[Super rumor] Windows 7 pricing

Robert Hallock 6 Feb, 2009 at 12:49pm ET Article published in Tech

ArsTechnica is reporting that they have received details of Windows 7’s price schemes courtesy of an unverified tipster. While these pricepoints are quite probably spurious (grab your salt shaker), this is a topic that is sure to garner considerable discussion.

Now, without further ado, here is the rumored pricing for Windows 7 editions (not the upgrade versions):

Windows 7 Starter: $199

Windows 7 Home Premium: $259

Windows 7 Professional: $299

Windows 7 Ultimate: $319

What do you think about these rumored prices? What would you pay for your chosen edition of Windows 7?

UPDATE @ 2:40 PM EST:

ArsTechnica has since retracted the source material for this entry, so all that remains is what we’ve quoted above. Their decision to quell their update should remind all of us that these are just rumors to be taken with great skepticism. It’s important to keep in mind that Microsoft is hardly finished with the development of Windows 7, and is a great deal of time away from announcing a pricing structure. We have decided to retain this post only to foster discussions about consumer opinion on an acceptable MSRP.

Comments

6 Feb 2009 ~ 12:53pm BuddyJ Too high.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 12:55pm Thrax Agreed. Let's talk $150. How about $99?
6 Feb 2009 ~ 12:56pm Zuntar ^^ Exactly what I was thinking ^^

No way would I pay that much.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 12:57pm MiracleManS A few things would deter me.

If they only offer XP users a "fresh install" price option, instead of the ability to simply upgrade, that would be flat out stupid.

Also with you on the prices being too high. I'd like to see them start at $99 for 7 Starter and go up to $299 for 7 Ultimate.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 1:02pm Snarkasm Only $20 difference between Pro and Ultimate. Hmm.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 1:14pm AlexDeGruven The lower-end (starter and home basic) seem really high, but Ultimate sounds pretty reasonable when compared with Vista.

If the upgrade price isn't significantly less than the full install, a lot of Vista Ultimate buyers are going to be pretty pissed.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 1:23pm kryyst For the record you can buy an upgrade edition if you are on XP. However you can't do an upgrade install from XP, you have to do a clean install. But you can buy the upgrade version at the upgrade version pricing.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 1:34pm Linc I look at Creative Suite 4 Design, and see the price sticker is $1800 (upgrade $600). I consider that steep but not unreasonable. So, it's hard for me to complain about the operating system being $300, though it certainly isn't going to help their anti-piracy efforts or stem the flow of people switching to Mac. Personally, I feel my Windows days may be numbered.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 1:46pm Thrax You think $1800 isn't unreasonable? Wow.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 1:54pm MiracleManS ^ this
6 Feb 2009 ~ 2:25pm QCH Windows 7 Standard = $50
Add-on:
Home = $50
Pro = $100
Ult = $150

That's my price plan....
6 Feb 2009 ~ 2:37pm Your Friendly Neighborhood Computer Guy Looks like arstechnica took down the article because it was annonymous and not one of their trusted sources. I would take these prices with a HUGE grain of salt. Like, a boulder of salt.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 2:39pm Thrax Grab your saltshaker!
6 Feb 2009 ~ 2:50pm GnomeWizardd Id pay 125 for home
6 Feb 2009 ~ 3:05pm BuddyJ I wanna be a baller like Keebs.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 5:07pm Blue_Dog I do not think I would pay for the license, It is too expensive. however, Bill not getting poor if I do not pay, but he not getting richer if I pay, so why bother! lol

in my experience, the new generation of Windows contains lots of BuGs like Win' Me, and another version is Vista, many end users complaint about it, event an IT support like me, I feel I am lost sometime, It take me time to find out what I need

lol
6 Feb 2009 ~ 5:09pm Your-Amish-Daddy I'd pay 200 for the one that gives me the best memory and disk performance.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 5:10pm mas0n Should be:

Starter: $99
Home Premium: $149
Professional: $199
Ultimate: $249

That would be a bit more reasonable. I would have no problems dropping $200 for a full copy of 7 Pro. Also, most of us have no reason to buy a full copy, upgrades would be fine assuming you can upgrade from both XP and Vista and without them being installed (just providing the CD for proof of ownership, as you could do in the past).
6 Feb 2009 ~ 8:11pm chrisWhite Here's what it should be IMHO:

Windows 7 $99 or, at most, $149

It's stupid the way it's setup with Vista, it should be a cheap upgrade that let's you launch off into other MS products and not be just about the OS.

This is coming from someone who bought full, legit versions of both Ultimate and Home Premium for my two machines, for what it's worth.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 8:14pm CB It should all be free. I mean, if we're going to dream, we might as well dream, mirite?

Microsoft knows that almost every company will have to buy this product for almost every desk eventually, so we'll pay whatever they think they can get away with without another anti-trust lawsuit.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 8:39pm GnomeWizardd honestly they it should be 100 bucks for the Home if you prove you have a valid vista key, since vista is crap
6 Feb 2009 ~ 9:05pm Snarkasm Except for when it's not.
6 Feb 2009 ~ 10:00pm Blue_Dog why don't you people try Linux

it is free
6 Feb 2009 ~ 10:30pm chrisWhite Linux is cool and I have tried it and I'll give it another go soon but it just can't take the place for my day to day OS. I need all my media production tools like Adobe CS3/4, Modo, Mudbox, Zbrush, etc. I also like my games and most of them don't run (or run well) on Linux.
7 Feb 2009 ~ 7:06am Blue_Dog I agree with you ChrisWhite,

there is limitation on Linux systems, there is not enough software application for us to do our jobs while Microsoft keep release new version of windows for every 2 or 3 years

you may awareness there is relationship between software and computer hardware, if we have old hardware such as P1 1.4GHz CPU, 1GB Ram would you reckon it is good for install windows XP and office XP?

I do not think it is good ideas because I found end users complaint about performance when they working office documents, the screen may freeze while they scroll up and down the page

so how often do you upgrade windows? do you buy new PC?

I, myself, I would not do that,

Cheers
7 Feb 2009 ~ 11:50am Komete The copy of vista I'm running is an upgrade. I'm wondering if I can upgrade from an upgrade to win7?

Of course it'll be hearsay until it is released but I'm thinking I will.

They left that back door in vista where you could buy an upgrade dvd and install the whole thing. It would probably work with win7 too.
7 Feb 2009 ~ 11:52am Your-Amish-Daddy Pentium 1 1.4ghz? Wait wait wait....What? I never got a Pentium 1 over 150mhz.

Anyway, I hit the new OSes whenever I can snag a copy either cheap or cheap as free. I almost want to call Blue a troll, because obviously this discussion is about the rumored pricing on 7, not the validity of Linux as a user-friendly and compatible OS.
7 Feb 2009 ~ 4:20pm Blue_Dog sorry Your Amish Daddy, I mean P4 1.4GHz
7 Feb 2009 ~ 8:09pm Blue_Dog I am thinking, when a new generation of Windows come, the new PC will be needed or old computer will be out of date if they are not upgraded like over clocking, new RAM added, or replace new motherboard.

while small damn linux still capable to work with any kind of old PC, doesn't mean old is useless, right? hehe
7 Feb 2009 ~ 8:12pm Thrax No.
7 Feb 2009 ~ 8:53pm Blue_Dog yes
7 Feb 2009 ~ 9:02pm Snarkasm Windows 7 is running on my laptop right now. It runs on old hardware. It runs on netbooks. It will not require a new computer.
7 Feb 2009 ~ 9:08pm Blue_Dog what is its performance? still going quick or slow? I am really curious
8 Feb 2009 ~ 1:46am -MBG--De-Sniper too high bring down the prices
* Windows 7 Starter: $99
* Windows 7 Home Premium: $119
* Windows 7 Professional: $129
* Windows 7 Ultimate: $149
8 Feb 2009 ~ 2:02am Snarkasm lol, $149.
8 Feb 2009 ~ 3:15am DrLiam

CB wrote:

It should all be free. I mean, if we're going to dream, we might as well dream, mirite?

Microsoft knows that almost every company will have to buy this product for almost every desk eventually, so we'll pay whatever they think they can get away with without another anti-trust lawsuit.

This.
8 Feb 2009 ~ 5:36am Blue_Dog

too high bring down the prices
* Windows 7 Starter: $99
* Windows 7 Home Premium: $119
* Windows 7 Professional: $129
* Windows 7 Ultimate: $149

ha ha ...................... I want it to be free Sir!
8 Feb 2009 ~ 5:49am Mike Gee These prices seem too high to me.
9 Feb 2009 ~ 7:42pm Blue_Dog YES it is true
10 Feb 2009 ~ 12:30am Blue_Dog I installed Fedora 10 on my "old" GA-SIMLP 1.4GHz 512MB + 256MB Ram

I am happy, it working so well
18 Oct 2009 ~ 6:57am nicksr1125 The cheap way to get Win 7 is to get a Technet subscription from Ol' Bill. The stated price is $349.00. If you look around, you can find a promo code that still works and get anywhere from 20-25% off. It gives you 10 licenses for almost anything MS publishes including all versions of Windows, Server 2003, 2008, & Office 2003 & 2007 and lots more. The renewal is $249.00 annually but you're still getting all the "stuff". If you don't renew and wait until the next version of Windows comes out, you've still got 10 personal licenses to use until you do your next OS upgrade.