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October 24, 2006 1:15 PM PDT
Holiday PC buyers get Vista upgrade promise
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Those who buy a system with Windows XP or Office 2003 between Thursday and March 15 will be eligible to move up to Windows Vista or Office 2007. The terms of the Vista "Express Upgrade" offer will vary from one PC maker to another, Microsoft said Tuesday. In some cases, the upgrades will be free, while in some other cases, they may require the customer to pay up to half the price of the updated software.
"We do expect there will be many cases where it will be a free upgrade or just the cost of shipping and handling," said Brad Brooks, a general manager in the Windows product marketing unit.
As for Office, computer makers will include a coupon that allows PC buyers to get a similar version of Office 2007 by mail from Microsoft for the cost of shipping and handling.
What's the upgrade?
People who buy from smaller PC makers will get their new software directly from Microsoft. This is what's on offer for U.S. shoppers:
| XP version | Vista upgrade |
| Media Center 2005 | Home Premium |
| Professional | Business |
| Tablet PC | Business |
| Professional x64 | Business 64 |
| Home | Home Basic (half price) |
| Home | Home Premium (half price) |
Those who buy from bigger PC makers will get their upgrade through those companies. Here's what Hewlett-Packard is offering free, plus shipping and handling:
| Home | Home Basic |
| Media Center | Home Premium |
| Professional | Business |
Microsoft had long hoped to have Vista on store shelves in time for this year's holiday buying season. It said in March, though, that the Windows update would
Brooks said Microsoft hopes the Office and Vista upgrade programs will allay any concerns people might have about buying a PC for the holidays. The company has been working for the past few months on coming up with a program that met with approval from computer makers and retailers.
"The holiday season is a big season for PC sales," Brooks said. "Our partners did not want to see a slowdown because consumers might have an objection."
Deferred gift
But a coupon makes a lousy stocking stuffer, said Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft. "If you were a young child, and you really wanted a bicycle this Christmas, how would you feel when you wake up Christmas morning and your folks give you a picture of it and say they will give it to you as soon as it is ready?" Cherry asked. "I am not surprised they are doing it. But I am not sure how much impact it is going to have."
Also, getting a coupon means manually upgrading the operating system. "The upgrade could be fairly seamless, but it might not be," said Roger Kay, an analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates. "As the consumer, you want to get this thing preloaded so it will just run."
Vista's arrival after the December shopping season will dampen holiday sales and shift them to 2007, Kay predicted. However, "if they had no coupons, it would be worse," he noted.
Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with Jupiter Research, believes that the program could persuade some of those who have hesitated to buy. "If you're sitting on the fence in terms of buying a computer, it may be that push you need to get over the fact that Vista is coming," Gartenberg said.
Getting the upgrade
While those who buy a big-name PC will handle the upgrade through the computer maker, those who buy from smaller PC makers--known as system builders--will get their software update directly from Microsoft.
In the U.S. version of the system builder program, owners of Windows XP Professional or Tablet PC Edition can upgrade to Windows Vista Business for the cost of shipping and handling. Similarly, Windows XP Media Center can move to Windows Vista Home Premium, again for the cost of shipping and handling.
Windows XP Home users can move to Vista Home basic for about $50 or to Vista Home Premium for $79, plus shipping and handling. That's about half the cost of the standard upgrade price in both cases.
As for the big-name PC makers, Hewlett-Packard said that it will offer free upgrades to XP buyers, though shipping and handling charges may apply. XP Home users can move to Vista Home Basic, Media Center Edition customers can move to Home Premium, and XP Pro buyers can move to Vista Business, again at no charge beyond the shipping and handling charge, HP said.
Dell's program is roughly similar, though the company is charging $45 plus shipping and handling for XP Home users to move to Vista Home Basic.
The direct seller is hoping that the Vista transition will give it a chance to stand out more from its retail brethren by moving quickly to offer both the upgrade offer and, once it ships, to quickly load Vista onto new machines.
"People have questioned the strength of the direct model," said Dell spokesman Bob Kaufman. "This is a key indicator of how strong it is and how unique it is."
The coupon program looks quite complex, analysts said. "But Microsoft seems to think it will work for consumers because they will see just one offer," Kay said. "In general, I think it is problematic, and the fact that Microsoft put some cost in it at all is going to be an inhibitor."
In essence, a coupon allows buyers of a PC with Windows XP to get some form of protection on the cost of the operating system, Cherry said. The complexities of the program won't help, he said. "It doesn't make sense to make this harder than it has to be, if the goal is to get people to purchase a computer now and feel comfortable," he said.
Microsoft has been
Kevin Johnson, co-president of Microsoft's Windows unit,
"There's likely to be something, and they're working on specifics now," he said.
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Microsoft Office 2007
The so-called upgrade for PCs bought prior to the release of VISTA could put customers in the same situation. If your Windows XP serial number has the string OEM in it, you most likely will be charged for support. If Microsoft wants better market penetration it might consider a different paradigm for support calls than the one we have now.
Is MS giving HP preferential treatment or what?
I think this Christmas it is going to be Apple all around in my family. All the cool stuff of Vista and then some. Here, Now and proven track record on upgrades.
If this is marketed correctly (and if the upgrade works well), then this is a very good idea. Not as good as getting Vista out in December, but good nonetheless. No other manufacturer has tried this before, right?
This is going to cause such a consumer backlash when "Mommy" goes to install Vista and gets to the point of having to install all new security software because her old AV won't work with the new OS and she is directly connected to the Internet with no router or firewall between.
Not withstanding the security implications there are going to be many many many systems that will wind up having to use their "restore" disk )if they provide one) and the user is going to be happy until they find out that all of their data went away with the restore.
There is going to be such a consumer backlash at both the system Manufacturers and Microsoft since they promised it would eventually be a Vista system only for the consumer to have either a spambot or a non-functioning system.
Please! Anybody that does not know Windows in and out do not take advantage of this offer as you will only be looking at grief and frustration only because Microsoft delayed their product.
expressing about the new limits on transferring vista to new
systems. I can hear it from Redmond now ... "hmm, maybe people
won't notice that we've taken over their entire computer and
removed all rights they thought they had over their own equipment
if we promise to give them a deal."
Here fishy fishy fishy ....
expressing about the new limits on transferring vista to new
systems. I can hear it from Redmond now ... "hmm, maybe people
won't notice that we've taken over their entire computer and
removed all rights they thought they had over their own equipment
if we promise to give them a deal!"
Here fishy fishy fishy ....
The full story can be found at http://www.tigerdirectblog.com/2006/10/25/catalog-sneak-preview-free-vista-express-upgrades/
- Ho Hum..
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by ServedUp
January 25, 2007 3:08 PM PST
- I don't even see any worthy reason to upgrade just yet.
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Reply to this comment
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See all 23 Comments >>Theres not even any appz. out for Vista.
But the CNET review of Vista is exactly what I had expected.
I wasn't all impressed with RC1, either. And as far as I've heard
there isn't even any difference between the two versions. From
the beginning I always thought it did a bad imitation of MAC OS
X with less features (not that theres anything wrong with that)
but it does have a DOS like kind of feel to it. I thought I was the
only one that noticed.
BUT.... it is more steady & secure than XP and Aero is an
improvement over Luna. Sadly, the only two really good reasons
to upgrade.
But when I do end up buying it.
It'll be running on my Mac Pro alongside XP, Linux and OSX set
as my default of course. Thank God for BOOTCAMP!!