying through PayPal?

 

[tomatom]

+++> from KEZ-NEWS

If you are running an activated version of Windows 7 RC, you will be able to install Windows 7 from an upgrade disk without installing an older version of Windows. However, you will not be able to do an upgrade installation. Only the custom installation option will be available, which would carry all files on your current Windows installation over to Windows 7 and store it in a folder called windows.old.

Microsoft has continually discouraged upgrade installations from an older Windows 7 build to a newer build. In the RC, the upgrade installation option was disabled if you were running the installation from an older Windows 7 build. However, making a simple edit to the cversion.ini file located on the Windows 7 installation disk would allow you to do so. Microsoft even posted this workaround for those who really wanted to upgrade to the RC from a previous build. The latest RTM candidate build issued to top partners, build 7264, still contains the cversion.ini file, although there is nothing inside. But the fact that the file still exists on the installation image may suggest that this workaround will continue to be possible in the final version of Windows 7.

Even though it will be possible to upgrade, Silverman claims that this could only be done once. If you?ve upgraded from the RC using the Windows 7 upgrade disk and decide to do a clean install of Windows 7 again, you?ll first need to install an older version of Windows.

 

[Athena]

Originally posted by: SimMike2
Since even many people who can do in-place upgrades of existing installs are going to want to do clean installs anyway, the question is how does the upgrade version of Windows 7 work.

The big question is whether the upgrade version of Windows 7 can easily do clean installs without too much verification of previous ownership.

According to this article, the installer looks for an activated Windows Vista or XP license. If it finds one, it will up-grade in place or do a clean install leaving the old system in a Windows.Old folder. I have yet to see anything that indicates it will be possible to "upgrade" onto a blank disk.

 

[qliveur]

Well, I went ahead and bit and got both a Pro and a Home Premium upgrade from TigerDirect with 10.3% bing cashback.

I just wish that I had bit when it was 15%. Oh, well.

 

[zagood]

Originally posted by: qliveur
Well, I went ahead and bit and got both a Pro and a Home Premium upgrade from TigerDirect with 10.3% bing cashback.

I just wish that I had bit when it was 15%. Oh, well.

Hmmm...it's showing 5% for me...

 

[qliveur]

I did the whole entering "video card" in the bing search window thing and followed the sponsored link. It showed up as 10.3%.

 

[gpgofast]

Most of the banter around needing to have an activated Windows installation is just noise to me for the most part. It will be a minor PITA, but using a disk imaging software (like Acronis True Image), once you have an installed Windows 7 disk, image the clean installation and restoration later is quite easy. I've been building all my personal machines with this philosophy for many years and it has yet to fail me.

I will more than likely be upgrading nearlly all of my machines. Windows 7 is currently running VERY well on my Lenovo Thinkpad Z61t and my Acer Aspire One Netbook (actually zippier than XP with 1 GB of RAM). I am in the process of installing Windows 7 on my wifes Dell Studio 17. I had it installed on my Q6600 Desktop, but am currently only running Vista Ultimate on it.

Win7 Works really well in my limited experience, but I also had VERY little problem with Vista on ANY of my machines in the last 3 years. $50 to upgrade is well worth it in my opinion...most people spend more than that on Starbucks in a week...

My $0.02...GP

 

[RideFree]

Originally posted by: gpgofast
Most of the banter around needing to have an activated Windows installation is just noise to me for the most part. It will be a minor PITA, but using a disk imaging software (like Acronis True Image), once you have an installed Windows 7 disk, image the clean installation and restoration later is quite easy. I've been building all my personal machines with this philosophy for many years and it has yet to fail me.

I will more than likely be upgrading nearlly all of my machines. Windows 7 is currently running VERY well on my Lenovo Thinkpad Z61t and my Acer Aspire One Netbook (actually zippier than XP with 1 GB of RAM). I am in the process of installing Windows 7 on my wifes Dell Studio 17. I had it installed on my Q6600 Desktop, but am currently only running Vista Ultimate on it.

Win7 Works really well in my limited experience, but I also had VERY little problem with Vista on ANY of my machines in the last 3 years. $50 to upgrade is well worth it in my opinion...most people spend more than that on Starbucks in a week...

My $0.02...GP

As I understand it, about a year from now, you will be forced to do two 'clean' installs...
1. for Vista and another
2. for Win 7

Afaik, that is what Ina @ CNET is reporting.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: RideFree

Originally posted by: gpgofast
Most of the banter around needing to have an activated Windows installation is just noise to me for the most part. It will be a minor PITA, but using a disk imaging software (like Acronis True Image), once you have an installed Windows 7 disk, image the clean installation and restoration later is quite easy. I've been building all my personal machines with this philosophy for many years and it has yet to fail me.

I will more than likely be upgrading nearlly all of my machines. Windows 7 is currently running VERY well on my Lenovo Thinkpad Z61t and my Acer Aspire One Netbook (actually zippier than XP with 1 GB of RAM). I am in the process of installing Windows 7 on my wifes Dell Studio 17. I had it installed on my Q6600 Desktop, but am currently only running Vista Ultimate on it.

Win7 Works really well in my limited experience, but I also had VERY little problem with Vista on ANY of my machines in the last 3 years. $50 to upgrade is well worth it in my opinion...most people spend more than that on Starbucks in a week...

My $0.02...GP

As I understand it, about a year from now, you will be forced to do two 'clean' installs...
1. for Vista and another
2. for Win 7

Afaik, that is what Ina @ CNET is reporting.

if true - Keep an extra HD around with Vista installed; when you do the upgrade to the NEW HD, the installation will look for Vista and will find it and you can do a clean install to where ever you want

i do this now with my Vista Upgrade disk [and i disk image everything]

 

[krylon]

Originally posted by: apoppin
if true - Keep an extra HD around with Vista installed; when you do the upgrade to the NEW HD, the installation will look for Vista and will find it and you can do a clean install to where ever you want

i do this now with my Vista Upgrade disk [and i disk image everything]

or jump drive...

 

[Owls]

has Win7 showed up on Technet yet?

 

[Golgatha]

Originally posted by: apoppin

Originally posted by: RideFree

Originally posted by: gpgofast
Most of the banter around needing to have an activated Windows installation is just noise to me for the most part. It will be a minor PITA, but using a disk imaging software (like Acronis True Image), once you have an installed Windows 7 disk, image the clean installation and restoration later is quite easy. I've been building all my personal machines with this philosophy for many years and it has yet to fail me.

I will more than likely be upgrading nearlly all of my machines. Windows 7 is currently running VERY well on my Lenovo Thinkpad Z61t and my Acer Aspire One Netbook (actually zippier than XP with 1 GB of RAM). I am in the process of installing Windows 7 on my wifes Dell Studio 17. I had it installed on my Q6600 Desktop, but am currently only running Vista Ultimate on it.

Win7 Works really well in my limited experience, but I also had VERY little problem with Vista on ANY of my machines in the last 3 years. $50 to upgrade is well worth it in my opinion...most people spend more than that on Starbucks in a week...

My $0.02...GP

As I understand it, about a year from now, you will be forced to do two 'clean' installs...
1. for Vista and another
2. for Win 7

Afaik, that is what Ina @ CNET is reporting.

if true - Keep an extra HD around with Vista installed; when you do the upgrade to the NEW HD, the installation will look for Vista and will find it and you can do a clean install to where ever you want

i do this now with my Vista Upgrade disk [and i disk image everything]

You'll have to pop the activated image of Vista/XP onto the hard drive you want to clean install Win7 to. Now the remaining question is do you have to run the installer from within a fully booted Windows with WGA active, or can you just throw an activated version of Windows on the drive and boot from the Win7 media to do the clean install? If it's the latter, I'm going to install WinXP Pro on my desktop, activate it, and image it immediately to have the smallest activated image possible for doing all my future clean installs.

 

[dslabby]

Owls,

Nothing on Technet yet. I have read in several posts it may be as early as tomorrow after Ballmer gives his keynote speech or as late as 7/24. Will definitely be by the end of the month by all sources I've read.

 

[Caminetto]

Originally posted by: Owls
has Win7 showed up on Technet yet?

Microsoft says that MSDN & TechNet subscribers will be able to download the final version of Windows 7 a few weeks after RTM is announced.
That might mean two weeks or two months.

 

[dslabby]

From Neowin.com 7/21/09:

Update on Win 7 RTM availability, MSDN and TechNet August 6

Tom Warren 1 hour ago · 24 comments & 2327 views

Microsoft has just sent word that MSDN and TechNet customers will be able to get hold of Windows 7 RTM on August 6.

Windows 7 RTM will initially be available in English on August 6th and remaining languages by October 1st for both MSDN and TechNet customers.

Microsoft has released a time-line for RTM availability, English will be first followed by other languages:

* ISV/IHV - ISV (Independent software vendor) and IHV (Independent hardware vendor) Partners will be able to download Windows 7 RTM from Microsoft Connect or MSDN on August 6th.
* Partner Program Gold/Certified Members - August 16th. By October 1st, the remaining languages will become available to download.
* Action Pack Subscribers - August 23rd. By October 1st, the remaining languages will become available to download.
* OEMs - Approximately 2 days after Microsoft officially RTM
* Volume License with Software Assurance - August 7th via the Volume License Service Center (VLSC). The rest of the languages for Windows 7 RTM should be available within a couple of weeks after that.
* Volume License without Software Assurance - September 1 (downloadable from the Volume License Service Center)
* MSDN/TechNet - August 6th and remaining languages by October 1st.
* Everyone else - October 22nd, general availability date.



Microsoft also confirmed there is no special deal or "thank you" for Windows 7 testers. The special pre-order pricing was "done with our beta testers in mind" according to Brandon LeBlanc.

Microsoft have not confirmed the RTM build number or when exactly they plan to announce the official RTM so the wait continues.

:frown:

http://windowsteamblog.com/blo...get-windows-7-rtm.aspx

http://www.neowin.net/news/mai...n-and-technet-august-6

 

[Schmide]

Ha - I downloaded and installed from MSDN yesterday.

Edit: After rereading I thought it came out today. My bad. Aug 6 it is.

 

[dslabby]

The final version is not yet on either Technet or MSDN for download, only the release candidate is currently available. Just checked both and it's still not there. If you got it, someone goofed. Ballmer will not be pleased.

Schmide,

Your edit beat my reply by about a minute. Yeah, we wait.

 

[dslabby]

Windows 7 OFFICIALLY was released to manufacturing this afternoon according to a Microsoft Partner email I just received. The build is 7600.16385.090713-1255.

This is 2 days earlier than the other announcements from the Windows Team Blog was giving for RTM, maybe TechNet and MSDN get it a little earlier than announced, we'll see.


This from Neowin.com:

Microsoft announces Windows 7 RTM, MGX details

Tom Warren 6 hours ago · 87 comments & 9731 views
Advertisement (Why?)
Microsoft officially confirmed today that it has finished Windows 7 and released the final build to manufacturing (RTM).

Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer at Microsoft, confirmed that Microsoft has finalised Windows 7 during his speech at an employee conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Microsoft Global Exchange (MGX) is an internal Microsoft conference for Microsoft's global sales teams and evangelists. Employees have been posting updates to Twitter today.

Kevin Turner, Microsoft's Chief Operating Officer, donned the stage earlier at MGX claiming "in business, adversity is inevitable, but misery is a choice" during his keynote. It was also announced that Jim Cirone (east region evangelist) won the Microsoft Chairman award for his thought leadership on Silverlight. The award is handed out annually for innovations that have furthered the state of "engineering excellence" at Microsoft.

Microsoft also announced the investment of $9.5 billion in research and development for FY09. This is the most for any technology company and the Redmond software giant will not decrease its investment in FY10. The closest comparable company is IBM with $3 billion less.

Before Ballmer confirmed Windows 7 RTM, Bob Muglia proudly claimed that "developers are at the heart of Microsoft" after demonstrations of virtualisation in Windows Server 2008. Microsoft employees were also treated to SharePoint 2010 demos and Office 2010 running across PC, phone and browser. Later on in the day Bing was the focus with Yusuf Mehdi, Senior Vice President, Online Audience Business Group taking the stage with demonstrations of Bing's travel updates. Robbie Bach later took to the stage and demonstrated the Zune HD and Windows integration. New Windows Phone branding and UI was also demonstrated.

RTM (Released to manufacturing) marks the end of the Windows 7 alpha and beta phase and the product will now be officially supported by Microsoft's support channels and servicing. RTM does not mark the end of Windows 7 development though. Engineers will have booked their summer vacations but new builds will still be compiled ready for any hotfixes and heading towards the initial SP1 release.

Microsoft announced yesterday that the Windows 7 RTM build will be in OEM's hands "2 days after RTM" meaning OEM partners may have the build as early as Friday. MSDN and TechNet customers will receive the build on August 6.

7600.16385.090713-1255 is confirmed as the official RTM build, according to Steven Sinofsky "today after all the validation checks were met, we signed off and declared build 7600.16385 as RTM."

Let the leaks begin!

 

[SimMike2]

An important question about installing the upgrade of Win7 is whether it wipes our the validity of your current Vista or XP install key? So let's say you have problems a year from now and want to reinstall Windows 7 upgrade. You decide to install your old Vista or XP, because that is the only way to get the upgrade disk to launch the install, but your Vista or XP will not activate anymore because installing the upgrade wiped out your old CD key.

This kind of scenario might make the OEM disk better. At least with that version, you can do a clean install on the same machine multiple times. I'm not sure about the details of what I just said, so maybe someone can speculate further.

My advice is make image/backup files of your main OS frequently. Right now I have Acronis doing an image backup every Sunday morning at 1AM.