Windows Vista Pricing Leaked

[Blue Velvet]

Apologies if someone has already posted this but just spotted this in Google News. Please note that many of the prices quoted are either in Canadian or Australian dollars.

PRICING details for Microsoft's forthcoming Vista Windows release are starting to leak out, with both Microsoft's Canadian operation and online retailer Amazon publishing prices online.

Amazon.com is listing pre-order copies of Windows Vista Ultimate for $US399 ($524), saying the product would be released on January 30, 2007.
Meanwhile, Microsoft's Canadian operation has inadvertently leaked prices for the forthcoming Windows Vista release.

According to posts on tech forum site Neowin.net, the Canadian website listed Windows Vista Ultimate for $C499 ($590). The Home Platinum edition was priced at $C299 and the Home Premium Upgrade version at $C199.

The Canadian website currently lists Windows XP Professional for a retail price of $C499. Microsoft Australia lists the same product for $479.

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,20291440^15321^^nbv^,00.html



If these reports turn out to have any basis in reality, please let's not hear any more complaining about how expensive OSX is.



Edit: More links...
http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=34770

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/29/ms_vista_canada/
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6110267.html

 

[gauchogolfer]

If these reports turn out to have any basis in reality, please let's not hear any more complaining about how expensive OSX is.

My $129 dollar investment in Leopard is going to look like even more of a steal ...

 

[Blue Velvet]

My $129 dollar investment in Leopard is going to look like even more of a steal ...

Especially for those who think that they're going to get Aero for peanuts.

The super duper Vista Ultimate which has Media Center tools along with the Aero 3D GUI and extra security technology will cost a whopping $449.

I'm well aware that the majority of people are going to get Vista when they buy new machines next year or so, but which of these versions are they going to get?

 

[Lollypop]

I'm well aware that the majority of people are going to get Vista when they buy new machines next year or so, but which of these versions are they going to get?

Very likely home platinum, possibly professional if they are buying a expensive high end machine.

MS has spread their lineup to thin, $500 for the ultimate every 5-10 years, I would rather got the apple route, $130 for the entire thing every few years and at least I feel continues advances than one big bang.

 

[SpaceMagic]

Microsoft surely want to go for the easy-to-use appeal, but with just so many upgrade options, people are going to be confused from the onset. I really should apply for a Microsoft marketing position, I could take the company places (although it'd compete with the superior OS, i could make a lot of money in the mean time )

 

[Chundles]

Yep, more than twice as much as OSX ($199) costs. And that's for XP...

Actually, at $579 Vista Ultimate is ~3x more expensive than OSX. That's just crazy.

 

[MacRumors]

Windows Vista Pricing Leaked



Yesterday, Microsoft inadvertently released the pricing of its upcoming OS called Vista on their Canadian website. The prices were picked up by the NeoWin blog and are also neatly layed out at Wikipedia.

Vista Home Premium will retail for $239, with upgrades available for $159. Additional licenses will be available for discounts as well. Vista Home Premium edition has evolved from XP Professional, Media Center, and Tablet product lines, and probably is also the edition which can most closely be compared to Mac OS X.

Many comparisons have been made between Vista and Mac OS X, and with many expecting Apple to continue its pricing tradition of $129 for Leopard (Mac OS 10.5), further comparisons can be made on price as well.

All prices in USD

 

[Littleodie914]

Dang that's expensive.

 

[DaveTheGrey]

who cares how much crap is?

 

[Keebler]

Dang that's expensive.

yup..expensive for something that is lagging way behind what we already have and what we have...costs lower

my God windoze sucks.

 

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

Very likely home platinum, possibly professional if they are buying a expensive high end machine.

MS has spread their lineup to thin, $500 for the ultimate every 5-10 years, I would rather got the apple route, $130 for the entire thing every few years and at least I feel continues advances than one big bang.

You mean Home Premium?

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I sure hope my college gives out free upgrades like they did with XP Pro, because $239 is a LOT to spend on an OS!

(and no, after the DLhell from doing an upgrade from 98 to XP, I would never go the upgrade route again)

 

[atari1356]

bodes well for Linux and OS X...

I wonder what MS is doing in Vista to prevent piracy? At that price I'm sure a lot of people will be tempted to pirate it.

 

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

At that price, I hope Apple considers preinstalling Vista on its machines.

240 bucks for Boot Camp is ludacris, when you'll probably hardly use it anyway...

 

[jaxstate]

Seems cheap to me. I'll be there to get my copy day one. I think it's going to be a leap over XP.

 

[paddy]

Ha, what a waste of money.

 

[autrefois]

According to the Wikipedia article, a Home Basic upgrade is only $99.95, which is cheaper than the standard $129 for OS X releases. Then again, education customers can often get Mac OS for around $70 in some cases, if I'm not mistaken. I don't know if there will be education discounts for Vista or how much they will be. With so many versions and price points for Vista and an unknown price tag for Leopard, it's very complicated to make comparisons...

Now one of the big questions is, who can get a Home Basic upgrade and how much are Home Basic users missing out on if they get that as opposed to Aero, etc.? No one knows for sure all the details at this point and we won't know for sure until official announcements are made. Although I would take OS X over Windows any day, we have to be cautious I think before saying Mac's upgrades are cheaper than Windows'. It looks like in many cases they will be, but not necessarily in all cases.

 

[HecubusPro]

who cares how much crap is?

Is that a general use of the term "crap?" As in "all that crap?" Or is it specific to Windows as crap?" As in, "Vista is a singular pile of crap, left on my lawn by the next door neighbor's dog."

Sorry, I just woke up.

 

[amols]

Now only if Apple comes out with $99 for Leopard...

 

[Chundles]

According to the Wikipedia article, a Home Basic upgrade is only $99.95, which is cheaper than the standard $129 for OS X releases. Then again, education customers can often get Mac OS for around $70 in some cases, if I'm not mistaken. I don't know if there will be education discounts for Vista or how much they will be. With so many versions and price points for Vista and an unknown price tag for Leopard, it's very complicated to make comparisons...

Now one of the big questions is, who can get a Home Basic upgrade and how much are Home Basic users missing out on if they get that as opposed to Aero, etc.? No one knows for sure all the details at this point and we won't know for sure until official announcements are made. Although I would take OS X over Windows any day, we have to be cautious I think before saying Mac's upgrades are cheaper than Windows'. It looks like in many cases they will be, but not necessarily in all cases.

Yeah, but Home Basic is crap.

 

[deepy]

I got a free copy of XP Pro from my university with MSDA-AA licence. Hopefully they'll be doing the same with Vista so I can have a macbook with tiger and vista dual booting - sounds fun.

 

[AidenShaw]

(and no, after the DLhell from doing an upgrade from 98 to XP, I would never go the upgrade route again)

Note that the Windows 98 -> Windows XP "upgrade" was roughly the same as upgrading from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS 10.1. XP was a completely different codebase and layout from Win9x.

An XP -> Vista upgrade is an upgrade from one version of NT to the next version of NT. Microsoft has a much better track record at NT upgrades.

(The system that I'm on now started life in 1997 as a Windows NT 4 SP3 system. It's been upgraded to NT4 SPs, Win2K beta, Win2K RCs, Win2K SPs, WinXP betas, WinXP RCs, WinXP SPs, and soon I'll put the Vista RC on it... Never re-installed, never re-formatted.)

 

[iHotu]

Those prices seem inline with the current cost of XP Pro.

$299 list, $250 amazon, $135 newegg oem

Would like to see Apple offer it installed for $99

 

[jaxstate]

How so?

Yeah, but Home Basic is crap.

 

[Demoman]

According to the Wikipedia article, a Home Basic upgrade is only $99.95, which is cheaper than the standard $129 for OS X releases. Then again, education customers can often get Mac OS for around $70 in some cases, if I'm not mistaken. I don't know if there will be education discounts for Vista or how much they will be. With so many versions and price points for Vista and an unknown price tag for Leopard, it's very complicated to make comparisons...

Now one of the big questions is, who can get a Home Basic upgrade and how much are Home Basic users missing out on if they get that as opposed to Aero, etc.? No one knows for sure all the details at this point and we won't know for sure until official announcements are made. Although I would take OS X over Windows any day, we have to be cautious I think before saying Mac's upgrades are cheaper than Windows'. It looks like in many cases they will be, but not necessarily in all cases.

You are mixing apples and oranges here sport. Vista BASIC does not have any comparison in the Apple world. You have to compare the Premium version of Vista.