Windows 7 Ultimate excluded from pre-order discount. :-(

[barrywohl]

I just came here to vent. Microsoft is offering a discount until July 11 on upgrade orders for Windows 7 Home and Professional. You get 58% off list for Home and 50% off list for Professional.

Those of us who forked out extra for Vista Ultimate get a 0% pre-order discount. $219 is the upgrade price.

You would think they might offer Vista Ultimate users an extra-large discount. Nope. None.

I was ready to fork out $219 for TWO pre-order copies of Vista Ultimate to update the two ThinkPads that I've got Vista Ultimate x64 running on, a T61p and a W700. I wouldn't have been happy, but I would have gone with it.

Now I just feel like Microsoft suckered me on my Vista Ultimate purchases and is making me feel even worse by discounting Home and Professional but not Ultimate.

[GomJabbar]

I felt the same way until I looked at the feature set of each version. AFAIK, the only features I will be missing not getting Windows 7 Ultimate are: Branch Cache, Direct Access, and BitLocker. I probably would not be using any of those three features anyway even if I did have Windows 7 Ultimate.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/wind ... -come-to/2

[barrywohl]

But can you use Windows 7 Professional to "upgrade" Vista Ultimate? Not according to what I've seen.
Vista Home => Windows 7 Home
Vista Business => Windows 7 Professional
Vista Ultimate => Windows 7 Ultimate.
Barry

[loyukfai]

Yes according to this...

Can I buy one of the upgrades if I am running Windows Vista Ultimate?

A lot of folks have been asking this since Microsoft isn't offering a discounted way to buy Windows 7 Ultimate. The answer is yes, one can buy an upgrade. However, any time one moves "down" in editions as part of an upgrade, it requires a clean installation of the operating system.

Source: http://m.news.com/2166-12_3-10274963-56.html

[archer6]

Here's what I'm hearing (unofficially). Microsoft is still in state of limbo on this as they've received a lot of push back on this issue. I heard that if not today, then in the next few days MS will announce that they are including the Ultimate Version at a discounted price. So if one wants ultimate (I'm going with Professional) then it may be worth it to watch closely to see if that changes soon and you _are_ able to pre-order Ultimate.

[GomJabbar]

But can you use Windows 7 Professional to "upgrade" Vista Ultimate? Not according to what I've seen.
Vista Home => Windows 7 Home
Vista Business => Windows 7 Professional
Vista Ultimate => Windows 7 Ultimate.
Barry

Well I admit, I hadn't seen any of this before. I Haven't been reading about Windows 7 upgrade options either. According to loyukfai's post and link to CNET article, downgrading requires a clean install. Not a problem for me, as I am a clean install kind of guy anyway. Archer6's post is interesting and makes me wonder if I could change my order to Windows 7 Ultimate upgrade after already placing an order for Windows 7 Professional upgrade? I might would change the order if the difference in price wasn't too much.

[loyukfai]

Here's what I'm hearing (unofficially). Microsoft is still in state of limbo on this as they've received a lot of push back on this issue. I heard that if not today, then in the next few days MS will announce that they are including the Ultimate Version at a discounted price. So if one wants ultimate (I'm going with Professional) then it may be worth it to watch closely to see if that changes soon and you _are_ able to pre-order Ultimate.

BTW, someone asked on winsupersite.com (maybe at other places too, I just happened to come across that one) if upgrading from Pro to Ultimate will cost $20 only (the price difference of the 2 retail version).

Regardless, since pre-order is only available in a selected few countries and mine is not one of them, this don't concern me much. I do hope they extend the offer globally through.

Cheers.

[archer6]

Archer6's post is interesting and makes me wonder if I could change my order to Windows 7 Ultimate upgrade after already placing an order for Windows 7 Professional upgrade? I might would change the order if the difference in price wasn't too much.

Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade was just added. (the discount will follow so check back).

So now there are three choices:

1) Win 7 Home Premium
2) Win 7 Professional
3) Win 7 Ultimate

Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_ ... ix=windows+

[barrywohl]

I sure hope Archer6's rumor of a price drop for the Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade pans out.

I'm still watching for the price to fall. I added two copies to my cart, so that Amazon.com will automaticially notify me when I log onto Amazon.

I've got my fingers crossed. I could go the "downgrade to Windows 7 Professional clean install, upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate" route if I have to. I'm just not looking forward to finding all the ThnikVantage and other add on software. I've done clean installs before and I know there are some advantages.

Barry

[archer6]

I spoke with my contact today and he alluded to the fact that there is a lot of chaos surrounding this situation. Non-stop meetings about it as the push back is mounting. Customers want the option to go directly to Ultimate just like one can go directly to Professional. The internal politics over this within MS is staggering. I ask myself, why make such a big deal out of it? Just like their somewhat tentative decision to limit the number of copies one can pre-order, another situation that may also change very shortly. Stay tuned.

[barrywohl]

Non-stop meetings about it as the push back is mounting....Stay tuned.

Now I remember why, thirty years ago, I decided to be a pediatrician in a two doctor group, and I turned down one offer to work for a hospital and turned down another offer to work for an 80 doctor group.

[GomJabbar]

Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade was just added. (the discount will follow so check back).

So now there are three choices:

1) Win 7 Home Premium
2) Win 7 Professional
3) Win 7 Ultimate

Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_ ... ix=windows+

Was the Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade discount ever offered? I see the discount has ended for all preorders. I was on a road trip and forgot about this.

[SafeHarbor]

In my opinion, Ultimate in Windows 7 is a reduced product. Unless you have a specific need for one of the limited features, there's no real gravy there. So much has been removed from Windows 7 and is now part of Windows Live.

Bitlocker would be the main user reason to have Ultimate.

However, if the leaks are correct, Ultimate will still be an "Anytime Upgrade" from Home Premie or Business.

"Reduced product?" Heck, Ultimate was never what Microsoft promised from the beginning. Now they are being careful to promise nothing.

[mgo]

I just came here to vent. Microsoft is offering a discount until July 11 on upgrade orders for Windows 7 Home and Professional. You get 58% off list for Home and 50% off list for Professional.Now I just feel like Microsoft suckered me on my Vista Ultimate purchases and is making me feel even worse by discounting Home and Professional but not Ultimate.

The marketing geniuses at Microsoft are still trying to push out Ultimate and that version is not worth the price, not even close. If you want encryption get True Crypt, which is freeware (but make a donation anyway), and you can use it almost any platform. Bitlocker, only works on Windows 7, based on my personal experience.

Windows 7 is pretty darned good, but some of the side features are still very much half baked, and are just carry overs from Vista.

Due to the economy and corporate resistance, Microsoft will be forced to offer more attractive deals. They already have the "Family Pack", and there will be more offers as October gets closer, and Redmond sees how the marketplace is balking.