Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Program

Windows Vista it on its way out.

It took Microsoft forever to deliver this not so well rounded attempt and sadly it became vaporware and the bad rap it got from non savvy users didn't help it'sWindows vista stickers Intel plot street cred as made patent by the Mojave experiment that showed that in 2008 Microsoft wasted a lot of money in the Seinfeld ads when they didn't know how to obliterate Windows XP which is still the OS of choice for many users and even more so with the ascent of netbooks which are widely misunderstood even by the owners, people are so afraid of using the native OS solutions tailored to the software that they are cramming XP and even Vista in these machines.

Well after the fiasco that the windows Vista Capable stickers brought to Microsoft that turned out to be a plot to help Intel move its low end chips, we are seeing a different upgrade program, this time for upgrading to Windows 7.

It is advisable to test the new OS in your Hardware before upgrading and then test the software you must absolutely keep running in order to decide whether to upgrade.

I believe that from a hardware standpoint this transition will be more seamless that the one form XP to Vista, because the code has not changed dramatically and after two years only stupid and miserable hardware vendors wont be able or willing to provide you with an updated driver.

If your printer does not work with Vista it isn't Microsoft's fault, it is your peripheral manufacturer who sees no profit in releasing that little piece of software and wants you to buy a new one.

What I would be worried about is software compatibility, specially if you are moving from XP to Windows se7en or even from 2K to seven.

Starting on July 1st OEM CAN (if they so choose) offer you a free upgrade to windows 7 (whenever it is released) if you comply with some conditions.



The Windows 7 Upgrade Program is designed to assist Microsoft's OEM partners in minimizing the number of end users who may postpone acquiring a new computer because of the impending release of the Windows 7 operating system. This program allows OEMs to offer an upgrade to Windows 7 to end users who qualify.

This is a consumer-oriented program targeted at individual consumers and small businesses that have purchased eligible PCs during the Program Eligibility Period. End users will have to meet these requirements to be deemed eligible for the upgrade to Windows 7 when it is released :

* End users must purchase a new PC that is pre-installed with an eligible Windows Vista Operating System (OS), during the program eligibility window.

* The PC must have a valid Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached.

* The only Windows Vista® versions eligible for the program are :
1. Windows Vista® Home Premium
2. Windows Vista® Business
3. Windows Vista® Ultimate
* Microsoft Windows Vista® Home Basic, Windows Vista® Starter Edition, and Windows® XP (all editions) are not qualifying products under the program.

* The Program does not support multiple upgrades for medium, large, or enterprise customers. Customers that want to upgrade multiple PCs should use the appropriate Microsoft Volume Licensing program. See www.microsoft.com/licensing for more details.

* The following are the only valid upgrade paths under the program :
1. Windows Vista® Home Premium -> Windows® 7 Home Premium
2. Windows Vista® Business -> Windows® 7 Professional
3. Windows Vista® Ultimate -> Windows® 7 Ultimate



Remember this is optional and will start at a later date outside the U.S.

So it seems that a lot of users will be able to avoid the Vista bitter taste if they are happy with their current machine and combination of OS.

This should be the last monolithic release of windows, starting after windows 7 they should go modular.

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