Rumor: Microsoft to Offer Free Windows 7 Upgrade to Vista Owners (there's a Catch)
Rumor: Microsoft to Offer Free Windows 7 Upgrade to Vista Owners (there's a Catch)
Posted 02/12/2009 at 7:38am
| by Paul Lilly
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Select Vista owners may be getting a free ride to Windows 7, according to a draft document TechArp claims to have obtained. The document, which TechArp says was handed out to OEM partners on December 10 with a one month deadline to provide feedback, outlines Microsoft's tentatively named "Windows 7 Upgrade Program."
The point of the program is to alleviate the concern from potential PC buyers who may be postponing a purchase in anticipation of Windows 7. As it's being reported, it's a consumer-oriented upgrade program aimed at both individual consumers and small businesses who purchase a Vista-based PC during the unspecified 'Program Eligibility Period.'
To qualify, end users must buy a new PC with Vista pre-installed, and the system must come with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached. The upgrade only apples to Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate flavors, which can then be upgraded to Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate respectively. And finally, Microsoft says the program does not support multiple upgrades for medium, large, or enterprise customers, according to the document.
Keep in mind the above is based on a draft document, and should it become finalized, eligibility requirements and other details could very well change. Stay tuned!
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the_river
February 12, 2009 at 2:53pm
So I paid for an Ultimate Retail copy of Vista! I wanted to be able to install it anywhere since Vista was supposed to be good for at least 5-10 years with a service pack or two in there. And I hate looking for discs to upgrade it. Vista's 'upgrade' process sounded daunting and I figured the Retail copy was good enough on a fresh system with a Raptor in it.
So can I take advantage of this MS? Please???
Antilogic81
February 12, 2009 at 2:14pm
Good deal for a lot of people...most MPC users probably build their own though, so this really doesn't help us per se. But this will encourage many people to atleast try it out and win back some M$ support that was lost with Vista.
Phated1
February 12, 2009 at 12:40pm
What if i bought an OEM version of vista? Isnt that the same as the "pre-installed" versions? Would it apply to this promotion?
I Jedi
February 12, 2009 at 9:24am
Damn. I guess that definitely screws me over. Huh? Seeing as how my system was not pre-built and no COA. :( DAMN YOU MS! *Waves fist*
Lestaticon
February 12, 2009 at 8:22am
I got screwed in the last promotion when it was XP to Vista. Out of the 8 new XP systems we submitted in that deal, only 2 got Vista back from it, and that was with submitting the same material with each claim. And dealing with the 3rd party company they used to process the claims was not fun at all due to their lack of response and comprehension. Since 7 appears to be a retooled Vista, I think all current Vista owners should get a free or extremely reduced price upgrade option. Vista hasn't been out that long.
AndyYankee17
February 12, 2009 at 1:47pm
just because the GUI appears the same doesn't mean nothing else changed. from what I've seens there's been a ton of under the hood improvements
Devo85x
February 12, 2009 at 1:51pm
But it could be argued that just because the code has been improved and cleaned up doesnt mean its not still basicly vista redone...
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