MS To Offer Free Windows 7 Upgrade To Vista Users

crazyeyes writes "With Windows 7 set for release in Dec. 09, Microsoft is getting ready with their free upgrade program, which allows Vista users to switch to Windows 7 when it arrives. The folks at TechARP have consistently scored accurate scoops on Microsoft software releases. They have now revealed Microsoft's upgrade plans, schedules and even screenshots of the upgrade process."

Comments

Somewhere in Redmond...

[Arthur Grumbine]

Underling: Sir, here's the latest report on Vista Ultimate sales... it's pretty dismal.
Ballmer: Hmmm...I see. Alright, here's the plan: Revise the current Windows 7 Upgrade Program to allow OEMs to upgrade to Windows 7 from Vista Ultimate - for FREE! And leak this to the tech community right away!!
Underling: Uh...sir, pardon me saying so, but won't that appear as an obvious ploy to sell more of our most overrated - and least worthwhile - product?
Ballmer: Yes...you may be right. Those basement dwellers can be pretty sharp...hmmm...I know! Add that free option for Vista Home Premium and Vista Business! We should make up, in additional sales of those, what "loss" we incur with the free upgrades. We should be able to minimize that by frightening the OEMs with scary "Program Compliance" requirements. We can also limit large business deployments by restricting the number of upgrades per mailing address. Finally, send a memo to the developers: Remove all the previously most-desired-by-the-tech-community features planned for Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional, so that these features ONLY exist in Windows 7 Ultimate...
Underling: Right away, sir!
...
(Ballmer throws a chair at the back of exiting Underling)
Underling: Ou--I mean, thank you, sir! May I have another?
Ballmer: You'll go far here, son...

Re:Somewhere in Redmond...

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, they're (sic) is one thing more pathetic...

Re:Somewhere in Redmond...

[Skrapion]

Sure, prodding somebody because they made one grammatical error is a little trite, but don't you think bitching about signatures is (at the very least) equally trite?

Re:Somewhere in Redmond...

[mspohr]

You can turn off signatures in your user preferences. I did this years ago so I don't have to see all the crap people put in their sigs.

Re:Somewhere in Redmond...

[Dorkmaster Flek]

What about people who bought new PCs/laptops and didn't have a choice in getting Vista? My mother and my wife's sister both needed new laptops, and Vista was the only option without getting one of the more expensive "business" class models. Depending on how Windows 7 turns out, I'd sure as hell like to take advantage of this free upgrade offer on their laptops. Both machines have fast, current processors and 3GB of RAM, yet they take forever to boot to a useable desktop despite being brand new with fresh installs. My Vista experience thus far has not been impressive.

Re:Somewhere in Redmond...

[Anonymous Coward]

Great idea!

--
mspohr is a dumbass

Fool me once, shame on you

[EmbeddedJanitor]

Fool me 12 times, shame on me

Re:Fool me once, shame on you

[geekoid]

dos 1
dos 2
dos 3
dos 4
dos 5
Windows 1
Windows 2
Windows 3.1
Windows 3.11
NT 3.5
ME
Bob
95
98
2000
2000 professional
XP Home
XP pro
Media Center
Vista Home
Vista Home premium
Vista Business
Vista Ultimate

I've used all of those to some degree except Dos 1 Dos 2 Windows 1

Re:Fool me once, shame on you

[Anonymous Coward]

You're a brave man to admit you used Bob.

Re:Fool me once, shame on you

[ShadowRangerRIT]

Given that Win7 is supposed to have a smaller number of services running by default, and a number of optimizations to boot, you probably won't get worse perf on Win7. I can't guarantee better perf, but when you're operating with that little memory, *any* improvement in Win7's memory usage will have a noticeable effect (of course, if you are disabling unnecessary Vista services yourself you'll probably get a lot of the benefit).

As for drivers, you should be fine. They aren't changing the driver model for Win7, so Vista drivers will work with it.

Re:Fool me once, shame on you

[cheater512]

You seem to have forgotten DOS 6.

Re:Fool me once, shame on you

[powerlord]

GP forgot to mention NT4.

Can't fault a GP ... when you get to a certain age, memory is the second thing to go. .... I forget what the first thing is.

Re:Fool me once, shame on you

[Ralish]

Actually, 6.21 removed DoubleSpace, 6.22 reintroduced it under the name DriveSpace with the offending code removed.

6.2 had DoubleSpace and introduced various other notable bits and pieces. Scandisk, which I suspect many Slashdot readers are familiar with, was introduced in 6.2.

Just some useless and ancient trivia for you :)

Re:Fool me once, shame on you

[stonedcat]

That's what she said.

Re:Fool me once, shame on you

[BlueStrat]

And you forgot VMS -> NT versions -> XP -> Windows 2003. OK, Microsoft didn't write VMS, but they surely stole wholesale from it for NT when they hired David Cutler, one of its authors.

But that would be uneth...ummm...nevermind.

Re:Fool me once, shame on you

[commodore64_love]

Women.

downgrade

[theheadlessrabbit]

and when we get frustrated by windows 7 not living up to the hype, will we get free downgrades back to XP?

Re:downgrade

[theheadlessrabbit]

did I just get modded '-1 troll' for bashing microsoft on slashdot?

should I have included a line about chair-throwing overlords or something?

Re:downgrade

[Makarakalax]

This happens more often than you think. Just browse at -1.

Service Packs

[Anonymous Coward]

Aren't service packs always free?

Re:Service Packs

[CarpetShark]

Aren't service packs always free?

That's because the copyright has expired by the time they're released.

No News

[Xibby]

Similar to previous upgrade programs. The goal is minimizing the number of end users who may postpone purchasing a new computer because of the next version of Windows will be released soon.

Buy an eligible new PC with Windows Vista (Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate) and get a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it's released.

No free upgrade to anyone who currently has Vista, and the program doesn't exist yet so no free upgrade if you buy a new PC tomorrow.

No free upgrade for Windows XP...

Absolutely nothing unexpected here.

Re:No News

[langelgjm]

Ah yes, I remember this from several years ago. Our Dell came with Windows 98, and a free "upgrade" to Windows ME. I sure hope this time turns out better...

Re:No News

[davester666]

Are most PC's available now Windows 7 capable?

Maybe if MS introduced a sticker for which ones are...

Where did you get XP from...

[leetrout]

TFA blatantly says XP is NOT eligible...

* Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Starter Edition, and Windows XP (all editions) are not qualifying products under the program.

Misleading summary

[Wesley Felter]

If you buy a PC with Vista pre-installed after July 2009, you'll get a free upgrade to 7. Everyone else will still have to buy the upgrade. This is a common practice for software (I think they did the same thing for XP -> Vista); there's really not much to see here.

Re:Misleading summary

[rsmith-mac]

In fact, that's exactly what it says.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Program is designed to assist Microsoft's OEM partners in minimizing the number of end users who may postpone acquiring a new computer because of the impending release of the Windows 7 operating system

Re:Misleading summary

[vux984]

Luckily, PE had a great version without any CD-key crap or driver mayhem. It's rather sad that the best Windows versions are made by pirates.

Or you could have just used a newer genuine XP oem disk. SP2 and SP3 disks have SATA drivers, maybe even SP1 disks. If all you had was an original XP cd, you can slipstream your own XP SP3 disk pretty easily.

Or your friend could have made his recovery disk set and kept it after he bought the laptop, so that when this eventually rolls around, he's all set, and you wouldn't have had to fumble around for something that worked.

Or you could have ordered a replacement recovery disk set from the OEM. Granted its usually 15-20 bucks or so.

But its not like you don't have lots of options.

Re:Misleading summary

[Nimey]

Your BIOS is most likely set to have your SATA controller emulate an IDE example. Many BIOSes have this option. You lose hotplug, NCQ, and maybe some other features, but it's just the thing for compatibility.

Re:Misleading summary

[vux984]

Microsoft will have to have a pretty big change in ideology for them to ever compete with piracy.

Yeah, but most things are like that. Want a car?

Buy one? Ugh, work for a few years to save enough money, then go in plunk it down, and drive out.
Lease one? Ugh, plunk money down every month, and end up owning nothing?
Steal one? Walk up to a car you like, get in, drive away.

Toyota will have to have a pretty big change in ideology for them to ever compete with piracy.

What's the difference?

Stealing a car is harder than downloading something from usenet? Barely, especially if you aren't that particular about the car. And spending a few hours learning how to steal a car will 'pay off' far quicker than earning enough to buy one.

The big difference is that because stealing a car is theft, and having a stolen car is fairly visible, and its something the police actually pay some attention to, odds are if you try to use this method for your daily commute you will surely eventually be caught.

So effectively the practical difference between stealing cars and downloading pirate oses is primarily one of enforcement. The only thing that's going to motivate people like you not to pirate OSes is if the odds of being caught and punished were significantly raised.

What a shitty article

[EvanED]

1. This isn't for arbitrary XP or Vista users; it is (assuming the rumor holds) a program which they will start at some point, so that if you buy a new computer during that time with Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate, you'll get an upgrade to Win 7 when it comes out. This is to reduce the number of people who hold of on buying a new computer until that time.

2. It isn't for XP users at all. There are eleven occurances of "XP" on the linked page, and all but one is in an ad: "* Microsoft Windows Vista® Home Basic, Windows Vista® Starter Edition, and Windows® XP (all editions) are not qualifying products under the program." (emphasis mine).

It's a bit cliche to complain about the editors reading the articles before posting them, but did the poster even read this one?

Re:What a shitty article

[erikina]

What I don't like, is they've updated the summary to remove "XP" but without an "UPDATE:". It really takes posts out of context and makes people look like idiots that retell the story.

Bad Summary -- RTFA.

[Yaztromo]

You know, if you RTFA, it does state:

* Microsoft Windows Vista® Home Basic, Windows Vista® Starter Edition, and Windows® XP (all editions) are not qualifying products under the program.

...and:

End users must purchase a new PC that is pre-installed with an eligible Windows Vista Operating System (OS), during the program eligibility window.

...and:

Do note that this is an optional program, so not all OEMs may choose to participate. OEMs that choose to participate in this upgrade program will have the freedom to determine how to best provide qualifying end users with the details.

So let's recap: no free upgrades for XP users, you have to have bought a qualifying Vista-based system within an as-yet undetermined qualifying period, and even then you'll only be able to get a free upgrade from your systems OEM if they choose to participate in the program.

This looks like the standard upgrade protection that Apple typically offers to those who buy a new system just prior to the ship date of their latest and greatest OS. So in essence, there is nothing to be seen here. Please move along people.

Yaz.

Honestly

[Anonymous Coward]

I will wait for the "free upgrade" on the torrents

Re:I see your free software and raise you?

[Shakrai]

Maybe offer a free downgrade to XP for all OEM Vista users that couldn't get the downgrade from the manufacturer?

You know what's sad? I've been around here long enough to remember when people were cursing XP and swearing that they'd never leave 2000. God help us all if I see the day where we are bemoaning the new release and swearing that we'll stay with Vista.

Exclusive Steve Balmer Email:

[pRtkL xLr8r]

Whatever it takes! Do what you have to! I don't care if you have to give away the next 3 incarnations of our operating system for free -- WE WILL NOT LET LINUX GET A FOOTHOLD!!!

Re:I see your free software and raise you?

[SirLurksAlot]

You know what people don't miss one bit? Windows ME. When XP came along people abandoned ME like yesterday's roadkill sandwich. (And if that makes you hungry please seek help!) I don't know one person who misses ME and regretted moving to XP. XP was gold compared to ME, and while I haven't tried the beta I'm guessing it will be the same way for 7 vs Vista.

Re:Windows 7 is really just Vista 1.5

[Shados]

Its funny really. If they change the UI too much, people bitch that they changed it just for the sake of changing it, and thats its the same OS with a pretty face. If they change mostly the backend and whats under the hood, then people say "Its an overglorified service pack"

So I'll ask you. Have you actually looked at the extent of the changes they made to Windows under the hood? No, it didn't break much compatibility because they didn't change something that does, such as the driver subsystem. Still, the changes, for example the new service trigger engine, the user mode scheduler, the remoting system, the amount of new APIs added, the UI revamp (not like XP to Vista, but still quite significant), the software DX renderer, the upgrades to the enterprise service versions, the updates of many of the userland apps, the netbook and touchscreen features, yadah yadah yadah... overall, I'd dare say its one of the more massive updates to Windows in a long time, and greater than XP -> Vista in term of features. But yes, a lot of customers won't notice this, on top of people being comfy in the XP -> Vista release schedule (and their comfortable zone got shaken off as MS came back to the old release schedule), so they have to do this and give it.

Doesn't change how massive the update is, though.

Re:I see your free software and raise you?

[Anonymous Coward]

* I have demands that require MS Windows.

Yup. WinAPI makes me horny as well.
*Ahhh*
MessageBoxW
*Mmnhhh*

Re:I see your free software and raise you?

[hairyfeet]

You know what I think is sad? It is how according to TFA this is only for the OEMs. Which unless they have announced differently means any poor sap who actually bought Vista at retail is getting boned twice. First by buying Vista at retail, second for getting stuck with it(which you know MSFT will dump Vista support faster than WinME thanks to its bad rep) while everyone who bought a Dell gets it free. Man that is just sorry.

Re:I see your free software and raise you?

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

abandoned roadkill sandwich? Who the hell goes through the trouble of making a delicious road kill sandwich and doesn't eat it when its fresh? If you don't like roadkill why make the sandwich?

Re:I see your free software and raise you?

[Bill, Shooter of Bul]

The fact that this is modded interesting, is pretty disturbing. In fact, disturbing probably should have been a mod choice from the beginning. Its ... its not too late to do the right thing Taco.

Re:I see your free software and raise you?

[VGPowerlord]

Of course, i^2 was too negative, and its replacement, i^3 was imaginary AND negative... luckily i^4 had none of those problems...