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Rumour: Microsoft to offer free Windows 7 upgade

Published on 12th February 2009 by Tim Smalley

According to a draft of the Windows 7 Technical Guarantee Program, Microsoft looks set to offer a free Windows 7 upgrade to certain Windows Vista users.

According to a draft of the Windows 7 Technical Guarantee Program obtained by TechARP, Microsoft looks set to offer free Windows 7 upgrades to certain Windows Vista users in order to ease strain on the industry.

The program, which reportedly has several names - a final name for the scheme hasn't been decided at this point - is designed to minimise the number of users waiting to purchase a new computer until after Windows 7 is released.

Users running Home Premium, Business and Ultimate versions of Windows Vista will be eligible for the program and will qualify for a free upgrade to Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate versions of Windows 7 respectively. Home Basic, Starter and Windows XP users will not qualify.

The draft of the Technical Guarantee Program reportedly says that it's optional, so it could be that some OEMs choose not to participate. The eligibility period for the program will start on 1st July this year and will run until general availability for the new operating system, meaning OEMs who opted in should start selling eligible machines from that date.

It's not clear when retailers will start selling copies of Windows Vista that are eligible for the upgrade program, but it's likely to follow the same schedule as the one outlined for OEMs in particular.

There's a full breakdown of the draft of the Windows 7 Technical Guarantee Program, including screenshots of the upgrade process, on TechARP.

Do you think this is a good move for Microsoft, OEMs and consumers? Discuss in the forums.

25 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

liratheal 12th February 2009, 11:21

Wait. What?

~~Does that mean I could get Win 7 Ultimate for next to bugger all on my Vista Ultimate OEM license?~~

Time to read that Tech ARP article..

nevermind..

The Jambo 12th February 2009, 11:25

an OEM of the new OS will only be ~£110 anyway, with Home premium nearly half that.

Not exactly a bit price to pay for an OS.

naokaji 12th February 2009, 11:29

They did the same before the release of vista, if you bought a pc with xp on it from participating oems you would get the ability to upgrade to vista for free once it was launched.

[USRF]Obiwan 12th February 2009, 11:32

Since the whole world is in a so called crisis. Everybody is keeping the hand on the pockets. The media is screaming "murder and fire" thats inflicting the effect of mass hysteria, "when people are told long enoungh something is true, they are going to believe it".

Thats a fact that is used since the early 1900 to get people buy stuff they don't really need, via radio and commercials. Repeat it long enough and people are going to believe they need it. This invention is called "economy". Its a fictional thing and always will be. The fact in all his origin is 'we' do not need all the stuff, we can do with some land, (for crops/animals) water and a house to live in to foresee in our needs to live.

So 'they' (media and all others screaming disaster) should say "buy stuff" to get the economy going again. Microsoft is doing a good thing here to encourage consumers to buy 'things' again in the economic circle.

mclintox 12th February 2009, 11:47

You think they would want users to move away from XP rather than Vista,it would probably work for me!

naokaji 12th February 2009, 12:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by [USRF]Obiwan
Since the whole world is in a so called crisis. Everybody is keeping the hand on the pockets. The media is screaming "murder and fire" thats inflicting the effect of mass hysteria, "when people are told long enoungh something is true, they are going to believe it".

We have reached the point where the crisis has become real, simply put, millions have lost their jobs due to it, all those people are unable to spend anything now.

Mentai 12th February 2009, 12:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by [USRF
Obiwan]Thats a fact that is used since the early 1900 to get people buy stuff they don't really need, via radio and commercials. Repeat it long enough and people are going to believe they need it. This invention is called "economy". Its a fictional thing and always will be. The fact in all his origin is 'we' do not need all the stuff, we can do with some land, (for crops/animals) water and a house to live in to foresee in our needs to live.

But I like not being a farmer and buying my food from the supermarket. How do I get money with no economy? I enjoy all my household items and reading bit tech on the internet on my PC, all benefits of an economy... And electricity! But no you're right, that is unnecessary, I want to do it your way. Please do tell me sir how I can acquire a house, land, animals, clothes and crops with no economic process. Doesn't everything rely on a circulation of money? I don't think you thought this through...

Xtrafresh 12th February 2009, 12:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by [USRF]Obiwan
Since the whole world is in a so called crisis. Everybody is keeping the hand on the pockets. The media is screaming "murder and fire" thats inflicting the effect of mass hysteria, "when people are told long enoungh something is true, they are going to believe it".

Thats a fact that is used since the early 1900 to get people buy stuff they don't really need, via radio and commercials. Repeat it long enough and people are going to believe they need it. This invention is called "economy". Its a fictional thing and always will be. The fact in all his origin is 'we' do not need all the stuff, we can do with some land, (for crops/animals) water and a house to live in to foresee in our needs to live.

So 'they' (media and all others screaming disaster) should say "buy stuff" to get the economy going again. Microsoft is doing a good thing here to encourage consumers to buy 'things' again in the economic circle.

Are you Amish? :|

I dont really like Microsoft's marketing strategies either, but this...

tank_rider 12th February 2009, 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by mclintox
You think they would want users to move away from XP rather than Vista,it would probably work for me!

But this is only for people who are going to buy a new copy of vista after 1st July, who is still buying new copies of xp during that time? unless it's on a netbook?

Bauul 12th February 2009, 15:11

It's just so people that are considering purchasing Vista now are encourage to do so and not wait until Win7 comes out. Better the cash in MS's pocket now than in 9 months time.

Burnout21 12th February 2009, 16:23

Installed Win7 today under a dual boot, must say my first thoughts were, oooooooo this is interesting.

I might actually skip vista and wait until Win7 is offically out. As a buisness 32-bit version would be ideal for my laptop.

Question is it possible that Win7 to be less demanding of a system compared to XP? As i have heard of people using win7 on netbooks. And anyway to pull some extra speed from my laptop and add some nice features of the new OS.

MrMonroe 12th February 2009, 16:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by [USRF
Obiwan]This invention is called "economy". Its a fictional thing and always will be. The fact in all his origin is 'we' do not need all the stuff, we can do with some land, (for crops/animals) water and a house to live in to foresee in our needs to live.

So get off the internet already. "Fictional" he says.

Burnin' 12th February 2009, 17:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by [USRF
Obiwan] This invention is called "economy". Its a fictional thing and always will be. The fact in all his origin is 'we' do not need all the stuff, we can do with some land, (for crops/animals) water and a house to live in to foresee in our needs to live.

Dude!!! Pull your act together

Let me guess... you're the only kid the your "Village" with a computer, electricity and internet access. You probably also own a TV, a fridge, a microwave oven, a kitchen, etc... And right now you're babling about the ''fictional'' economy and Microsoft Windows 7 while the rest of your "comrades" are working the land, feeding the animals and/or drilling water from a freaking well!!!??

That's kind of hypocritical don't you think?

Horizon 12th February 2009, 18:33

All I have to say is....Bonzai!!

[PUNK] crompers 12th February 2009, 18:46

why cant MS just release W7 and get on with it? i want to upgrade from XP but theres no chance im going back to Fista (felt like I'd been fisted anyway)

wafflesomd 12th February 2009, 18:53

You can buy windows?

cpemma 12th February 2009, 18:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bauul
It's just so people that are considering purchasing Vista now are encourage to do so and not wait until Win7 comes out.

I think you mean "people who are considering purchasing a PC now...".

Joe Public doesn't want to think his £1200+ investment is obsolete the day Win7 comes out, or that he has to fork out another wad of cash to get the latest OS.

As said, a similar deal (using vouchers) was done when Vista was on the near horizon , but a great deal of confusion resulted IIRC with (XP) software-only purchases. People thought they'd found a loophole to a cheap copy of Vista then found they were wrong.

chrisb2e9 12th February 2009, 22:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by wafflesomd
You can buy windows?

Yup, different types of glass to put in them too.

r4tch3t 13th February 2009, 03:29

Hmm, maybe I should sell my copy of Vista now and buy a new one so I can get a free upgrade.

Gunsmith 13th February 2009, 09:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisb2e9
Quote:
Originally Posted by wafflesomd
You can buy windows?

Yup, different types of glass to put in them too.

and if he goes to safestyle uk they'll do two for the price of one.

Xir 13th February 2009, 09:53

Well...it would work for me.

I was planning on buying a Vista with my new computer but if 7 new is (as it seems) better than Vista even after SP1...I'd hold out and slap on the old XP in the mean time.

So beeing able to buy a Vista and then Upgrade...yeah, sounds good

IQTRM 13th February 2009, 13:49

I find it humourus that Obiwan gets so much flak for stating that we don't really need computers or Win7.
What we need as humans is food, shelter and companionship to live and not go crazy.

But keep the flak coming, it's all good.

Redbeaver 13th February 2009, 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by IQTRM
I find it humourus that Obiwan gets so much flak for stating that we don't really need computers or Win7.
What we need as humans is food, shelter and companionship to live and not go crazy.

But keep the flak coming, it's all good.

i cant live without a computer.

Xir 13th February 2009, 16:49

I can't earn my pay without you guys buying computers :D

Bladestorm 14th February 2009, 01:10

I bought a copy of vista last week as I was upgrading my graphics card and figured I'd at this point have a good DX10 GPU, a 64 bit cpu and 4 gig of ram, but no ability to fully use them otherwise, I knew 7 was coming, but doing a little light research turned up probably not before the end of the year or close to it, so I took the plunge. After spending the better part of £80 on it though I'll be in absolutely no hurry to buy a somewhat better version in the near future unless they were to offer me some kind of deal, which of course they probably won't.

Ho-hum, I'm liking it a lot anyway, though I've yet to find the time to migrate a lot of my daily used things over so far.