Where do people get their copy?

[LaTruce]

I've searched the internet and Twitter, and noticed that people have the final version of Windows 7 already. Where and how are people getting it? Is it a legal copy?

I'm getting the free upgrade (bought my laptop in August 09) but I have to wait until Oct 22. How do people already have theirs?

 

[Tews]

Most of the users that have windows 7 activated are subscribers to MSDN/Technet MSDN/AA and other available programs... they range in price from several hundreds of dollars to as little as $19.99... it depends on your circumstances.. We wont talk about piracy ... k??

 

[harpua]

Most of the people who got it early got it through paid subscriptions to MS Technet which provides access to a huge library of MS software often before it is publicly released. Also there is something similar for developers and certain others called MSDN which provides access to W7 RTM among other things. MS has also been giving away copies at Launch Events and now also to people who were selected to be hosts of "Launch Parties."

Then some of these copies inevitably make their way to the general public in the form of torrents which anyone can download (not legally however) if they know how to go about that. Of course, many of those copies are tampered with and some might even contain malware, so caution is indicated if going that route (which, to be clear, I am not recommending).

 

[pparks1]

As others have said, I got my copy through my MSDN subscription at work. However, my MSDN subscription isn't intended to be used on home machines...so while I downloaded the media at work...I didn't bring home one of the associated keys to use on my own personal computer.

I was able to activate mine at home last night after having attended the Microsoft New Efficiency launch event yesterday in Detroit. One of the freebies given out was a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate with a key. I used this key to activate my MSDN copy of the OS that I installed at home. Thus making me 100% legit.

I too have a free Windows 7 upgrade coming as well from a copy of Vista Ultimate 64-bit OEM that I bought for my new computer in July. At the time, I wasn't enrolled in the New Efficiency launch event...so I didn't realize I would come across a legal free copy. Oh well, now I have a second copy in the event that I decide to build another computer or install it onto one of my other PC's in my house.

 

[mabecane]

I bought my copy pre ordered from Provantage back in the end of august, they already sent me the Family pack Win 7 Home edition.
At the times there were only a couple of stores selling the pre orders.
I paid $149 for 3 Keys.

 

[Crypto]

MDSNAA

 

[v0id]

I got mine from torrents

 

[Tews]

I got mine from torrents

No talk of torrents here!!!

 

[v0id]

lol

 

[mickey megabyte]

well i got mine from a rearmed chinese frankenstein.

i've got my copy of home premium preordered from amazon, hopefully arriving in a couple of weeks...

 

[Joan Archer]

Mines pre-ordered from Tesco and same as mickey should arrive in a couple of weeks.

 

[LaTruce]

Thanks for the responses!

Now it makes sense to me how people got their legit, legal copy of Windows 7. Lucky subscribers!

I guess I just have to wait for my free upgrade to come in the mail on or after Oct 22. And here I was getting excited that I might get mine early like a lot of people haha.

I'm a computer nerd with some parts, and a computer newb with others.