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Windows 7 pricing: Some users fume as the rose-colored discounts fade

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The dust is beginning to settle a week after Microsoft went public with its Windows 7 retail pricing plans. Now the details (and lack of details) are starting to sink in with some Windows users. Some customers who jumped to pre-order half-price Windows 7 copies -- that are available only through July 11 here in the U.S. -- are coming to realize that they might have gotten a raw deal because Microsoft wouldn't confirm when and whether it planned to offer a Family Pack. Last week, Microsoft officials refused to disclose whether there would be a Family Pack for Windows 7, via which users could purchase multiple copies at a discount to install across several machines. Enthusiast Kristan Kenney discovered wording in the Windows 7 Home Premium license that indicates strongly that there will be a Windows 7 family pack. Kenney blogged about his discovery on July 2. Some posters on his blog were understandably upset. Commentor "Will": "They mention this AFTER I’ve pre-ordered three copies of the software???" "TheBigOldDog" weighed in: "So then people who pre-order at the reduced price are screwed since they aren’t offering the family pack yet. Figures. You can always count on Microsoft screwing things up." Microsoft ended up offering a Family Pack for Vista, but wouldn't confirm its existence until just before the worldwide launch of Vista in January 2007. The company made the Vista Family Pack available to users who bought Vista Ultimate at retail. (But Microsoft may have phased out the Family Pack offer, as it no longer shows up when searching the Windows site.) Update: My colleague Ed Bott is predicting Microsoft will price the Windows 7 Family Pack at $189, ten bucks less than Apple's Family Pack. Speaking of Windows Ultimate, a number of users are none-too-pleased that Microsoft isn't offering any discounts on pre-orders of Windows 7 Ultimate. Given that Microsoft left Vista Ultimate users hanging by failing to come through with compelling "Ultimate Extras" that offset the pricier Ultimate version, some Ultimate users felt Microsoft should have tried to compensate by providing them with Windows 7 Ultimate freebies or discounts. But when Microsoft announced Windows 7 Ultimate pricing last week, there were no discounts at all offered to Ultimate users. Earlier this year, Microsoft officials indicated they were trying to wean users from Windows 7 Ultimate by de-emphasizing the Ultimate SKU and making available fewer copies of Ultimate. Maybe it's not too late to sway the Windows marketing gurus. Any thoughts on what Microsoft should do to do right by its Windows users with Family Pack, Ultimate and other Windows 7 matters?

posted by Mary Jo Foley
July 2, 2009 @ 5:31 am

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Windows 7 pricing: Some users fume as the rose-colored discounts fade

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