Member Avatar for jbennet

I went to PCWorld today to preorder vista (not out in UK yet)

£179.99 for home basic (no aero and only runs on celerons/semprons)
£379.99!!!!!!! for ultimate edition

OMFG

If 1 dollar = 50pence then that makes it $750!!!

HOW COME UK SOFTWARE IS SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN US STUFF!

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Dani AI

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’s sticker shock was common at launch — UK retail tags looked a lot higher than the US ones once VAT, local distribution and shop markups were added on top of Microsoft’s announced U.S. pricing. Regional MSRP, currency moves, and the standard UK VAT at the time together explain most of the gap rather than a secret “UK tax” on software. (arstechnica.com)

For people worried about the headline price, there are legitimate ways the effective cost can be much lower. OEM copies preinstalled on new machines are typically cheaper than boxed retail, retail licenses are transferable while OEM keys are usually tied to the machine, and upgrade vs full-package SKUs differ in price and install requirements — all worth checking before buying. As implied, shop-channel (retailer vs OEM) and license type make a big difference. (microsoft.com)

Performance-wise, the Vista release candidates and early builds showed that older XP-era boxes struggled with the richer UI. The official minimum and the recommended specs for Aero/Premium are not the same; machines with only the bare minimum will feel sluggish, so aim for the higher-end recommendations (more RAM and a DirectX 9/WDDM-capable GPU) if a smooth experience is wanted. Run Microsoft’s compatibility/upgrade checks before committing to a purchase or reinstall. (mcpmag.com)

Quick checklist:

  • Decide which edition actually has needed features (Ultimate includes extras many never use).
  • Compare OEM-built systems, online retailers and academic/MSDN channels for pricing.
  • Run an upgrade/compatibility scan and budget for RAM/GPU upgrades if Aero is wanted.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for Teachingmyself

Actually thats pretty much on par with what XP was last year.I think you pay around 75% more in a shop than you do on an OEM version.I think any Dell's bought between the beginning of december and the Vista release at the end of january get a free Vista DVD as well as the OEM XP already included with the system

Member Avatar for jbennet

i only got my dell for last christmas grrrrrrrr.......

looks like no vista for me anway (i got the RC cos of MSDN and believe me, its slowwwwwwwww even on a P4HT with 1gb RAM) and i need a new souncard

Member Avatar for blud

Vista is going to be rather expensive, it will be $300 for the Ultimate upgrade last I checked here in the states. This is expensive for an upgrade, but next to the $600 PS3, I'm sure people will find Vista is more useful.

Member Avatar for Teachingmyself

I had heard it was impossible to upgrade from XP to Vista as they finally stopped building one architecture on top of another.The "upgrade" dvd's dell will be shipping to their recent customers are actually full copies of Vista,you will not need to have XP installed to install these "upgrade" dvd's

Member Avatar for blud

Not exactly, Microsoft actually has a chart which tells you what versions you can 'Upgrade' from, and still keep your programs and settings.

Unfortunately, it looks like Dani is going to need to wipe her system again :D

Member Avatar for jbennet

you do know you dont actually need to have the upgrade system installed to upgrade?

i found that out when i installed xp upgrade on my dads pc (originally with me) and was given the option either to have it scan for upgradable systems or to insert a genuine install cd for an upgradable system - i just bunged in the OEM ME cd's and it worked fine

Member Avatar for roryt

I am sure on ms website it has vista on for $250 for ultimate upgrade? I hope it isn't much more expensive in the uk. BTW. Why would you buy it from PC world, have some pride!!!

Member Avatar for jbennet

pc world is next door to college so its convenient

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/editorial/windows_vista
windows vista ultimate £369

the cheapest ive seen ultinate to order is for £349.99


how much is xp in the usa?

home is like £115
pro is like £200+
server is like £300 - 600

Member Avatar for Dortz

Vista is going to be rather expensive, it will be $300 for the Ultimate upgrade last I checked here in the states. This is expensive for an upgrade, but next to the $600 PS3, I'm sure people will find Vista is more useful.

Useful yes, but nowhere NEAR as fun...

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