Microsoft on Monday briefly posted pricing for Windows Vista on its Canadian Web site, giving an eye into what the company will charge for the new operating system.
The posting indicates that the Home Basic edition of Windows Vista will be priced the same as Windows XP Home, at a price that equates to around £122.62. The Home Premium version, which includes support for Media Center and tablet PC abilities will sell for a 13 percent higher rate, a price that translates to about £141.57.
Microsoft quickly removed the price information, but blogger Ed Bott, who spotted the price list earlier on Monday, included the price list in a ZDNet.com posting.
A Microsoft representative said the company "inadvertently posted Windows Vista Canadian retail prices" on its Web site but said it has removed the posting and is not ready to share pricing information. The company said it would announce prices when it ships the "Release Candidate 1" test version, due out by September.
On the business side, Microsoft listed Windows Vista Business at a price that equates to £179.47, 7 percent less than Microsoft charges in Canada for Windows XP Professional.
The company is still wrapping up development work on the oft-delayed Windows update, which will come more than five years after its predecessor, Windows XP. After issuing the near-final release candidate next month, the company hopes to finalise the code in November in time for a mainstream launch in January.
Microsoft has yet to announce publicly its pricing plans but has said they will be generally similar to Windows XP prices, with a higher tag planned for Windows Vista Ultimate, a new high-end version that combines advanced media features with business-oriented features.
"We don't expect significant changes in our pricing strategy," Windows unit head Kevin Johnson said at a July meeting with financial analysts. "However, Vista Ultimate is a new (product), and we will sell that at a modest premium to today's offerings."
The information that was posted on Microsoft's Canadian Web site suggests that the premium will be hefty indeed, with that version at a price that equates to £236.30.
"The thing about list prices for full versions is that no one pays them, anyway," Gartner analyst Michael Silver said. "Most people will get Vista as part of a new PC, and the price will be buried in with the cost of the hardware."
And those who are upgrading their existing PCs pay the lower upgrade prices, Silver said.
On the upgrade front, a Vista Ultimate upgrade is priced somewhat above today's cost for upgrading to XP Professional. Windows Vista Business, meanwhile, is priced slightly below the XP Pro upgrade price. The upgrade to Windows Vista Basic is priced at the same rate as that for XP Home Edition, while Vista Home Premium is priced 54 percent higher than the basic edition.
The software maker announced in February that it plans to sell six versions of Windows Vista, including Vista Starter, which will be sold only on new PCs in emerging markets.
Talkback
Can anyone tell me what Vista has that is worth spending £1 let alone £100+ on a new OS and more on additional memory to get it to run. If it wasn't preloaded on almost all new PCs, nobody in their right mind would touch it.
"And those who are upgrading their existing PCs pay the lower upgrade prices, Silver said".
Upgrade from what?
Microsoft will not allow upgrades from OEM copies of Windows. I know, but a representitive of Windows UK told me so.
I'm a Slackware Linux user. I have a Windows 98 O.S. that I sometimes need. I hope I never need Vista.
When you depend on a Microsoft O.S. you lose freedom, independence and control. You also must pay the "Microsoft Tax" each time a new O.S. is released.
Isn't it a merciful thing that this one took so long to arrive?
Are Microsoft going to cut the prices of the XP software? I doubt it.
As the hardware gets cheaper, the Microsoft OS gets more expensive. And how many security patches, faults will there be to download from MS for the new Vista? I remember the SP1 and SP2 for XP. Do we really want all the bells and whistles that MS have included and want us to use? There are plent of other pieces of non MS software that can be used - some are far better.
PC World are doing a laptop for £299. They sell XP home for £150. If I buy a Laptop without an OS will they give it to me a £150 off? The big sellers get a lovely discount from MS.
For free I got MEPIS Linux. It comes with web browser, Office suite, cd/dvd player/burner software. It found my wired network, laser printer driver was in the package, and I plugged in my USB wifi and it worked without me doing anything.
I am not a Tech person but a pensioner, having a play with my PC.
Check out this website to see what you CAN'T find in
vista:
http://demorecorder.com/howto/xgl/?t=ask060607.01
When you see this in windoze, remember where it came from. They will call it an "innovation", but most of everything they have they either, bought the company
that made it, ripped it off, or copied it. vista is an acronym for, virus's,infections,spyware, trojans, and adware.