Microsoft Unveils New Ways
for Consumers to Get Windows Vista
Article Published
By Marc Liron - Microsoft MVP
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Windows Anytime Upgrade, Windows Vista Family
Discount and Windows Marketplace offer customers more flexibility
and choice in purchasing Windows Vista.
Read this article for more information on this
security update.
What Are The New
Choices..?
Microsoft has detailed three new methods for customers looking to
buy, upgrade or license multiple copies of Windows Vista, the new
operating system that will be available worldwide on Jan 30th 2007.
They are called Windows Anytime Upgrade, Windows
Vista Family Discount and Windows Marketplace, and will provide
users with greater flexibility in obtaining the new operating
system.
Windows Anytime Upgrade Lets Customers Upgrade Anytime, Anywhere
Windows Anytime Upgrade is a new option that allows customers to
conveniently upgrade their existing edition of Windows Vista to a
higher-grade edition by way of an online transaction. For example,
if a Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Business user
decides he or she wants more capability — perhaps to join his home
PCs to secure domains at the office, or to experience the multimedia
capabilities of Windows Vista on his work laptop — Windows Anytime
Upgrade makes the process of moving to Windows Vista Ultimate
expedient and affordable. To use Windows Anytime Upgrade, a customer
simply clicks on the Windows Anytime Upgrade option in the Start
menu, selects the desired upgrade edition, purchases it online to
secure a new digital key, and then follows the on-screen
instructions to complete the upgrade.
Within Windows Anytime Upgrade, customers will be able to obtain
detailed feature-by-feature information on the different Windows
Vista editions, so that they can make an informed decision on
whether an upgrade is right for them. The integrated desktop and
e-commerce experience allows customers, with one click, to go from
the Windows desktop to an e-commerce shopping cart containing the
upgrade path they have selected.
The business model for Windows Anytime Upgrade is unique in the
industry in that selected original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)
and retail partners will be able to offer Windows Anytime Upgrade as
online merchants, via a new e-commerce infrastructure developed by
Microsoft. For the first time, both retailers and OEMs can ensure
that their customers have the option to directly upgrade the version
of Windows on their PC even after their initial purchase.
The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices to upgrade to more
premium editions of Windows Vista are as follows: Home Basic to Home
Premium $79, Home Basic to Ultimate $199, Home Premium to Ultimate
$159 and Business to Ultimate $139. Windows Anytime Upgrade will
coincide with the general availability of Windows Vista in the
United States, Canada, Europe and Japan on Jan. 30, and after launch
customers can find additional information at
http://www.windowsanytimeupgrade.com
Windows Marketplace Adds Windows Vista to Its Virtual Shelves
In another first, Microsoft will make Windows Vista and the 2007
Microsoft Office release available for direct download via Windows
Marketplace, the largest online destination for buying software that
runs on Windows. Starting Jan 30th 2007 and working with retail
partners, Windows Marketplace will offer the following upgrade
editions of Windows Vista and full versions of the 2007 Microsoft
Office release at suggested retail prices:
• Windows Vista Business
• Windows Vista Home Basic
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Windows Vista Ultimate
• Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
• Microsoft Office Professional 2007
• Microsoft Office Standard 2007
Windows Vista editions offered through Windows Marketplace are
available in English only, in either 32-bit or 64-bit versions.
Windows Marketplace visitors also can find a wide variety of
Windows-compatible hardware and software, including products
carrying the Certified for Windows Vista logo, which are tested to
ensure superior reliability and quality when running on Windows
Vista.
Windows Marketplace makes it fast and easy to download large
programs such as Windows Vista through its digital locker
technology. Digital locker combines the immediacy of downloaded
software with the security features of owning physical media like a
DVD — it uses innovative security technology to store purchased
software and license keys, efficiently resumes downloads if they are
interrupted, and manages the overall installation process. More
information can be found on Jan 30th 2007 at
http://www.windowsmarketplace.com
Family Discount Rewards Multiple-PC Households
To make it easier for households with multiple PCs to make the move
to Windows Vista, Microsoft is launching a limited-time offer for
customers who buy retail copies of Windows Vista Ultimate. From Jan.
30 through June 30, the Windows Vista Family Discount will allow
North American customers to license two additional copies of Windows
Vista Home Premium for use on other PCs in the home at the reduced
price of $49.99 each. Before completing the order online, customers
will need to enter one valid full or upgrade Windows Vista Ultimate
key from their retail boxed product. After eligibility is verified
online, the customer can purchase licenses to install Windows Vista
Home Premium on one or two additional Windows-based computers.
Marc Liron -
Bio
Microsoft Digital Media MVP
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