I feel that yes perhaps these figures are speculation, but also it saddens me that Microsoft still hasn't learnt from the past.
Why have all these different flavours at all?
And if you're going to price an OS why not make your 'Ultimate' at least comparable with Apple OS X for price?
You have to remember, Apple is primarily a hardware vendor. They're not looking to make money off the OS, they're raking in huge profit margins on the hardware. MS makes its money from the software. Completely different model and trying to compare Apple and MS is a non-starter.
The Apple Anti Vista campaign was a success that you could only dream about, look how it killed Vista stone dead - clever marketing made people say 'Vista, no way', and yet when you asked them why not more often than not they couldn't give you an answer.
I think that Apple provides a great amount of dis-information in their ads. They are small potatoes, so they get away with it. Think Coke and Pepsi. Coca-cola was by far the biggest seller, but you never saw coca-cola directly adverise against pepsi, while on the other hand, Pepsi regularly made crazy comparisons to coke. They were the little guys and they could get away with it.
On top of that, Apple had the backing of the computing media. The amount of utter cr*p that came from "Tech" Mags regarding Vista was unreal. And when questioned, there were more than a few occasions where the writer had not even tested Vista themselves, they were reporting what they "heard" from a collegue.
The truth is that Microsoft will have to price more keenly if they actually want to sell these things. Yes, we as testers and users and developers perhaps can see the why, but when someone who is not technically minded looks to buy, they look to see how much damage it will do to their pocket first.
Also, looking at sales of PC's with Vista included, lets face it, nobody touched the basic version with a bargepole, it was either home premium, business or ultimate.
Again, these prices are rumour only, but even so, MS made clear early on that Starter and Basic would not be seen much in the West. It was designed for use in less developed nations on OLPC style stystems. If you walk into a store and look to purchase Windows, you will have 2 choices, Home or Professional. That is all. Go to a (insert favorite computer store) and there will be only 2 choices on the shelf.
To this effect, why are Microsoft not looking to a single copy of 7 with all functionality therin and perhaps lets the user select which version or functions thereof they want to install at that stage?
Surely this must/would be a more cost effective solution from a production point of view, only one cover/box design, only one type of media to inventorise?
Perhaps on installation it could prompt something like:
Basic Installation: Simplest System (OS / wireless/bluetooth/network functionality ; does not include installed Aero effects or advanced networking Apps etc. ) ideal for netbook or low end laptop or home system where only requirement is email & web
Standard Installation: Full System installation without Advanced 'coporate features'
ideal for all users who do not require *whatever makes enterprise deployment necessary or such like*
Enterprise Installation: Full system installation ; does not include *or alternatively the most customisable so that system admins can choose what components are allowed / blocked disabled etc, thereby giving them the full control they crave*
Ultimate Installation: Everything / lock / stock and both smoking barrells.
or perhaps just have basic installation or full installation or selectable blocks (not too comlicated) such as:
games
Utilities (paint / snipping tool / sticky notes)
Media (WMC, live et al)
Wireless (wifi / Bluetooth / IR etc.)
Aero effects and Widgets
Networking Basic/advanced (home or soho needs like ethernet / advanced enterprise level networking features)
I don't know, i'm just throwing ideas around here
It will do that. Look at Vista's install, you choose which version you are installing. the product key on the software packaging will only work on one version, so if you bought Home premium but choose Ultimate, you'll get an error when activating because the product key won't work.
Also, Win 7 will have Anytime Upgrade, so if you bought Home Premium and you decide you need Ultimate, you can go to the Anytime Upgrade control, hook up to MS, and upgrade to Ultimate.
Price it to match OS X and you have the rug from out of Apple's feet in one fell swoop. (not that this is an anti Apple thing, as I love apple I really do and i've seen them become the success they are through some very clever marketing
Like I said before, Apple and MS are fundamentally different. Apple is a hardware vendor with an attached OS. They make their money off of the insane margins they are able to get suckers to pay for bog standard hardware. The OS is thrown in. MS sells an OS that goes on an infinite number or hardware configurations. They make their money off the sale of that software, not any hardware. They have to put additional effort into creating drivers of at least a driver model that vendors can use. They have to test an infinite hardware mix. Then they have to support that hardware mix.
lets take the I'm a Mac vs Microsoft's I'm a PC campaign, the MS fightback was too little, too late, but it missed the point- lots of people telling you they were a PC was not what the Apple ads were about, they were successfull because everyone knew that apple made computers, but the ads told everyone what they did, and how they did it differently to windows - they informed and educated (to apple's way of thinking) - 'Hi PC, you're having problems x,y,z... On the mac it's done like this...easy').
In this way like OS X, all the features are there, but it's the user who decides what they want, microsoft charge one price, and this takes out the indecision of what is the best version for the user.
MS already know which functionality sets are used by each demographic, such as most home users will never need the advanced networking which a system administrator will need access to, enterprise admins, would probably love to have multimedia apps and games removed from users machines etc.
I know that there is the school of thought that says why pay for what I don't use, but if you then need it, why have to pay again for what you do have, because it includes what you don't have?
I'd be happy to buy Windows7, not basic, not ultimate, not enterprise, not whistle onlyon the night of a fullmoon but only where it falls on a tuesday edition.
And I for one appreciate the choice. If i am building a media center PC, I don't need all of the professional add-ins. I appreciate that I can spend less for the package i need. If I want to move to Professional for some reason, I'll use the Anytime Upgrade and do so.
What you are forgetting is that each and everyone of those different add-ins needs to be supported. Through their exhaustive marketing research, I'm pretty sure MS has figured out demographically, which features are used most. By selling a known product with only those featurs available, they can man the support infrastructure most efficiently. If they sell a single version with all the bells and whistles, they will have plenty of users, playing with add-ins that they don't need or understand, but MS must support them.
I just want to buy Windows7, and I want the advertisments selling it to me by telling me why it's so good.
I'm a PC
And I'm a Mac.
Mac: Hey PC, why you looking so happy?
PC: I'm running on windows 7
Mac: Which version, basic, ultimate, pistaccio? bet it was expensive right?
PC: no, Just 7, and it costs the same as OS X
Mac: Yea, but like vista nothing works, and it's going to crash all the time, Oh and lets not mention the system requirements!
PC: Nah, we let millions the public download it for free to test it for us on all their different systems and requirements, and they told us what worked and what didn't, good bad etc.
Mac: You lost weight PC?
PC: yea, 7 runs easy on a netbook as well so i'm a lot slimmer now.
Mac: PC... is that my designer roll neck you're wearing....
And you'll never see an advertisement like that from MS. They are the front-runner by far. They have 89% of the user base in the US and 96% of the user base in the world. They won't stoop so low as to attack Mac so directly. You'll see more of the Laptop Hunter style ads (hopefully they are less dry and more humorous) where they are touting how much cheaper PC hardware is. Bang for buck, that's where the PC wins.
PhreePhly
, I know Valve, EA Games and a fair few others do though 
