Vista (and Office 2007) boxes revealed

Ah, so this is what so many an upgrading user will be buying on retail shelves come early next year. We're not gonna yammer on about it or anything, just thought we'd let you know.

[Thanks, Ink Master]

[Ben @ Oct 31st 2006 3:05AM]

You know what? I bet Vista was delayed for theses boxes. Yeah, thats it.

[Intellectualdiot @ Oct 31st 2006 3:06AM]

Hmmm, those are actually rather striking.

Let me just render about 20 comments useless right now - clearly this design would be about 20x more avant-garde if Apple's label adorned the box rather than Microsoft.

Are we good now?

[tiuk @ Oct 31st 2006 3:08AM]

I hate to say it, but MS has come a long way in the past 10 years.

[Dx @ Oct 31st 2006 3:09AM]

That background is a ripoff of Apple desktops.

[z @ Oct 31st 2006 7:07AM]

Seems there are again a few MS viral-marketeers in action through these comments. Common lads, please... ;)

[Keith L. Dick @ Oct 31st 2006 3:13AM]

What a "Waste of resources"...

[Pingspike @ Oct 31st 2006 3:21AM]

1) They stole the rounded corner design from Mint credit cards, thiefsis!

2) I bet they're biting their lip at not filling up the space with specs/requirements etc etc. (a-la the microsoft ipod spoof video)

nice design, but i cant help but imagine people picking it up and thinking 'cool, but whats the catch?' its very un-microsoft-ish.

[Edward @ Oct 31st 2006 3:22AM]

Very slick.
I like MS' "look".

[Jason @ Oct 31st 2006 3:47AM]

Nice and clean but not to clean like a Mac. I like it.

[Foof @ Oct 31st 2006 4:03AM]

If you looked at the default startup center window that loads when you first run Vista Beta/RC, you'll see these boxes in large icon form. So they've been around for a while, at least in basic design.

There'll be a blue version for Vista Pro/Ultimate.

[shinyhat @ Oct 31st 2006 4:08AM]

Those appear to just be renderings rather than actual product photography. The designs are much cleaner than you'd expect from MS, but lets wait and see if this really how they turn out when Vista ships. Perhaps the more professional versions of Vista will match the new Office package design better.

I've heard Vista will be further delayed than they are letting on now, though I find it hard to believe they will do it.

[M @ Oct 31st 2006 4:08AM]

If it was a good product to begin with it wouldn't need a fancy box to sell. It lives on a popular and established base and little more.

[Varish @ Oct 31st 2006 4:24AM]

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/images/gallery/boxshots/web/WindowsVistaBusiness_web.jpg

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/images/gallery/boxshots/web/WindowsVistaHomePremium_web.jpg

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/images/gallery/boxshots/web/WindowsVistaUltimate_web.jpg

They look wonderful, sp. the ultimate verison

[Krono6 @ Oct 31st 2006 10:18AM]

You can easily notice how the boxes accent an Aero'ish theme. They look stunning imho. Hopefully existing Beta Testers will get a large discount or something XD

[Jarod @ Oct 31st 2006 4:52AM]

Hmmm, let's see how many idiots actually pay Microshit for essentially delivering a THEME.

[Lester @ Oct 31st 2006 4:58AM]

10 bucks says that when it actually comes out in stores it'll be loaded with stickers from MS.

[Molly C @ Oct 31st 2006 5:13AM]

Looks like the Vista and Office teams took a lesson from MacBU, which has used very nice (clean and striking) packaging since Office 98.

Zune's package is also nice and clean.

The days of making fun of MS (or even MS making fun of itself, as in their iPod box spoof video) for cluttered packaging are over.

[Cy @ Oct 31st 2006 5:15AM]

They just copied (as always) the OSX background designs...

[Rick Lyon @ Oct 31st 2006 12:22PM]

First thoughts I had when I saw it as well. Of course the PCheads on this blog keep voting your comment down, lol.

[DrWho @ Oct 31st 2006 6:16AM]

Very lickable. I won't be buying it though.

[Oh No @ Oct 31st 2006 6:23AM]

The ultimate box looks damn nice. They are really changing their image and catching up quick. I'm curious to see how they are going to market the zune and vista in the media, tv, etc.

I would hope they have better commercials than all those boring white background Apple ads with those two guys.

[gman @ Oct 31st 2006 8:15AM]

"I'm curious to see how they are going to market the zune and vista in the media, tv, etc. "

Just saw a billboard for Zune in Los Angeles. Very underwhelming.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 31st 2006 6:37AM]

Wow, what a great box.

Id like to show you a box that Vista WON'T be in if I may...

[AyAn4m1 @ Oct 31st 2006 7:05AM]

And you're saying that as a Windows user, I do have to pay? Bah. I think that Microsoft is changing their image up a bit, to compete with Apple. All of Microsoft's new product lines (Zune, Office, Windows) sport more shiny buttons and stuff, but I don't believe that it's being stolen from Apple. People want eye-candy, and why the hell can't they have it? Personally, I think that out of the box, gnome beats the hell out of XP or OS X's visual style, but I use non|step on my Windows drive and I like that, too. Vista has made some significant changes to the way Windows works, so don't say it's just a theme. I think that if a more widespread embrace of .NET and DirectX 10 come about, almost every power user and quite a few families will make the switch.

[David @ Oct 31st 2006 7:12AM]

Actually when I get Vista I won't be getting it in a fancy box.

It will be in a plain paper CD sleeve from my university computer store and I will have paid $30 for both Vista and Office 2007. :)

[Shogan @ Oct 31st 2006 7:22AM]

Very nice box. Too bad I recently switched over to Linux and don't have to pay for an operating system or programs anymore.

[Rynth @ Oct 31st 2006 7:32AM]

Oh and ps, theres a good way to get all vista's and stuff cheap, its called technet.

[Mike @ Oct 31st 2006 7:32AM]

I wonder if they are a clamshell that unzips....ahhhh

[Jon @ Oct 31st 2006 8:10AM]

Very sleek design! I like it, and i like windows Vista to be honest. They have come a long way since the first BETA release!

[ablufia @ Oct 31st 2006 8:22AM]

Nice to see Microsoft cutting corners...

[Todd @ Oct 31st 2006 8:23AM]

The packaging is an improvement, but allow me to conjure up an old country expression...

...Lipstick on a pig!

[Brian @ Oct 31st 2006 9:52AM]

looks good, but I'll wait till this PC dies or gets sadly outdated before looking into a PC with the hardware to run it.

[Danny @ Nov 1st 2006 11:25AM]

I second that! We BETA testers should get like half off the prices of Vista.

[eTwi @ Oct 31st 2006 10:31AM]

Looks like a gigantic box of Cipro.

[Brendan @ Oct 31st 2006 11:10AM]

Aren't all Vista versions contained on the same disc? Is the difference in packaging just to appease average-joe-consumer who won't know the difference between Home and Ultimate?

[nVidiot @ Oct 31st 2006 11:14AM]

Brendan: What does that have to do with having multiple pakages?

You buy a disc with all versions.. but really you are paying for the license... the disc just makes the product easilly upgradable via online payment.

It goes far beyond "average joe's" who won't know that multiple versions are on the disc.. plenty of my tech savy friends don't sit around reading pointless blogs all day.

[Ed T @ Oct 31st 2006 11:46AM]

To hold the Chinese pirates at bay for a while, they should have made the boxes out of depleted uranium. What's that you say, 35 pounds is too heavy to ship? Hell, Microsoft could afford it (and the new shelves at retailers), and customers could even recycle the boxes at their nearest DoD depot!

[soundboy64 @ Oct 31st 2006 12:59PM]

These boxes still don't answer which one is for me... Hopefully on the front there'll be a nice long list that says "Windows Vista Home Super Platinum Edition includes the following features" ... And then a long list... Because honestly I still don't know what frickin' version I'm supposed to buy...

[Porsche 911 @ Oct 31st 2006 1:32PM]

now if i buy a new computer with vista ultimate, i better get the new box...

[Karl Viklund @ Oct 31st 2006 1:33PM]

Wait wait wait...

You buy what's inside right? The box is something that you will throw away or that you just store the CD/DVD inside. It's just the the box, nothing to be excited about even though the box was nice looking.

[L. M. Lloyd @ Oct 31st 2006 2:41PM]

Ah, but see to a certain kind of user, image, packaging, and brand marketing are absolutely everything! So, what kind of box the product comes in, and who's brand it is, are the ONLY way to tell how good it is.

[chris @ Oct 31st 2006 4:46PM]

nothing new here, move along:
http://www.microsoft.com/japan/presspass/pressroom/images/Mac_Office2004Standard_f1.jpg

[Trent @ Oct 31st 2006 5:16PM]

Jeez...

I just want a damn ISO and an email with the damn CD key in it.

Is there a SKU for just that?

I didn't think so.

[tau zero @ Oct 31st 2006 7:00PM]

I have a feeling those boxes are the reason why vista is so expensive.

[Woody56292 @ Oct 31st 2006 7:16PM]

Wait, where are the product listings?
the logos? the system requirements?
the 10% stick-on coupons?
the product warnings?
it looks neat and streamlined.
wow. good job microsoft. you are learning.

[Viakenny @ Oct 31st 2006 9:20PM]

Vista boxes: delicious.

[Keith Sheehan @ Nov 1st 2006 11:26AM]

It looks like the Windows team raided the Mac Business Unit and stole a few of their graphic designers for a few weeks to come up with these designs.

[JSAD @ Nov 2nd 2006 9:25AM]

Dude, they're just boxes. Get over it.