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March 2, 2008 5:21 PM PST

Vista prices fall even further

Posted by Ina Fried

I expected to see some lower Vista prices in this weekend's ads, but was surprised to see just how low the prices had fallen.

Officially the price cuts announced by Microsoft on Thursday don't take effect until later this year when Service Pack 1 hits retail shelves. However, the company had said that many retailers were offering promotions that bring the software to its lower price.

But the ad at OfficeMax took things a step further. In this week's circular, the office products chain is selling Windows Vista Home Premium for $99. That's $30 less than Microsoft's just-lowered price and the same as the suggested price for Windows Vista Home Basic--though perhaps just a hair more than the clearance prices a couple weeks back at closing CompUSA stores.

The question now is just how low will Vista go.

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) 137 comments (Page 1 of 4)
Value?
by MadKiwi March 2, 2008 5:55 PM PST
Given that you can buy a new PC with Home Premium for around $500 you've still got to ask yourself whether it's still not a better move to buy a new PC, especially if your current PC may only be marginal with Premium...
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Oh, THAT will make me buy it....
by jumpjetta March 2, 2008 5:59 PM PST
$99 gets you a hobbled, patchwork-quilt of an operating system that requires considerate computer and peripheral upgrade, and is still lackluster. Meanwhile, $119 gets you the full, robust, elegant and advanced Mac OS X, or $0 gets you Ubuntu.
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value?
by Chameleon81 March 2, 2008 6:08 PM PST
100 is one fifth of 500 and some people would like to keep that extra 400 dollars in their pockets
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Can I just say....
by close5828 March 2, 2008 6:38 PM PST
....that I absolutely hate Windows Vista. I've had three laptops with Vista pre-installed (1 w/ Home Premium, 2 w/ 64-bit Ultimate) and each one had issues w/ Vista. When the last machine started to BSOD when I tried putting it to sleep, I called up the mfg and they were gracious enough to give me a full refund for the machine. I took the money, bought a Macbook, and haven't looked back. btw...if you're a die-hard Windows/PC guy, do NOT buy a Mac.....seriously, stay away from Apple and Macs. Why? Because once you use Leopard, you'll never want to use Windows again.
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Give it away for free
by HlLLARY CLITON March 2, 2008 6:57 PM PST
As poor as Vista is, give it away. Put it out of misery
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Vista's Survival
by paulbee1958 March 2, 2008 7:13 PM PST
I still use windows 2000 and I'm very happy with it. Lately I'm toying with buying an XP CD and instaling that. My question is, can Vista even survive? It is too resource hungry for all but the most powerful new processors (unless you want to use bare bones home basic, but why use that when XP will do?). I've tried Ubuntu, and gave up because I have no wish to become a real Geek (it's a chore just to see network drives), Mac is out for me because most of the the things I use computers for are better done with windows with more choices, That leaves only XP for me.
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yeah yeah yeah
by chonnom March 2, 2008 7:32 PM PST
and when I can play current games on either machine withou dual-booting, I'll consider buying a mac or using linux...
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It's Like Lowering the Price of Diphtheria
by Sumatra-Bosch March 2, 2008 7:45 PM PST
Sure, it's cheaper - but no one could seriously want it and be called sane. Maybe, like the Zune, the target market for Vista is really the escaped mental patient cohort.
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The nightmare that is Vista
by colamix March 2, 2008 8:11 PM PST
If you're stuck with it turn off UAC, Aero and enable classic mode for everything. Then you'll have a bloated version of XP which will leave you stranded with many games and hardware. No, you couldn't pay me $99 to try that pig again.
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Forget Vista - Bring Back XP!
by atheria March 2, 2008 8:43 PM PST
Vista is a bust - they've admitted it by dropping the price militple times. When did they EVER drop the price for XP? XP Home wasn't good, but Pro is THE BEST - has all of the Oomph it needs while still incorporating back in all the "tools" that were so cool in 98SE. No, we don't want Vista, the GOVERNMENT doesn't want Vista and dang it, MS - please realize that THIS is even WORSE than ME (Millenium Edition) and is now being termed the "OS2 of MS" (OS2 -IBM- red or blue flopped so badly that it never made a spash anywhere...) So do we go Linux or do you give us XP back!!!!!!!!!!
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  • About Beyond Binary

  • During her seven years at CNET News.com, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days most of her attention is focused on Microsoft.


    Beyond Binary is a look at how technology is changing our lives and the people behind all that life-changing stuff, with an extra emphasis on that which emanates from Redmond, Wash.

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