Europe won't pay more for Windows 7. Really!

A senior Microsoft executive has denied the company will increase prices for Windows 7 upgrades in Europe because of the ongoing investigation into Internet Explorer.
Microsoft will not offer an upgrade version of Windows 7 to users in Europe. Instead they will be offered the full version for the price of an upgrade. This is because the retail version without a browser will not be ready for October and an upgrade would likely leave a version of Internet Explorer on your machine.
In a letter to the FT today Bill Veghte said: "We will not have an upgrade version available in Europe when we release the new operating system. Therefore, we've decided to offer the full version of Windows 7 to all customers at the lower upgrade price. In the future we may have an upgrade offering of Windows 7 available in Europe, and at that time we would revert to differential pricing."

The company also admitted that its recent move to offer Windows 7 without a browser was taken without the prior approval of the European Commission. The Commission gave a rather frosty reception to that bit of grandstanding.
Tip of the hat to Computerworld and its entertaining report of its spat with Waggener Edstrom, Microsoft's public relations firm over this story.
And thanks to eBuyer which has let slip UK OEM prices - Windows Vista with Windows 7 upgrade form is £90.90 for the 32-bit version and £91.20 for the 64-bit version. ®

Europe won't pay more for Windows 7. Really! • The Register

For all the Europeans out there! Cheers!

~Lordbob

Posted By: Lordbob75
06 Jul 2009