Re: Analyst: $120 for Windows 7 'Way Too Much'
- From: El Castor <No_One@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:43:04 -0700
On 28 Jun 2009 18:47:10 GMT, awouk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (arthur wouk)
wrote:
In article <cq6d45tksh081ktbur2dq4o2s12urop9r1@xxxxxxx>,
El Castor <No_One@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
:On 27 Jun 2009 18:21:06 GMT, awouk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (arthur wouk)
:wrote:
:
:>
:>
:> June 25, 2009
:>
:> Analyst: $120 for Windows 7 'Way Too Much'
:>
:> By GREGG KEIZER of Computerworld, IDG
:>
:> Microsoft's pricing of Windows 7 threatens to derail its efforts to move
:> users off the aging Windows XP and make them forget the bad taste of Vista,
:> a retail research analyst said today.
:>
:> "I'm very disappointed in the upgrade pricing," said Stephen Baker, an
:> analyst with the NPD Group. "I would have much rather seen Microsoft come
:> out aggressive, and wipe the world clean of all the Vista problems."
:>
:> Earlier today, Microsoft unveiled list prices for Windows 7, which put
:> the lowest-priced upgrade -- an edition of Windows 7 Home Premium -- at
:> $119.99, a price cut of less than 8% from Vista's comparable version.
:>
:> "That $120 is a pretty big nut, especially when you can buy a new PC for
:> around $300," said Baker, who's dubious about Microsoft's upgrade pricing.
:>
:> Earlier on Thursday, Baker took Microsoft to task over pricing in a post to
:> the NPD company blog, calling $120 "way too much for the software" and
:> adding that Microsoft could hamper migration to the new OS. "It is in
:> Microsoft's best interests to erase all vestiges of Vista from consumers'
:> homes, and by making the upgrade expensive, and a bit painful, Microsoft is
:> creating a large disincentive for consumers to move to a far superior
:> platform with a better user experience," Baker said.
:>
:> He also slammed Microsoft for not providing a multi-license offer for
:> upgrading all of a family's PCs. "In a world, at least in the U.S., where
:> most homes are moving into a multiple PC environment, it would enhance the
:> consumer home experience if they could upgrade all their home PCs at a
:> single low price with a single boxed purchase," Baker said.
:>
:> Baker compared Microsoft's pricing and lack of a "family pack" to Apple's
:> aggressive moves at the beginning of the month when it announced that Mac
:> OS X 10.6, the performance and stability upgrade known as "Snow Leopard,"
:> would be priced at just $29 for a single-user license, $49 for a
:> five-license pack. Apple traditionally charges $129 for an operating system
:> upgrade.
:>
:> "Apple's Snow Leopard pricing model is much more appropriate to driving
:> adoption and raising customer satisfaction levels," argued Baker. "This is
:> a direction I would have much preferred to see Microsoft head."
:>
:> Microsoft's response, when asked if it was planning a family-pack for
:> Windows 7, was noncommittal. "We expect to have other great offers in the
:> future as we lead up to and beyond general availability," a spokeswoman
:> said via instant messaging. "[But] we have nothing to announce at this
:> time."
:>
:> On the bright side, said Baker, Microsoft has so far managed the rollout of
:> Windows 7 "pretty darn well," especially when compared to the disaster of
:> Vista, which launched in January 2007, one of the worst-possible months to
:> introduce an operating system at retail.
:>
:> "There's plenty of time between now and October for people to buy PCs, and
:> get free upgrades," he said, referring to the Windows 7 Upgrade Option
:> Program, which Microsoft also announced today. "And they've dramatically
:> reduced prices of some upgrades with the $50 offer. That's pretty slick,
:> and a great way to build up buzz."
:>
:> Starting Friday, Microsoft and a limited number of U.S. retailers --
:> including Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Office Depot, Quill.com and Microsoft's
:> own online store -- will take pre-orders for a $49.99 upgrade to
:> Windows 7 Home Premium and a $99.99 upgrade to Windows 7 Professional.
:>
:> Microsoft's covered both the holiday and back-to-school season with Windows
:> 7, said Baker, even though the OS won't be shipping in time for the latter.
:> "They would have had to have it out now, not in October, to make
:> back-to-school," said Baker. Instead, back-to-school PC sales will continue
:> as usual -- the Oct. 22 launch is much too late to entice students and
:> parents to delay a summer or early fall purchase -- and most will be
:> eligible for the free upgrade from Vista.
:>
:> "Overall, there's more positive here than negative," said Baker, who in his
:> blog gave Microsoft's Windows 7 effort thus far an "A+" grade.
:>
:> But there's still room for improvement. "I don't think they'll extend [the
:> pre-order discount] now. They'll let it run its course and see what
:> happens." But the $50 pre-sale price, which Baker applauded, shows that
:> there's some flexibility in the Microsoft's pricing for Windows 7. "It
:> clearly says that they're hedging their bets a little."
:>
:> Later, as the Oct. 22 launch approaches, Baker said he wouldn't be
:> surprised if Microsoft didn't return to that discount well.
:>
:> Copyright 2009 IDG. All Rights Reserved.
:
:If you had bothered to read the article, you would know that Amazon is
:currently taking pre-orders of Home Premium upgrades for $49.99, and
:free shipping. Won't last long, so get in the order now.
i do not currently run any windows machines. i had one running as a radio
tuner for a while, but i replaced with a powermacG4. apple does better as
a radio tuner, particularly older ones which seem to run forever, about as
good as my even older sun hardware. the sun hardware runs the latest OS
just fine. the G4s (i currently have two hand me downs from my daughters)
may be limited to OS 10.4, probably, but that is a minor limitaiton.
i am putting linux on the wintel machines. cheaper, better, faster.
And also not a lot of choices when it comes to software and hardware
drivers, but whatever floats your boat.
.
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