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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."
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...
Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
Fool me 12 times, shame on me
Engineering is the art of compromise.
and when we get frustrated by windows 7 not living up to the hype, will we get free downgrades back to XP?
-I only code in BASIC.-
Aren't service packs always free?
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.
I'm going to go back in my box and will think within the limits of my box: MS Sucks Linux Good I read too much Slashdot.
* Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Starter Edition, and Windows XP (all editions) are not qualifying products under the program.
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.
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?
You know, if you RTFA, it does state:
...and:
...and:
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.
I will wait for the "free upgrade" on the torrents
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.
I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
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.
God, schmod. I want my monkey man!
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.
* I have demands that require MS Windows.
Yup. WinAPI makes me horny as well.
*Ahhh*
MessageBoxW
*Mmnhhh*
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.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
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?
Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
Of course, i^2 was too negative, and its replacement, i^3 was imaginary AND negative... luckily i^4 had none of those problems...
GLaDOS for President 2016! "Well here we are again. It's always such a pleasure." -- GLaDOS, 2011