Windows 7 - What the Hell is MS Doing?

I just read (on Winsupersite.com) that the pre order/upgrades will NOT have a clean install option. This is outrageous. Does MS have no clue as to the goodwill re Win 7 has garnered them but how something exactly like this could destroy that? I have personally suggested to @ least 50 people to grab the pre order. What an A###*#* I feel like right now! This is the sort of thing Apple does.
I love Windows 7 and really had hopes they had learned their lessons from Vista beyond the OS ie price and a billion versions. At best I can only hope MS is testing the waters to see what they can get away with. Still a D-bag move. Epic fail.
Regretfully,
J23

Pretty sure there are ways to do a full clean install with an update. It's been mentioned numerous times here.

I doubt that is true...there would be no way WinXP users could upgrade then...

From what I have read, you can do a clean install...however people are misinterpreting what a clean install means.

A clean install does not mean that you can start with an empty hard drive and install the "upgrade" version of the OS.

A clean install means you have to have a copy of a previous OS (XP or Vista) and it has to be running and activated. You can then plop in the Windows 7 media, boot it up, choose to do a "Custom" install..which will then allow you to wipe your partitions and then setup new ones...thus "upgrading" the version of Windows that was previously there, but not retaining any data or applications.

Yes, it's a pain. I agree. I just bought a copy of Vista 64 with a free upgrade to Win 7. I had absolutely no intentions of installing Vista on this computer (it currently runs Windows 7 RC1), however from my reading, I will have to install Vista, activiate it, and then start Windows 7 upgrade and choose Custom to blank everything and start from scratch.

That's my understanding.

Good point. Since there isn't any upgrade path for them as far as upgrading the actual OS is concerned.

from what ive read you can do this... however you'll have to install windows 7 twice or something..dont quote me on it but i read it somewhere.

You are correct...what I like to call the double 7 method...install 7 without product key->update 7 in 7 with product key...

That "used" to be how you did it with Vista. You installed 1 time and didn't enter a key during the install. You then turned around and installed again right over the top, it was happy because you had a previous copy and could then install and input your key.

The difference now (from what I read) is that the first copy has to be activated in order for this to work. Therefore, the option of not inputting a key and installing anyway simply won't suffice as you won't be able to activate.

It is my understanding it should be simular to the vista clean install from upgrade method.

Clean Install From Upgrade Vista - Vista Forums

On this forum they discuss this and say it should be the same:

http://community.winsupersite.com/bl...k-exactly.aspx

The discussion of the winsupersite clearly states that he "thinks" that it might work like it did before, but wasn't sure until he actually got a copy of the media and tested it.

Earlier in that page, it said that it had to be an "activated" copy of a previously installed OS.

So, it doesn't seem clear that even Paul Thurott knows for sure whether this double install will work. How would any of us know for sure.