What Microsoft should do: offer Vista users a cheap upgrade to Windows 7.  Say $50 per.

XP users? or Windows 2000 (or previous) users: $200 per.

And the upgrade should then check and confirm that the user is going from Vista to Windows 7 otherwise the cheap upgrade wouldn't work.

Shock and horror, right?!  Nope.  The idea would be that Microsoft would be rewarding the customers that made the leap to Vista while making the customers that skipped the 'interim' release (Vista) pay nearly full fare.

Being punished because I did not buy a new OS that was as bad as WinME is no way to get me to buy the latest and greatest.

If it is not easily within my budget, well, I don't really need it any more than I needed Vista.

I found compatablity issues that Vista didn't work well with others like 1 or 2yr old programes or games.

It has the habit off slowing down if you don;t stay on top off the stuff you do with the computor. I actually liked the xp verstion better.

Not that it really maters for it seems that every time there is an upgrade the older products I meant 1 or 2yr's old will not work or not suported any more. I use Vista not for compatablity but it came with new laptop and is very propriotary and I don't like the not bakewards compatiblity.

i think if you buy W7 you should get both the 32 and 64 bit copies, along with being able to register them as 2 different copies

Pretty much, no matter that people feel/think, Microsoft is unlikely to change their pricing.

I lol'd.

I know i'm happy with my purchase of Ultimate. Sure it could have been better, SP1 did fix some issues though. I think though M$ should acknowledge that Vista was not released in the manner it should have been, nor is it there yet IMHO, and give those of us who did move on to Vista a break.

I'm not saying only Vista users should get a deal, but M$ could easily reward the community with a lower price.

Will it happen? Of course not. But after dropping nearly 500 bucks (AU) on Ultimate, they will have to do something special for me to goto to W7.

At present the Oz dollar buys 65c USD$, so if we want/need an OS that's priced at $327 US, we gotta pay $499 Oz bucks or go without.  It's the same with all PC related stuff, hardware and software, we always pay a higher price than those in the US to begin with, marked up by import costs and the gov't getting its cut, and then the exchange rates add even more dollars again.  So yeah, I'm hoping that MS puts a reasonable and affordable price on Win 7 for the US market, otherwise it will likely be out of my reach for quite some time, given domestic markups and the exchange rate as it is.  I certainly hope it isn't because I am using the beta, quite like it as an OS, and would like to have the full release when it becomes available.

Yes, we are living in difficult economic times, but I can't believe that some are saying that they should get Win 7 for nothing because they bought Vista.  MS is going through the same economic crisis we are and can not afford to simply give it away because someone paid for an earlier product.  And it doesn't matter that Win 7 is based on Vista, there have been enough improvements with speed, file copy/move and to the GUI to justify some charge, whether you purchased Vista or not.

I do agree, however, that MS would sell more units/licenses if it were to begin at $100 - $150 for entry level editions, up to $250 for the Ultimate edition.  What's that old saying, it's easier to get a dollar from a million people than it is to get a million dollars from just a few. Same applies to Win 7, the more reasonable the price the greater the sales... it keeps the customers happy and thus is good for business.

Furthermore, before I go, those XP users going the upgrade path should not have to pay more than an upgrading Vista user, now way no how.  It had already been decided that Vista was not ready and that it was overpriced, and XP users should not be penalised for rejecting something which almost universally was considered premature.

I personally went to Vista via an OEM in a newly built rig and quite liked it, moreso after SP1, and I have no objection to paying the same as a XP user and vice versa.  Shoot, I don't care if a Win 95 user can uprade for the same price, because it's not about what anyone else pays, but about my personal use and enjoyment of the product I purchased.

This: "I'm a Vista user and should get it for nothing" crap comes across like MS owes people or something, and that certainly is not the case.  As with any MS product, Vista's purchase price included a component for future development, and whether or not it was quite ready, its release helped fund the development of the soon to be released Win 7.  That's it, so either buy Win 7 and be happy, or don't buy it and move on.

I'm bitter that I've only just gotten use to XP and they've jumped 2 more OS's.. they should give people a chance to catch up.. what next.. disposable PC's.. ? may as well be.. sick to DEATH of having to attempt to keep up, and put food on the table at the same time!  ...............but if I don't upgrade one way or another, then I guess it's goodbye to online life for me.

Dunno that I put it quite like that, but yeah, those who want Win 7 bad enough will pay the going price.  I know that I will, it's moreso a case of when I can afford it.  Sure I'd like to get it for a lower rather than a higher price, but I see it this way, rather than quibble about price based value, I judge the value of an item according the use and enjoyment I derive from it.

As I recall, I paid around $330 for my OEM of Vista Ultimate a couple of days after release, but did I purchase a dud?  Certainly not!  I have gotten great use and enjoyment from my copy of Vista, and for me it was money well spent.

So?..   not all of us can afford to buy a new PC every few months, I got this last year with XP... alot has happened in the last 7 years, it takes a while to save up.

There shouldn't be a dead-line on thing's of this price, it's not like it's a torch, where you only need to replace the batteries... 

I assumed most people would know it wasn't meant to be.

Anyway.. my funds, or lack of, aren't the topic.. though I also saved hard for what I have, I, for health reasons am not able to work.. so,  I'll upgrade when I can, not when I'm 'expected' to.

Edit.. In response to below.. you don't know my situation.. and I don't spend $$$$ on loads of games.

No mate, not all (looks for another excuse..)

$451AU to be exact. On sale down from $714.

Aussie dollars keep in mind though.

No you didn't, i just put it out there.

I was happy paying $451 for Vista U and i am happy with my purchase. Just don't know that i can justify doing it again some time this year.

I'd say there will be an upgrade available for around $300AU, but i just don't like those upgrades. Pain in the ass when ya do a re-install.

W7, just doesnt seem like it's enough to jump to for those that have Vista already. Xp users, for sure, no problem. But it just doesnt do that much more over where Vista SP1 is at now. Not for M$'s expected prices anyway.