Multiple announcements today

Posted by:
Nick White
10:30 PM Wednesday
Jan 17, 2007
161 Comments

Good news arrives today on several Windows Vista-related fronts, my friends ... read on.

Windows Anytime Upgrade

Today we're announcing further detail on how Windows Anytime Upgrade works. Come 30 January, Windows Anytime Upgrade will allow customers to purchase and download a digital key to upgrade to a more feature-rich edition of Windows Vista. The user will then complete the upgrade process by inserting the Windows Vista DVD that came with their PC or with their retail purchase of Windows Vista. The program will be available in the US, Canada, Europe and Japan.

Manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) to upgrade from a more basic version of Windows Vista are:

Home Basic --> Home Premium: $79
Home Basic --> Ultimate: $199
Home Premium --> Ultimate: $159
Business --> Ultimate: $139

We've designed Windows Anytime Upgrade as a measure of convenience for our customers and hope it proves to be a way for you to more easily advance to a more fully-featured edition of Windows Vista.

Windows Family Discount

Also, today we're announcing news that makes it easier and more economical for those of you with multiple systems at home -- like many of you who read this blog -- to upgrade to Windows Vista. If you have need for fewer than 5 licenses for home use, you can upgrade all of your home systems by taking advantage of the Windows Vista Family Discount. (Volume licensing is the way to go if you have need for more than 5 licenses.) This program will also begin at our retail availability launch on 30 January.

The Windows Vista Family Discount was in part inspired by feedback from tech enthusiasts like you who told us that previously it was less than convenient to upgrade every node on their home networks.

We heard you loud and clear in planning the Windows Vista Family Discount. Here's how it works:

Buy a retail copy of Windows Vista Ultimate (full or upgrade version)
Between 30 January – 30 June, order up to two copies of Windows Vista Home Premium online
Pay only $49.99 for each copy of Windows Vista Home Premium
Valid in North America (US and Canada)
On 30 January, go here for details; we've also a special site for our French-speaking customers.

Windows Marketplace Electronic Software Distribution

And finally, also as of the 30th, you will be able to visit Windows Marketplace to electronically buy Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office release via direct download. Windows Marketplace uses a technology called digital locker, which securely stores both the software itself and its related license keys. Digital locker also has intelligence to know when a download has been interrupted so that it can resume automatically once the connection is reinstated. On 30 January, go here to find the ESD editions of Windows Vista & Office 2007.

Comments

danwygant

Posted on: January 18, 2007 at 11:34AM
I love this - but I want to put Ultimate on all four of my PC's. Can't we work out a deal to upgrade > 2 for some waaaay lower amount?
MayoStudenT

Posted on: January 18, 2007 at 11:54AM
ColDFiRe: They don't sell Microsoft products in your country? Oh, and thanks for the name calling.

Keep up the great work Microsoft!
mpecnik

Posted on: January 18, 2007 at 12:09PM
I was very happy to hear the chatter about a family discount, ever since Paul Thurrott mentioned it.

I actually told a bunch of my friends they will finally be able to upgrade all of their machines for a bit less then usual.

And now this slap in the face...North America only! I'm just stunned.

If this actually does happen I'm not buying a single retail license of Vista. Sure I'll get it on my new laptop, but I definitely won't be upgrading my other machines.

I actually expected Ultimate to be a bit more flexible when it comes to licenses. Allowing us to use it in a (one would do) VM (similar to the Enterprise edition) or perhaps for the creation of a LiveCD...

Hopefully this isn't the final.
CoLDFiRe

Posted on: January 18, 2007 at 12:21PM
MayoStudenT,

Yes, they will Sell Windows Vista in Australia.

But not the family pack.

So it means I’m NOT going to upgrade my 3 computers. Making this entire marketing thing a joke.

U.S. only ptff!
mpecnik

Posted on: January 18, 2007 at 12:55PM
Well this seems better: "If you purchase a retail copy of Windows Vista Ultimate edition between January 30th and June 30th of this year you are entitled to up to two Windows Vista Home Premium licenses for $49.99 a piece (US and Canada Only initially)."

http://windowsconnected.com/blogs/joshs_blog/archive/2007/01/18/windows-vista-ultimate-edition-friends-and-family-plan.aspx
Sephiroth

Posted on: January 18, 2007 at 1:39PM
Nick,

On the surface, it sounds good. What provisions are there for those who have downloaded the beta? Will there be an option to download the full product activation key? Just a question. I'm not looking for any handouts.

Thanks!
Sephiroth

Posted on: January 18, 2007 at 1:54PM
Nick,

Just a quick follow up to my previous question. Reading the Upgrade Information from the Beta 2 Customer Preview Program included, it stated that, “Upgrades to the final version of Windows Vista from this Beta 2 may not be supported. The installation of any operating system (Windows Vista final version or otherwise) on top of Beta 2 may require a clean installation…”

The wordings I’m particularly focused on are the words “may not be supported” which is not definitive. Have there been any subsequent changes in this agreement that you know of supporting upgradability?
thc

Posted on: January 18, 2007 at 2:15PM
So, by the article the Family pricing is supposed to help families with multiple computers. It states that if a family has more than 5 licenses, then they should go to open source (read: business) licensing. The article states how to buy three licenses, but never covers how to purchase four or five licenses. It seems they have left the four and five computer families to have to pay a lot more. The family pack should cover up to five computers, not just three (like OSX and Anti-Virus Software products cover). It should also allow not only Vista Home Premium, but also additional Vista Ultimate licenses at a discount rate.
Sephiroth

Posted on: January 18, 2007 at 5:41PM
Fewer than 5 means 5 or less --that is, if I'm interpreting the lanquage correct the Nick is using.

The lanquage should have really stated, "up to 5 or less."
DJSubterrain

Posted on: January 18, 2007 at 6:35PM
Why are all the offers limited to the US and Canada? Canada is a different country to the US as are all the others in the world. When are the rest of us going to get some offers?

*Starts crying cos he's not American*

Trackbacks

Posted by: GottaBeMobile.com on January 18, 2007 at 9:29AM
Posted by: Josh's Windows Weblog on January 18, 2007 at 9:57AM
Microsoft today unveiled a family discount plan for households containing Multiple-PC's. This is something
Posted by: bkchung's WebLog on January 18, 2007 at 1:06PM
Windows Vista Team Blog : Multiple announcments today 모두 미국에 관한 이야기이기 때문에 우리나라에서는 어떤 식일지 모르지만, 참고할 수
Posted by: Geek News Central on January 19, 2007 at 3:56AM
Lots of content tonight and a bunch that I could not cover in the show but all the juicy stuff is in the show notes. Big thanks to the Ohana that stay Subscribed. Sponsors: [Save 10% off on any order...
Posted by: Geek News Central Podcast on January 19, 2007 at 4:00AM
Lots of content tonight and a bunch that I could not cover in the show but all the juicy stuff is in the show notes. Big thanks to the Ohana that stay Subscribed. Sponsors: [Save 10% off on any order...
Posted by: E-Bitz - SBS MVP the Official Blog of the SBS "Diva" on January 19, 2007 at 3:32PM
The Vistablog blogs about the upgrade pricing of Vista... and it's something I think us SBSers need to
Posted by: OpsanBlog on January 20, 2007 at 10:02PM
Posted by: jweston's WebLog on January 30, 2007 at 11:35PM
I blogged about this a couple of weeks ago. MSNBC and news.com had articles back on 1/18 about it. Here