Microsoft tweaks antipiracy tech for Windows 7

Night Hawk · 10 May 2009

When Vista was first out the Retail Ultimate was $399.99 and $299.99 seen for the Home Premium since no one wanted less like Basic or Starter. The oem for HP was $219.99 at the time. That's the price factor used here as a reference since no one knows just what actual pricing will be seen on 7 quite yet.

The retail for each edition saw both 32bit and 64bit rolled up using one product key there. I have a feeling 7 will be very close to that since 7 will still be seeing the 32bit version of each addition for one last time. 8 would be the one to expect a lower price or whatever the next after will be named since that will likely only see the 64bit Windows if MS holds to the intent of dumping 32bit altogether there.

When you look back a good decade or so remember what 98SE saw? $180- retail there! 98PLUS went up a little higher to where Vista HP oem was seen in early 2007. Now compare 98SE to what is seen in even the 32bit Vista Home Premium edition.

Gee? $20-$30 more after how long? for one version of Vista oem over 98. If you saw 98Plus! for $200 then and 7 for $210-$230 now which would you choose? Remember you pay for the license and what $1 for the dvd?!

mxosder16 · 10 May 2009

i think MS has a great product here and they can afford to give a little in the price to get some customers they wouldn't have otherwise gotten.
to sell a small quantity at a higher price and more quantity at a lower price will net the same profit but the high quantity/low price route will get more people on the MS train
...just my thoughts

Night Hawk · 10 May 2009

In a sense Vista saw a break buying both retail for $400 over paying out what $279.99 oem for the Ultimate edition? Double that price and see what you end up with like $560! That's a $160 discount in that sense.

The inflation rate if remembering to seeing 98 at $180 until some 9yrs. had passed to see Vista placed the oem price for the Home premium within reason seeing more in the lesser version then Ultimate there over the older Fat based version. What will sell now in a tuff economy is what MS will have to look at now however!

pat247 · 10 May 2009

The way I see it, Microsoft should not charge more than $50 for an upgrade version of Windows 7 if you already have Vista. That is what Microsoft charged to upgrade to Windows ME from Windows 98 or 98 SE.

Night Hawk · 10 May 2009

Besides pricing I think the main item of concern for many now will be what measures are put inplace for validating any installation or reinstall of 7 once out. With any major change in Vista the message of "this may be a counterfeit copy of Windows" was immediately displayed where the watermarks have been seen in 7.

For swapping out a board or replacing one that fails as well as cloning an installation over to a new larger hard drive you would run into that right off. When replacing a board you would simply call in to have Windows reactivated or perform a repair install to see the new board made part of the hardware profiling. Repair Install For Vista - Vista Forums

For a new drive the best move has always been a clean install to start off with and that when swapping one board out for something different not being the exact same make and model. The quesion on the minds of many on this for 7 will be questions like will 7 be locked out if any major changes are seen with hardwares?