Windows 7 upgrades starting at 50 bucks?

Mon Jun 8, 2009 11:33AM EDT

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Excitement continues to build for Windows 7's October 22 release, but the number of questions remaining about the OS are high. Foremost among them: What will it cost?

According to an alleged leaked memo from Best Buy, it could be a lot less than you think. Specifically, the memo states that starting June 26, Best Buy will "presell... select versions of Windows 7 on BestBuy.com - $49.99 for Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade and $99.99 for Windows 7 Professional Upgrade."

If the numbers are correct, those are extremely aggressive price points considering Microsoft's notorious history of gouging on prices. Previous rumors had held that Microsoft was eying a premium pricing strategy for Windows 7, which had concerned some analysts that the company might "shoot itself in the foot.

There is, however, a catch: Those prices appear to be temporary, part of a 16-day-only sale that would expire on July 11, 2009; Best Buy gets to hang on to your money for more than three months before shipping you your software. The memo also says that other retailers will be offering the same deal.

As well, if the memo is correct, June 26 will mark the beginning of the Windows 7 "technology guarantee" period. That means that computers purchased between that date and October 22 will have Vista preinstalled but will also come with an upgrade coupon that entitles the buyer to a free copy of Windows 7 when it is released.

In other words: Don't even think of buying a new computer between now and June 26.

Microsoft isn't publicly commenting on prices yet, though it appears on track to do so later this month, possibly in conjunction with the launch of these presell upgrade specials.

Comments on Windows 7 upgrades starting at 50 bucks?

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  • 6 Posted by alexgannis on Mon Jun 8, 2009 1:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    collamcuffsboy you just answer your own question.

  • 8 Posted by kola10002000 on Mon Jun 8, 2009 2:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    Don't forget about the major hassles of getting the free upgrade to vista. Upgrade did not work on a lot of pc that were said to be able to handle the upgrade.

  • 10 Posted by rtanski on Mon Jun 8, 2009 6:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    I had no problems running a beta version of Windows 7 under Virtualbox so I would assume that RC1 would work as well.

  • 11 Posted by twohlrab3 on Tue Jun 9, 2009 12:09AM EDT Report Abuse

    The price of the OS goes down substantially when you purchase it bundled with a new computer. I plan on buying a new laptop with it preinstalled, and keeping my 07 Dell w/ XP Pro laptop for nostalgic purposes. I am perfectly contempt with my XP right now, and probably would be for the next 5 years, however being in the IT business I'm forced to upgrade with the technologies. Soon I will be buying a USED macbook, unfortunately, only to become proficient with OSX.

  • 12 Posted by jim_andreu on Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:14AM EDT Report Abuse

    2 answers: To item 4: you get a CD that will look for a qualifying - pre-existing OS to upgrade. If there is no OS, you will need to insert the original CD before the upgrade takes place. To item 5: I loaded Windoze 7 in VirtualBox and it works fine in 64 bit mode - as fine as one can expect windows to run. Changing the wallpaper freezes the system but I think they fixed that :P

  • 13 Posted by somebodys_here on Wed Jun 10, 2009 2:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    I will definitely be getting this upgrade... Win 7 is fantastic on my PC

  • 14 Posted by uselessjazzthief on Wed Jun 10, 2009 3:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    I hope microsoft plans an explaining exactly how windows 7 will make my computing experince better. I honestly have had no problems with vista so far. The only way i'd sheck out the money for windows 7 is if they made the home networking better and less confusing to setup and if they didn't require me to approve every regedit change i make.

  • 15 Posted by donnoh1 on Tue Jun 16, 2009 8:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    Will this version be able to stop a print job on it's own ?

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