Vista Ultimate users fume, rant over Windows 7 deals
Consumers running Windows Vista Ultimate, who have blasted Microsoft for breaking promises to deliver a host of extras, are now knocking the company's upgrade plans and discount pricing for Windows 7.
Users commenting on several recent Computerworld stories about Windows 7 have let Microsoft have it, especially over the limited-time discount Microsoft is offering on pre-orders of Windows 7 Home Premium ($49.99) and Professional ($99.99).
"I think it's lousy that Microsoft is offering nothing during the current short-term promotion in terms of a discounted upgrade for Windows 7 Ultimate for customers who bought Vista Ultimate," said one of many anonymous commenters. "Nice way to take care of your customers who've already paid you the absolute most money..., folks."
"Hello everyone, my name is Dan, and I bought Windows Vista Ultimate -- the upgrade," said another user named, not surprisingly, "Dan," in another comment. "I was a fool. I not only bought Vista Home Premium, I spent additional money on what I hoped was going to be a better OS with some very unique added benefits. Fooled me once, Microsoft. Even fooled me twice. Never, ever, again. At any price."
As the commenters pointed out, Microsoft has not cut the price of Windows 7 Ultimate, which like the other retail editions, can be pre-ordered from the company as well as some select retailers, including Amazon.com. Instead, the top-end SKU is priced at $219.99 for an "Upgrade" and $319.99 for the "Full" version.
Others complained about the price, discounted or not. Although Microsoft dropped the suggested list price of Windows 7 Home Premium by 8% to 17% when compared to Vista's price, it left Ultimate (and Professional) unchanged.
"I find it simply outrageous Microsoft is charging me $219 to 'upgrade' to Windows 7," added an anonymous commenter who claimed he was also a Microsoft stockholder. "This pricing structure makes no sense at all and is already backfiring. As a stockholder I'm writing a letter to the Steve Ballmer board to change this pricing before it's too late. Heads should roll on this one.
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Either way you look at it Microsoft Data Center management did not follow standards or best practices in this failure. In which case it makes me wonder more about the outsourcing of corporate data much less personal data.
- mburton325
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> mac
Maybe this will create a shift to mac for unhappy microsoft users.re: >mac
Or you are smoking crack one. The shift to Apple over the Vista fiasco was less then 3 percent of the market.Why Ultimate is so expensive
You have the ability to join a domain. Thats it. If you are that very select few who run a domain and need to have vista premium features on your domian (media center), Vista Ultimate does that. The rest of you who thought you were getting something special got sauced.