Windows 7 cheapest price 2012

As was the case when upgrading from XP to Vista, you will only need to perform a clean install if you are going to a version that is lower on the food chain. When you switch to a higher version, you're adding on the existing functionality, but when you're going to a lesser version, you're taking away functionality, thus the need for a clean install. Clean installs will also have to be performed when upgrading from a bit version to a bit version, regardless of edition.

As with Vista, each DVD includes the various editions. Unlike Vista, every edition of Windows 7 is a superset of the previous edition, so you will not lose any features when upgrading. Once you have some edition of Windows 7 on your system, whether you purchased it via an OEM or just upgraded from Windows XP or Windows Vista, you will be able to upgrade to a "more premium" version of Windows 7 by purchasing an upgrade key to unlock additional features, just as with Vista.

Mike Ybarra, general manager of product management of Windows, told Ars that Microsoft had three choices for the release of Windows 7 E: delay the whole release of Windows 7 to make sure everyone gets the release of Windows 7 at the same time and without any upgrade problems, delay the release of Windows 7 just in Europe and have this market wait till Windows 7 E passes all upgrade tests, or don't offer upgrade versions at all.

Microsoft chose the last solution, and it's actually a pretty good one, for both Microsoft and consumers. Windows 7 E editions will be sold only in full versions: there will be no upgrade versions available in the European Union.

The good news is that the full versions will be available at the upgrade price, though if history is any indication, they'll likely still be higher than the US upgrade prices shown above. Microsoft announced two weeks ago that it was shipping Windows 7 in Europe without Internet Explorer 8 installed in response to the EU's antitrust investigation of its browser with Windows. In select markets, Microsoft is offering its customers the ability to preorder Windows 7 upgrade versions at a significantly reduced price.

This is easily the most aggressive pricing Microsoft has ever offered for Windows. The low preorder price will vary per country:. The deal includes select retail partners, such as Best Buy and Amazon, as well as the online Microsoft Store. Microsoft was not willing to discuss the limits of the supplies, but a spokesperson did confirm to Ars that the reduced prices for the European countries will simply apply to the full version as noted above , as upgrade versions will not exist in Europe.

In short, these preorders will allow those in the UK, Germany, and France to purchase full versions of Home Premium or Professional, except without IE8, for a very low price. I know about the psychological trick and so I feel annoyed.

Sometimes I don't buy at all then. But I guess it will be different with Windows 7. Not much of a choice here. Now, i've never used Update installs productively and always gone the route of migrating user profiles, but maybe there are people out there that will really miss the upgrade option - i sure won't. Internally, we will not deploy x32 versions anymore, and move all our laptops and desktops to an x64 OS.

As such, upgrading from Vista to 7 was never an option for us. I think the fact alone that we have two different Windows strains now will cause troubles of its own. This is probably going to be a support nightmare, with most US-released software never tested and validated on Windows 7 E editions. Which is going to be especially interesting a few years down the line, when calling support. Sorry, that's not a supported platform, we can't help you.

The best thing is that Microsoft decided it would be best to include innocent countries in this bullshit like Switzerland on the list which get the EU-Edition of Windows 7, which is what i'm especially angry at. We will see. I hope that we'll be able to get our hands on Windows 7 E quickly, in order to run testing. We've spent a lot of testing our software on Windows 7, which was kinda wasted time.

I also think that many Vendors will choose to only support their software on Windows 7 E with Internet Explorer installed, which also means we'll have every piece of software coming bundled with IE - just like in the old days.

That's interesting. I didn't know that other European countries are also affected by this nonsense. And you are right, the support issue is probably the biggest problem. I still can't believe that this is really happening. Obviously, this will cost a lot of money for European companies. I just hope that heads will roll in the EC after this mess. You can preorder the W7 Home upgrade for 49 and the Pro upgrade for 99 right now on amazon. Thanks Fred. I just checked what "very limited time" means :.

There are a limited number of copies available. The offer will end when they're gone, or July 11—whichever comes first. Your email address will not be published. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. You can also subscribe without commenting. Receive new post notifications. Will you deploy Windows 11 to end users in your organization in ? View Results. Member Leaderboard — Month. Member Leaderboard — Year.

Author Leaderboard — 30 Days. Author Leaderboard — Year. Paolo Maffezzoli posted an update 5 hours, 13 minutes ago. Paolo Maffezzoli posted an update 5 hours, 14 minutes ago. If you're an IT pro or developer who needs Windows 7 for testing, you also have subscription options, although they're less of a deal than they were six years ago.

For students, the best options come with newer versions of Windows. Most of the details I include in this post apply to Windows customers in the United States, but you should be able to find similar offers in other countries. My goal in this post is to point you to deals that customers legitimately qualify for. I am not trying to encourage attempts by anyone to get away with something you're not entitled to.

If there are restrictions for a specific offer, I've noted them here. By far the best way to buy Windows 7 today, six years into its lifecycle, is to purchase it preinstalled on a new PC. You get a warranty and, more importantly, you get the OEM's assurance that the hardware and software were designed to work together. This option also spares you from the pain of Windows setup, especially the hassles of hunting down essential drivers and system-specific updates when you upgrade or downgrade a PC.

There's a catch, though: As of October 31, , any new PCs they offer must include the more expensive Windows 7 Professional. Machines that were manufactured before that date with Windows 7 Home Premium can still be sold. Normally, the sales lifecycle for PCs with Windows 7 preinstalled would have ended long ago, but Microsoft extended that deadline in February PC manufacturers will no longer be able to sell new PCs with Windows 7 Pro as of October 31, , For details, see "What the Windows 7 Pro sales lifecycle changes mean to consumers and business buyers.

The trick in shopping for these machines is to skip the front door and go straight for the business section. Among online merchants, for example, Dell offers filters to show all available desktops and all-in-ones and laptops running Windows 7.

HP has separate pages for business desktops and laptops , but you have to look at each model to find the models with Windows 7 available. Big online retailers that serve business markets should have similar selections covering a wide range of brands and the full spectrum of prices.

There are plenty of sites where you can find "factory reconditioned" PCs for sale at legitimately low prices. Amazon-owned Woot, for example, always has lots of choices in its Computers section , although you'll have to dig into the specs to confirm that the operating system you're looking for is included. I don't recommend taking a chance with random sellers on eBay or Craigslist--not when there are so many well-established merchants that offer proper warranties and return policies, as well as an assurance that the underlying Windows license is legitimate.

Under Microsoft's arcane licensing rules, you can legitimately purchase OEM copies of Windows 7 any edition. However, the license agreement with those copies explicitly prohibits you from using that software on a PC you build or refurbish for your own personal use. Crazy, huh? ZDNet takes a look back at very best tech stories and features of From the year's tech turkeys to products and services that get business done, we round up top gadgets, cloud highs, security lows -- and much more.

Read More. There are no technical limitations to prevent you from using OEM software on your own PC, although this software will work only for a clean installation and not for an upgrade. In the past, Microsoft has been remarkably inconsistent in its advice to customers about whether this practice is allowed. Don't ask Microsoft. To make the subject even more confusing, Microsoft briefly changed its licensing rules with Windows 8, adding a Personal Use Rights clause that allowed individuals to buy OEM Windows and install it on personal PCs.

That change lasted exactly one year: with the launch of Windows 8. The bottom line? Yes, you can install an OEM copy of Windows 7 on a PC for your own personal use; I recommend that you avoid doing so for your business, however, especially if you have a licensing agreement with Microsoft.

Most of the readily available options for new PCs include the latest version of Windows--that's Windows 10 today with many Windows 8. If you love a particular piece of hardware and your preferred version of Windows 7 isn't available on the build-to-order options list, don't despair.

You have four choices available. If you purchase a new PC with a business version of Windows 8, Windows 8. Note that downgrade rights are not included on systems that ship with the core version of Windows 8, 8. To exercise downgrade rights, you can use media for Windows 7 Professional that you acquire from any source. During installation, don't enter a product key.