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MS to offer FREE upgrade to Win 7

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Are we really that close to a Windows 7 release? News I'm reading saying it's not out for another year. Why offer it for free if you get a whole year's use out of vista?
 
Aynjell said:
Are we really that close to a Windows 7 release? News I'm reading saying it's not out for another year. Why offer it for free if you get a whole year's use out of vista?
Click to expand...

Well, usually in cases like this, it is set up to keep people from delaying purchasing new computers. So, say 6 months before the new version is due out, (which would still put the release at the end of this year, first of next year) they will say, "Don't put off the purchase because a new OS is coming out...if you buy now, you can still upgrade for free!"
 
torin3 said:
Well, usually in cases like this, it is set up to keep people from delaying purchasing new computers. So, say 6 months before the new version is due out, (which would still put the release at the end of this year, first of next year) they will say, "Don't put off the purchase because a new OS is coming out...if you buy now, you can still upgrade for free!"
Click to expand...

Yeah, I can see that.
 
Aynjell said:
Are we really that close to a Windows 7 release? News I'm reading saying it's not out for another year. Why offer it for free if you get a whole year's use out of vista?
Click to expand...

Actually, Vista will be out by Q1 2010--which is an outside estimate. So waiting 6 months (July) means one will pay ~ $200 per seat for 6 months of use of Vista. Furthermore, the Windows 7 beta--which is just a little bit more than another service pack for Vista--is already available for use and by most accounts, is already fairly stable.

If you couldn't already justify the extra cost of going to Vista, you certainly cannot now at this point.
 
mbigna said:
Actually, Vista (I assume you mean 7) will be out by Q1 2010--which is an outside estimate. So waiting 6 months (July) means one will pay ~ $200 per seat for 6 months of use of Vista. Furthermore, the Windows 7 beta--which is just a little bit more than another service pack for Vista--is already available for use and by most accounts, is already fairly stable.

If you couldn't already justify the extra cost of going to Vista, you certainly cannot now at this point.
Click to expand...

That depends on the release price of Windows 7, how much a person pays for the Vista system, how much they value the warranties and service provided with a pre-built system, and what that person's income is. Somebody making a mid-to-upper six-figure salary, or living on 12 credit cards, most likely doesn't give a $**t about the price (though a person in the first category might just go out and buy retail Windows 7 rather than dealing with waiting for a free copy). I'd be happy with another 3 months of WFP for a free copy of 7. That's how I got Vista :)
 
mbigna said:
Furthermore, the Windows 7 beta--which is just a little bit more than another service pack for Vista--is already available for use and by most accounts, is already fairly stable.
Click to expand...

The beta dies in August though. Can you do a in place upgrade to newer builds? I did a fresh install for each pre release of Vista I used. I'd like to do the testing on my daughters computer. XP has gotten flaky due to numerous crashes(bad ram), and I need to re-install. I think she'd like using Win7, but it'll be a PITA to reinstall once August comes. She'll finally have it setup the way she wants, and it'll have to be torn down.
 
Yea... That's what I was afraid of :^( I'll be testing it regardless. I'll ask my daughter if she wants to run it temporarily, and reinstall when the time comes.
 
eaglescouter said:
Most Beta products from MS do not have an in place upgrade option to the final product. I suspect that W7Beta will suffer from this same problem and will require a formatting.
Click to expand...

The ISO you receive will be an upgrade only package.

The Windows 7 beta is actually an upgrade, not a full new install. You need to have a machine running Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) to install the beta.

So if you're still running Windows XP -- which a lot of people are, what with Vista's problems, real or imagined -- you're up a creek sans the proverbial paddle.
Click to expand...

http://www.computerworld.com/action...wArticleBasic&articleId=9125380&source=NLT_PM
 
The windows blog I read an hour or so ago said there was a clean install option. I'll see if I can't dig it up for confirmation.

But yeah it will only upgrade vista SP1 according to the article I read on mr softy's site.
 
It'll clean install also. The only upgrade install is coming from Vista. Anything older, and you'll have to do a clean install.
 
johnz said:
It'll clean install also. The only upgrade install is coming from Vista. Anything older, and you'll have to do a clean install.
Click to expand...

Mind giving us a source for that information? Everything I've read so far either implies or states outright that you must have an existing Vista SP1 installation in order to install the Windows 7 beta.
 
The specs on the beta download going live tomorrow were on a page on the windows blog site, but I went through pages so fast I don't recall where I was.

Said it would only upgrade Vista SP1 or clean install and that 32 & 64 bit versions would be available in every language...save Hindi. Only 32bit for our Indian friends.

Will post link when I relocate it.

Ahhh...

Windowsteamblog...babble:

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/wi...ownloading-and-installing-windows-7-beta.aspx

Their site is craaaaawling slow...wonder why. :)
 
Last edited:
TimoneX said:
The specs on the beta download going live tomorrow were on a page on the windows blog site, but I went through pages so fast I don't recall where I was.

Said it would only upgrade Vista SP1 or clean install and that 32 & 64 bit versions would be available in every language...save Hindi. Only 32bit for our Indian friends.

Will post link when I relocate it.

Ahhh...

Windowsteamblog...babble:

http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/wi...ownloading-and-installing-windows-7-beta.aspx

Their site is craaaaawling slow...wonder why. :)
Click to expand...

I should tell my girlfriend about that. She's from nepal and speaks/reads/writes hindi. :)

I wonder how she'd feel about being a 3rd world citizen in the land of 64 bits.
 
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