Win 7 preorder 50% off discount!

[jobrien2001]

Well looks like I'm going to have to get a copy of Ultimate!

I had read that same news elsewhere and they specifically stated that the 50% discount would not apply to the ultimate versionm only the lesser versions.

Can anyone confirm you can get Ultimate at 50% off?

 

[SteveLord]

Supposedly...you CAN do clean installs with them AND they come with both 32 and 64bit versions.

 

[ratbuddy]

You can do clean installs? Perhaps you just have to sacrifice an old XP activation key? I wonder if you can 'upgrade' from W7 RC? Not gonna order till I call MS and ask the details. I'll post when I get an answer.

 

[OnDborder]

I'm in for one or 2..
Does 32 bit recognize more than 3 gig of ram? Or is it like Vista and XP?

 

[SteveLord]

This is what I saw someone else post somewhere. But many of the links are bad.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1) When will Windows 7 be released?
A1) Windows 7 comes out on October 22, 2009

Q2) I heard there was a way to get Windows 7 free if I bought a new PC after June 26. Where can I find out about that?
A2) Details can be found here https://windows7upgradeoption.com...ation.aspx

Q3) I have Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. Is there a discounted upgrade option available for that?
A3) No, not at this time

Q4) Can I do a clean install with this disc, or just an upgrade?
A4) According to Paul Thurrott, yes, you can do a clean install with the upgrade version.
http://community.winsupersite.com...rades.aspx
Answer from MSFT. Step-by-Step: Windows 7 Upgrade and Migration http://technet.microsoft.com/en-u...S.10).aspx

Q5) Which version of Windows 7 is right for me?
A5) A few different sites have details:
Official site: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-U...e-editions
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_7_editions

Q6) Can I upgrade my edition of Vista to the edition of Windows 7 that I want?
A6) Check the upgrade matrix here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-u...S.10).aspx

Q7) Can I "upgrade" from Windows Vista Ultimate edition to Windows 7 Home Premium?
A7) No. See the upgrade matrix in answer #6.

Q8) Can I upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7?
A8) No. You would need to back up all of your data and then do a clean install.

Q9) Does Windows 7 Professional include Media Center functionality?
A9) Yes

Q10) Do I need to buy a different upgrade DVD if I want the 64-bit version of Windows 7?
A10) No. According to the Microsoft store, the upgrade packages for Home Premium and Ultimate include both the 32-bit and 64-bit DVD's. (I would assume that the Professional edition comes with both DVD's as well, but that's not mentioned yet)

Q11) Can I install this on more than one PC?
A11) No. At this time, there's no information about a multi-PC version of Windows 7 being available at stores.

Q12) Can I upgrade from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows?
A12) No

 

[orion25]

If you have a Microcenter nearby you you can get Home Premium for $39.99...

Link

 

[Dapman02]

I just ordered Windows 7 Home Premium from Newegg. I may or may not install it on my laptop... but $49 is cheap enough that it's worth it. I paid full price for my Windows Vista copy and I've been completely happy with it. From what I've seen from the Beta, Windows 7 is definitely worth $49.

Like mentioned before, did it charge you right away?

 

[cursor]

I'm in for a copy of Pro upgrade at Amazon. Release date delivery is awesome.

 

[stereo555]

Eh , as much as I hate to give MS any money (Ive gotten my last 3 OS'es for free with their promo's, so maybe its time to throw MS a few bucks) ; looks like I'll do a pre-order and replace some older XP rigs around here since XP will have minimal to no support fairly soon .

Not sure what version to get , but looks like the Home Premium maybe good enough .

 

[Silversinksam]

Like mentioned before, did it charge you right away?

I know this much, at the Micrfosoft Store it says: Your card will not be charged until your order is shipped or the product is made available for download.

http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Windows-Windows-7/category/102

I'd like to know if upgrade versions can be installed on top of itself stand-alone the same way Vista can. If so I'd get it, if not I won't bother because I don't want to kill my Vista license to upgrade - I'd actually like to use it on another computer.

I don't think so, MSFT said in the past after the Win 7 RC expires, when or/if you buy Win 7, a clean install is necessary.

 

[SteveLord]

I am ordering Premium for my wife's computer. I'll wait for any future military specials for Windows 7.

 

[MEMex]

schweet I'm in for it... upgrading from xp to this for $49 isn't too bad. I preordered on amazon, watch out for shipping as they try to sneak in $20 shipping, you have to choose free shipping.

 

[jivetrky]

I didn't notice when I ordered last night, but I see that Amazon.com has a shipping option to "Receive it on Release Date"

So for only $5.98 shipping (For me anyway), it will arrive on Oct 22.

But for me, Things coming from Amazon almost always come the next day since I'm close to Chicago. So I'll stick with saving the $6. Plus my Win7 RC is still working just fine.

 

[Dapman02]

Ordered, free shipping too

 

[jivetrky]

Wow guys.....I'm not sure if everyone else is aware of this as I was not.


You cannot upgrade from different versions of Vista to Win7. So you can ONLY upgrade from Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit to Windows 7 Home Premium 32Bit. Although it looks like you CAN upgrade to Ultimate from lesser versions. But lucky for MS, Ultimate isn't getting the super special prices that the lesser versions are getting.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd772579(WS.10).aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/offers/upgrade-faq.aspx


Guess I'm canceling my order. I only own Vista Business 32bit and Vista Ultimate 32bit/64bit. So I can only upgrade to Win 7 Pro 32bit or Win7 Ultimate in either architecture. And I don't want a copy of 32bit Win7. Sucks!




EDIT: OK....after dealing with 2 MS chat sessions which ended in a copy paste of the FAQ page for upgrades, (The second link posted above) I called and spoke with Microsoft Sales and they confirmed that you have to upgrade to an equal or greater version of Win7 AND that you can, indeed upgrade from a 32bit version to a 64bit version.

 

[SteveLord]

Wow guys.....I'm not sure if everyone else is aware of this as I was not.


You cannot upgrade from different versions of Vista to Win7. So you can ONLY upgrade from Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit to Windows 7 Home Premium 32Bit. Although it looks like you CAN upgrade to Ultimate from lesser versions. But lucky for MS, Ultimate isn't getting the super special prices that the lesser versions are getting.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd772579(WS.10).aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/offers/upgrade-faq.aspx


Guess I'm canceling my order. I only own Vista Business 32bit and Vista Ultimate 32bit/64bit. So I can only upgrade to Win 7 Pro 32bit or Win7 Ultimate in either architecture. And I don't want a copy of 32bit Win7. Sucks!

Both of those links are confusing as hell.

Its not like Ultimate has anything going for it that anyone will use....just like Vista. Let's be honest...it's so you can say the word "Ultimate" anytime you have to disclose your OS.

 

[jivetrky]

Both of those links are confusing as hell.

Its not like Ultimate has anything going for it that anyone will use....just like Vista. Let's be honest...it's so you can say the word "Ultimate" anytime you have to disclose your OS.

I think it really stinks that you can't "upgrade" to a lesser version.


I have a feeling that their special deal was well thought out when they didn't include Win7 ultimate in the awesome pricing. Probably because they gave out a ton of copies of Vista Ultimate for free and didn't want to have to upgrade all of those real cheap.

 

[jivetrky]

Both of those links are confusing as hell.

Its not like Ultimate has anything going for it that anyone will use....just like Vista. Let's be honest...it's so you can say the word "Ultimate" anytime you have to disclose your OS.

Oh, and basically that technet link says this:

Windows Vista Home Basic (SP1, SP2) can only be upgraded to Win7 Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate.

Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1, SP2) can only be upgraded to Win7 Home Premium and Ultimate.

Windows Vista Business (SP1, SP2) can only be upgraded to Win7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate.

Windows Vista Ultimate (SP1, SP2) can only be upgraded to Win7 Ultimate.


Only thing that doesn't match up is the Windows XP upgrade options. Technet page says you cannot upgrade from Windows XP, but the Windows 7 FAQ page says this:

I am running Windows XP, can I upgrade to Windows 7?

Microsoft designed Windows 7 Upgrade media for Windows Vista. A customer with Windows XP can purchase Windows 7 Upgrade media but must back up their files, clean install, and then reinstall their applications.

 

[jivetrky]

OK....after dealing with 2 MS chat sessions which ended in a copy paste of the FAQ page for upgrades, (The second link posted above) I called and spoke with Microsoft Sales and they confirmed that you have to upgrade to an equal or greater version of Win7 from Vista AND that you can, indeed upgrade from a 32bit version to a 64bit version.


I didn't think to ask about Xp upgrades as it didn't apply to my situation.

 

[MadMan007]

I don't think so, MSFT said in the past after the Win 7 RC expires, when or/if you buy Win 7, a clean install is necessary.

I'm not talking about Win7 beta or RC upgrade...http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp