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Hardware 2.0

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Should Vista users get a Windows 7 upgrade for $29?

By | June 9, 2009, 10:09am PDT

Summary: So, Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” users will be able to upgrade to 10.6 “Snow Leopard” for $29 once it’s released in September. Should Microsoft give the same deal to Vista users?

So, Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” users will be able to upgrade to 10.6 “Snow Leopard” for $29 once it’s released in September. Should Microsoft give the same deal to Vista users?

So, let me get this right:

  • Leopard –> Snow Leopard - $29
  • Vista Home Basic upgrade - $99.95
  • Vista Home Premium upgrade - $129.95
  • Vista Ultimate upgrade - $219.95
  • Vista Business upgrade - $199.95

Now, we don’t know how much Windows 7 upgrades will retail for, but if it’s genuine then the leaked Best Buy memo gives us a clue:

  • Windows 7 Home Premium - $49.99
  • Windows 7 Professional - $99.99

According to the memo, these prices will only be available for 16 days through July 11, so following that we can expect the price to go up.

Apple’s decision to allow Leopard users to upgrade for $29 (the upgrades usually cost $129) suddenly makes Microsoft seem expensive. If nothing else, it’s an interesting counter to Microsoft’s “Laptop Hunter” ads. “Laptop Hunterads try to portray Apple as the expensive option, a ploy that seems to be successful. This slashing of the upgrade cost should help Apple counter Microsoft, and since Microsoft only makes money from the sale of the OS and not the hardware, Microsoft could be both vulnerable to this ploy and unable to offer such deep discounts to counter it.

Personally, I think that OS upgrades are too expensive for Microsoft users. Apple’s $29 upgrade for loyal users (those who have the previous version) is a step in the right direction and I hope that Microsoft follows suit.

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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Disclosure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

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RE: Should Vista users get a Windows 7 upgrade for $29?
teresa lewis 28th Jun 2009
I would upgrade for that price but i don't see them droping to that price.
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Snow Leopard is like XP SP2
LiquidLearner 9th Jun 2009
The changes it makes to OS X are almost identical to what SP2 did for XP. It's a security service pack. Comparing that to the price of an actual new OS is crazy. While I think it would be nice if Windows upgrades are cheaper, I think people should focus more on Apple charging $29 (or $129) for a service pack. You should be outraged. We would have been if SP2 were a billed upgrade.
0 Votes
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I agree
R_Connelie@... 9th Jun 2009
I feel the same way as LiquidLearner: that Snow Leopard doesn't bring enough new stuff to the table to qualify as a full upgrade. His comparison to XP SP2 feels right on the mark.

But, truth be told, I feel the same way about Windows 7. Microsoft did all the heavy lifting in Vista, even if other hardware and software companies weren't ready. Much of Win7's current popularity is due to the fact that the hardware and software ecosystems have matured over the 2+ years since Vista was released.

While Vista didn't sell as well as Microsoft would have liked, I think Win7 is poised to meet or beat those expectations. I understand MS's desire to recoup the financial losses of Vista's retail failure, but I also think that, like XP SP2, Win7 is a collection of refinements over the previous version. Free sure would be nice, but $30 for an upgrade to Win7 doesn't slap either my wallet or my sensibilities (unlike the current Vista upgrade costs).

Apple made a shrewd move with its Snow Leopard pricing, one that targets Microsoft's weakest point. Here's hoping that we consumers are the ultimate victors!
0 Votes
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Win 7 is a Vista SP
storm14k 9th Jun 2009
So it should cost $29.
0 Votes
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not realy
jdbukis@... 9th Jun 2009
Because mac users have already had to pay for several upgrades already so you should add up the total cost charged by apple and that would be a fair comparison.
0 Votes
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re: not really
anywho 9th Jun 2009
since snow leopard is only available for intel macs the max
number of upgrades any eligible user would have paid for
is one, the upgrade from tiger to leopard, which at $129 is
the same as the upgrade price of windows vista premium
(vista and leopard came out at roughly the same time,
vista at the beginning of 2007 and leopard in october of
the same year ) so assuming roughly the same age
hardware and assuming the windows user upgraded first
to vista from xp (who wouldn't want the latest and greatest
on their nearly new computer right?) then the mac user, in
terms of only software upgrades would still pay less by
about $20 assuming the $49.99 rumored for windows 7 is
correct
0 Votes
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If so then what is Vista?
Ken_z 9th Jun 2009
And how expensive was it? And how well did it work? How
many people felt Vista was a multi-handicapped version of XP?

Apple has worked on improving OS X's functioning on Intel
Macs, they have reduced the size of the installed software,m
optomized other areas.

And they have set a new standard when it comes to pricing.
$29 for a full version of the OS, and the ultimate version at
that.

Now we just see if MS can match Apple's pricing. Sure they will
- LOL.
0 Votes
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What PC users lose on upgrade pricing---
BernieLyons 9th Jun 2009
What PC users lose on upgrade pricing we MORE THAN MAKE UP FOR on the initial cost of hardware!!!
0 Votes
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NT
0 Votes
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Actually....
theoxygenthief 9th Jun 2009
Mac OS X 10.5.2 to 10.5.7 were service packs and were thus free.

By your logic MSFT should have paid you to use Vista then and Win 7
should be a free upgrade as even Steve Ballmer called Win 7 "Vista done
right".

The only thing that outrages us Mac users is your ignorance.
0 Votes
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Windows NT 6.1.7100
theoxygenthief 9th Jun 2009
From Wikipedia, that's MSFT's internal numbering for Win7. Vista was NT
6.0.6002. XP was NT 5.1.2600. Was does that prove about Windows 7 or
do you need it more spelled out?
0 Votes
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That doesn't prove jack...
JoeMama_z 9th Jun 2009
10.0
10.1
10.2
blah blah

Version numbers don't mean crap outside of a development meeting.
0 Votes
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The basic interface is changed only in minor ways. And that is very true
of Vista to XP. The basic interface was not really changed only eye
candied up with no functional changes.

Internally, however, XP to Vista brought HUGE structural changes to
Windows. It is these structural changes that have allowed Win 7 to really
change the interface for the first time since Win95 (God I hate the
worthlessness that is the Win95 through Vista task-bar).
0 Votes
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No. Remember Microsoft does not sell hardware and sells OS only. Apple sell hardware and OS bundled and makes profit margin from both.
0 Votes
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Don't care what MS does.
nizuse 9th Jun 2009
As a consumer I only care about the product.

If BMW makes its profits by also selling ice cream, I would still not expect it to sell their great models to me for KIA prices.
0 Votes
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$29 is good for me
nizuse 9th Jun 2009
I'd take it. It would help me get rid of that annoying Vista-ware on my machine, and give me 7.
Btw I consider to have already paid for 7 anyway. If I'm correct 7's functionality is what MS promised that I would get with Vista. They didn't deliver then so I was ripped off then by MS. If they give me 7 for $29 all is ok again.
0 Votes
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AMEN to that!!
BernieLyons 9th Jun 2009
I'd be delighted to get Win 7 Home for $49.00 and Win 7 Business for $75.00. Since I have 3 copies of Vista Home Premium and 2 copies of Vista Business in my Home Plus a copy of XP Business on my laptop you are talking serious upgrade money here which due to the times we live in I cannot afford now.
0 Votes
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I would like them to...
Sleeper Service 9th Jun 2009
...but I can't see it.

Incidentally, how much are Apple asking to upgrade Tiger to Snow Leopard.
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Check back June 16
jaledwith 9th Jun 2009
I don't think Apple has released that information yet. But their website seems to suggest an announcement will be made on June 16.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate/
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Older cats not impacted?
Ken_z 9th Jun 2009
Snow Leopard is for Intel Macs only. How many Intel Macs run Tiger?
0 Votes
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About a quarter of Mac users...
Sleeper Service 10th Jun 2009
...run Tiger according to NetApps.

http://marketshare.hitslink.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10

I couldn't say how many are on PPC and how many on Wintel but it's a substantial number isn't it especially since Tiger was the first version of OS X released to specifically work on Intel based machines.

I'm guessing it's a lot of them.
0 Votes
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I agree
R_Connelie@... 9th Jun 2009
I feel the same way as LiquidLearner: that Snow Leopard doesn't bring enough new stuff to the table to qualify as a full upgrade. His comparison to XP SP2 feels right on the mark.

But, truth be told, I feel the same way about Windows 7. Microsoft did all the heavy lifting in Vista, even if other hardware and software companies weren't ready. Much of Win7's current popularity is due to the fact that the hardware and software ecosystems have matured over the 2+ years since Vista was released.

While Vista didn't sell as well as Microsoft would have liked, I think Win7 is poised to meet or beat those expectations. I understand MS's desire to recoup the financial losses of Vista's retail failure, but I also think that, like XP SP2, Win7 is a collection of refinements over the previous version. Free sure would be nice, but $30 for an upgrade to Win7 doesn't slap either my wallet or my sensibilities (unlike the current Vista upgrade costs).

Apple made a shrewd move with its Snow Leopard pricing, one that targets Microsoft's weakest point. Here's hoping that we consumers are the ultimate victors!
0 Votes
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Was supposed to be a Reply To Message
R_Connelie@... 9th Jun 2009
Sorry about the double post - this was supposed to be a "Reply to message" but landed in the "Reply to story" section...
0 Votes
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I'd like to see MS announce some sort of special pricing for folks who buy a PC between now and the release of W7.
0 Votes
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They already have
jdbukis@... 9th Jun 2009
A month before release New pc buyers get the upgrade for free.
I don't care about $29 but I like to buy Win 7 pro and be able to install it on my laptop and desktop.

If they sold it for $150 and allow that I would love it.
0 Votes
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I think that MS should
mtgarden 9th Jun 2009
I hear the comments above, but consider:

MS made a killing when they created a student/teacher version of office. They can do the same here. Lots of people will not upgrade at $100-300 a computer. I won't. XP is just fine. MS could get a *lot* of cash from people who will upgrade each system at home for $29 or family license at $129.

A lower price will generate more revenue in the long run (at least I think so).

Further, I can see the Apple ads now:

AD 1: A rose by any other name is still a rose. Win 7 is just Vista SP2. You don't want more of the same do you?

Ad 2: PC will set up a table and be selling upgrades to the new better version of himself. Mac will act surprised that PC has the gall to charge so much money to get Vista off their computer. That seems like highway robbery to the Mac; sell people a broken system and then charge them to fix it? How cruel.

MS could turn this into a great sales pitch and defang these ads, but will they? I say, they tax a bunch of OEMs (cause their in this too) and build a pool of money to help defray the cost of upgrades. Not sure how that would work legally and with the finances of various companies, but this shouldn't just be a MS question. All of these companies *need* MS.
0 Votes
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It would be easy for MS to counter.
jdbukis@... 9th Jun 2009
They could just do another Im a pc or laptop hunter ad.
Wow after i pay an extra 600 bucks for the same hardware a 29 buck upgrade aint so cheap, it would be easy for MS to portray apple as snake oil salesmen.
0 Votes
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Suck ye not
johnfenjackson@... 9th Jun 2009
Sounds to me like both M$ and App?e are dropping their support for new file systems, are preparing - but unable - to release the power in multi-core CPU's and have found it simpler to rework their OS's rather than continue innovating.

Fair price for Vista to W7 and OSX to Snow Leopard?

"A strange game. The only winning move is not to play."
0 Votes
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Good news
johnfenjackson@... Updated - 9th Jun 2009
The $29 OSX upgrade price is good news for Windows users: it keeps the price pressure on M$ before they announce the deals for W7.

I like a good price war wink
..tweeks and a few UI refinements... it brings nothing
new. Win7 is not even what Vista was supposed to be...
go back and look at what Vista was supposed to include..
neither Vista nor Win7 include even half that stuff.. MS
is taking you fools to the cleaners and you don't even
recognize it.. how can a company rape people several
times in quick succession and you fools keep coming back
for more.. some even going to bat for them???

proves conclusively that there are simple no limits to
the lengths of stupidity!!
0 Votes
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I posted this in another thread, but the ignorance is as deep in here, so:

Windows Taskbar (with new features which Apple promptly copied in Snow Leopard, like drag-drop. They still need to copy aero peek, aero shake, aero snaps and jumplist, though).

Multitouch/Touch . Touchscreens natively supported with gestures etc. Buttons and jumplists will automatically increase in size on touch enabled devices. API for application control.

Libraries - automatic organization of files and content. Like a multiple continously updated stored search results.

Homegroups . Easily set up a home network to share files, access computer, share accounts, stream from computer to computer etc.

Device Stage . Absolutely astonishing end user control over devices. Easy and intuitively to use, advanced features.

Built-in App-V Application virtualization support. Allows apps to be executed locally off a server, but without local installation.

Windows Biometric Framework - API for various biometric support, currently fingerprint readers.

Integrated Fingerprint Logon - Oh I forget macs don't have fingerprint readers.

Mobile Broadband support . Built-in mobile broadband modems (3G, Wimax) natively supported with no need for "vendor" utilities. Oh I forget - macs don't support built-in mobile broadband, yet.

Blue-Ray support - both playback and recording. Ah, I forget - macs don't support Blue-Ray

Multiple Active Firewall Policies - not just multiple alternative firewall policies were introduced with Vista, but *simultaneously* active profiles. OSX still has but a single firewall policy, right?.

WDDM 1.1 and DirectX 11 - Advanced 3D tesselation, parallelization and GPGPU (Microsoft "Grand Central").

BranchCache - Allows files from server fileshares to be transparently cached at branch offices with or without their own server - the cache can be transparently and securely (encrypted) distributed across client machines while still being resilient to PC going off-lin etc.

DirectAccess - Easier than VPN connections and just as secure allows access to private networks from across the Internet.

Media streaming - from mediaplayer and mediacenter. Remote control of mediaplayer from devices across the network or even over the Internet. A range of devices already exists which support the Digital Media Renderer (DMR) role.

AppLocker - allows admins to control exactly which applications can be installed, control patch level etc.

Disk Image Boot - let you boot from a virtual disk image. Windows full system backups are images based so this basically lets you boot a backup from another system (Win7/2008R2) or from a previous backup *without* affecting the current state. Also image mounting.

Action Center . Convenient control panel for all things maintenance: AV, firewall, backup, updates etc.

Windows XP Mode - Although Windows7 will run the vast majority of XP applications natively or with "compatibility mode" - some applications have been coded so poorly that they require XP. Windows 7 offers Windows XP mode for these rare instances. How was Apples track record for legacy support again?

Problem Steps Recorder -Endusers can use this nifty utility to automatically record screenshots and collect telemetry and packages it up in a nice archive for support requests.

Bitlocker to Go - Enterprise class (policy driven) encryption of flash- and thumbdrives. Integrated with the TPM (which macs still doesn't have).

PowerShell 2.0, PowerShell IDE with script debugger, editor. Object-oriented full-featured command-line scripting. Also an IDE with full support for debugging, breakpoints, singlestepping, variable inspection, etc etc.

PS Remoting and Eventing - use powershell to remotely administer workstations and servers - without the need to execute the script on the targets themselves. Eventing to launch scripts on certain system or job events.

Troubleshooting Packs and -Builder . A number of wizards and powershell scripts to help troubleshoot a number of common problems. Support for letting admins build their own packs which can be launched by end users.

Windows Recovery Environment - installed by default in a small partition of the HD. No need for the original installation disk if you need to recover from an image or backup or need to repair a botched installation.

Client virtualization improvements (thin clients): multi-monitor support, bi-directional audio to enable Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and speech recognition applications, and access to local devices, such as printers. From within a thin client (remote desktop)!

Group Policy enhancements across the board.

Boots faster - smaller memory footprint - runs faster .

Kernel changes : Support for 256 processor cores, new scheduler with fine-grained quantum reporting, consolidation of timer events, power saving features such as shutting down entire cores/processors etc. Improved support for ReadyBoost (larger devices, more devices). Sensor support, such as GPS built-in.

UAC Tweaking - fewer UAC prompts (changing UAC prompt level always require an UAC prompt confirmation)

Accessibility improvements such as improved speech recognition, new magnifier with full-screen and lens modes. Improved high-DPI support.

Parental control improvements . More control over which games and with which ratings can be played by who.

Tablet features - support for more languages (tablet/ink support handwriting recognition making notes and annotations searchable by the built-in search).


----------------------


Note how "Grand Central" is one of the biggest new features in SL. In Windows 7 the comparable technology is just a part of an update to an API (DirectX).
0 Votes
+ -
Now Now
bobiroc 9th Jun 2009
You expect these people to look past the 30 seconds they get into the GUI. Vista offered many under the hood enhancements but most cannot get past the GUI.
0 Votes
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"new 7 features" my ass
nizuse 9th Jun 2009
Windows Taskbar: This... should make me happy?
Multitouch/Touch: Yawn.
Libraries: Don't need this. I am organized.
Homegroups: Don't need this.
Device Stage: Why would I need this? I can already attach and work with
devices, thank you.
Built-in App-V Application virtualization support: Don't need this.
Windows Biometric Framework: C'm on man. Boring useless. What's next - is
"7" going to microwave my pizza as well?
Integrated Fingerprint Logon: See above.
Mobile Broadband support: Don't need this.
Blue-Ray support: Don't need this yet. And if I buy a Blue-ray device, I a
am sure I will find a driver somewhere anyway. BS argument, therefore.
Multiple Active Firewall Policies: Like I care. The LAST thing I would do
is trust a MS firewall. I don't want to pay for built in backdoors. Bring
in ZoneAlarm!
WDDM 1.1 and DirectX 11 - Advanced 3D tesselation, parallelization and
GPGPU (Microsoft "Grand Central"): Whateva man.
BranchCache: Oh sure! That's something Joe Blo uses daily! Fail!
DirectAccess: No need for that.
Media streaming: Oh yeah I remember. They've been promising that nonsense
since Apollo Landed.
AppLocker: Again - no need. Nothing is going to get locked down thank you.
Disk Image Boot: WWWWWOOOOOOW (correction: NOT impressed). 1982 revisited!
Action Center: warm fuzzy buzzwords for - again - another layout for the
control panel. And with MS's bizarre design history - less user friendly
Windows XP Mode: The Ultimate Defeat - "uwww customahs - we KNOW our
product doesn't run your apps so we'll let you do it *slowly* and in a
half-assed waayyy"
Problem Steps Recorder: Another useless feature. Yawn man. Is this all the
MS marketing machine can come up with?
Bitlocker to Go: No need. Sell me something that is useful for the end
user.
PowerShell 2.0: LOOOL. Another one!. See above.
PS Remoting and Eventing: Oh brotahh....
Troubleshooting Packs and -Builder: Yeah that sounds reassuring. And
'useful'. Open da backdooohhhr.
Windows Recovery Environment: Sure we can also expect to need that!
Client virtualization improvements (thin clients): Another load of useless
cr*p. End user! End usersssss. Don't lose sight of mmm pleas.
multi-monitor support: Uhm. What's new?
bi-directional audio: What's new? All available already.
Group Policy enhancements: Yes boys & girls. This group is 1! Useless.
Boots faster: Now *that's* an easy one. Compared to that dog called Vista?
Kernel changes: Why would I care? I am a (pay attention now:) User.
Support for 256 processor cores: See above.
UAC Tweaking - fewer UAC prompts: Oh I'm so happy now. (not).
Accessibility improvements: Sorely needed of course.
Parental control improvements: Marketing speak. Kids outsmart any parent.
Period.
Tablet features: Another marketing bs argument. Tablet my ass.
0 Votes
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You are useless
bobiroc 10th Jun 2009
And your fictitious claims about back doors have been proven as false. Get a life. Some of those features are "Behind the scenes" and you may feel you have no use for them but they are useful. Other features you may not use but plenty of people will. The fact that you "yawn" at features like Multi-Touch for example. Have you used a touch compatible PC. I mean even PCs like the HP touch are really cool and useful. I find that you can do many things without keyboard or mouse interaction and just as cell phones are going more to the touch interface. I would touch on everyone of your points but I do not have time for your lack of comprehension and the fact that you cannot see outside of your little bubble that you call life.
0 Votes
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"the ignorance is deep in here"
unknownweirdo@... 9th Jun 2009
how many of those features are only available with the more expensive "premium" set of users? How much would we REALLY have to pay for all those features you've listed?

How many of those features you've listed exist only by virtue of necessity due to ms own tardiness?

ms seems to have learnt nothing from their vista basic fiasco.
Indeed. And I will add to your arguments, that the list consists primarily of things that most users will not use in real life. They are admin-niceties. I couldn't find a thing in that list that I need.
0 Votes
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Windows Taskbar (aero peek, aero shake, aero snaps, jumplist, live preview etc).

Multitouch/Touch. Want to bet that when Apple releases a mac with a touch screen it will require a new $129 operating system. Leopard nor SL has touch. HP already has models with touch, more vendors will follow this fall.
Libraries.

Homegroups.
Device Stage..

Integrated Fingerprint Logon.

Mobile Broadband support. Huge for consumers. Built-in 3G+/Wimax broadband modems
Blue-Ray

Multiple Active Firewall Policies This actually lets you use your computer effortlessly in multiple settings: Work, public wireless, public wireless + work VPN, home, home + work VPN. Huge.

WDDM 1.1, DirectX 11, GPGPU ? Better gaming experience (tessellation, higher quality, more immersive, performance). Performance improvements due to GPU leveraging (when applications take advantage of it).

DirectAccess ? When you use the same computer home and at work.

Media streaming with remote control over the internet.
Action Center. To perform system maintenance, updates, backups, restores. Since Vista, Windows already has the Time Machine equivalent ? only its better but with a less catchy name. It copies files as soon as they have been changed ? not just one per day. And it works on network shares as well.

Troubleshooting Packs. Directly aimed at consumers and end users. Automatically diagnoses and solves common problems over number of areas, not just wireless network connectivity.
Windows Recovery Environment ? if the consumer ever fries his installation.

Many kernel changes, Boots faster - smaller memory footprint - runs faster.

UAC Tweaking ? fewer UAC prompts while retaining the security.

Accessibility improvements improved speech recognition. Improved high-DPI support. Macs still need to purchase a commercial program for dictation.

Parental control improvements.

Tablet features ? Relevant if you are going for a tablet PC. More languages supported. Reads handwriting and indexes integrated in search.

--------------------------

Not all of these features will be available in the low-cost Windows 7 starter. But Home Premium upgrade is expected to be $50.

Now, what new features does SL offer apart from a new finder which is the same except that Expos? is now finally integrated (giving it much the same feel as the Windows taskbar)?

Lets see... Exchange integration?

Strange under-the-hood changes which will only benefit consumers indirectly (performance) some day in the future when app leverage it?

What else?

Oh yeah, they purged code for a processer which is not even in your machine. And they offer you that as a feature.

Incidently, would you be interested in buying stocks in the Eiffel tower?
0 Votes
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That covers it well
bobiroc 10th Jun 2009
You hit the nail on the head. If apple was first to bring a Mult-Touch compatible OS to the desktop and make a computer (or should I say put one together since they do not build computers anymore) that Apple would be praised and called an innovator. Sure some of these features/changes are behind the scenes and not all features will be used by everybody but I know plenty of people that like me will use a lot of them.
0 Votes
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All of the unibody MacBook(Pro)s...
msalzberg 11th Jun 2009
support multi-touch.

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/features.html

"The first thing you might notice ? or not notice ? is the button. The
entire trackpad is the button, so you can click anywhere. Without a
separate button, the spacious trackpad gives your hands plenty of
room to move on the large, silky glass surface. Use two fingers to
scroll up and down a page. Pinch to zoom in and out. Rotate an image
with your fingertips. Swipe with three fingers to flip through your
photo libraries. Swipe with four fingers to show your desktop, view all
open windows, or switch applications. If you?re coming from a right-
click world, you can right-click with two fingers or configure a right-
click area on the trackpad. The more you use the Multi-Touch
trackpad, the more you?ll wonder what you ever did without it."
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And I am sure apple could easily do that if they made a computer with a touch screen. Computers like the HP TouchSmart and Dell Studio and XPS all in ones that pretty much compete with the All In One iMacs already have this. I guess my ultimate point was touch features like that are great features because it is very useful in many situations. Some people will snub up their nose to it as a useless feature but I and many others can see the value in it. You can achieve multi-touch in Vista and I think in XP it just requires a driver but to include in the operating system as a standard will just help the technology evolve more.
0 Votes
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Drag and Drop
mbradley2 9th Jun 2009
Apple has used that technology since 1984, hardly
jumping on Microsoft's "new" idea. Maybe I missed
something you were alluding to. That said I think
Windows 7 sounds amazing, I have not used it yet
but would consider paying a reasonable price for
the upgrade, I currently use Vista Home Premium 32
bit and it has gotten increasingly better with
each service pack.
0 Votes
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ROTFLMAO. To funny.
Bruizer 9th Jun 2009
"copied in Snow Leopard, like drag-drop".

I love it when an idiot puts finger to keyboard.

I think you meant copies in Puma. Wait Puma came out 8-9 years before
Windows 7.

Opps.

The rest of the list is equally silly. Goodness, I hope you never write any
code.
0 Votes
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and?
doh123 10th Jun 2009
and? Snow Leopard has over 100 new features listed for it... yet its a
service pack and those puny things (which you twist and have incorrect
information on), somehow make Win7 a real new version and not a
service pack?

so you know a lot about Win7, too bad you know nothing about OSX, and
your basing everything off assumptions or half-a$$ed information you
were told by some one else who thought they had a clue, but didnt.
0 Votes
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True. And Microsoft WANT users to have it.
peter_erskine@... 9th Jun 2009
Microsoft want people to have a less insecure, less slow version of Windows. But users still have the hassle of having to install it, while trying not to lose their previous applications, data, and preferences. So how come users are expected to have to PAY for this privilege?
It's a moot point for those of us who don't own Mac's. And I have no desire to pay the extra premium just so I can use OSX, it isn't that great.
Microsoft should pay Vista users $29 for Win7...
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for 3 reasons:
HypnoToad72 9th Jun 2009
1. WinFS vaporware
2. Ultimate Extras slightly-more-opaque-vaporware
3. DirectX 10 outright-bait'n'switch, complete with sales pictures of how great it would (purportedly) look

I'm sure there are dozens of reasons for a legitimate class action suit to be filed, if one hasn't been already...


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Well good for you.
bobiroc 9th Jun 2009
We are all happy for you. Now move along
Then Win 7 should be a free upgrade as even Steve Ballmer
called it "Vista done right", thus a service pack.
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lol man don't compare that self proclaimed world's most advanced OS with 7. Snow Leopard is jut an update while 7 will be an upgrade to Vista users
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I would upgrade for that price but i don't see them droping to that price.

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