Best Buy memo explains that Vista doesn't work, details Windows 7 upgrade plans

Ouch. We're guessing this is one that the suits at Best Buy would like to have back. A leaked company memo detailing how the retailer will handle Windows 7 upgrades has accidentally given the world a tasty tidbit to opine upon. The note starts off as such:

"Microsoft is launching Windows 7 in mid-October 2009. This new operating system isn't just a "Vista that works" program - it's a new operating system with improved productivity, functionality and creativity that uses less computer resources."

Never mind the fact that we never knew an OS could posses "improved productivity" -- how about admitting that Vista, in effect, doesn't "work." Moving on, the note also makes clear that any PC sold with Vista Home Premium, Business or Ultimate between June 26th and the Windows 7 launch day (October 22nd) will be eligible for a free upgrade to Win7. Better still, the individual OSes also qualify for the update, and starting on June 26th, Best Buy will begin "pre-selling" the Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade ($49.99) and the Windows 7 Professional Upgrade ($99.99). Have a look at the full letter below, and if you've come here for advice, here's the best we've got: don't buy a PC at Best Buy until June 26th.

Best Buy memo explains that Vista doesn't work, details Windows 7 upgrade plans

[Altairantares Posted Jun 5th 2009 2:21PM]

These comments really are a wasteland of the internet, it really isn't engadget's fault, but it is kinda sad...

[possum5 Posted Jun 5th 2009 2:22PM]

such defensiveness from the vistaites? me thinks thou protests too much!!!

Darren, keep up the sharp eye. It most certainly does imply that vista doesn't currently work.

[possum5 Posted Jun 5th 2009 2:24PM]

such defensiveness from the vistaites? me thinks thou protests too much!!!

If I say to be honest with you am I a liar all the rest of the time? NO-but you avoid saying it so that the corollary isn't hanging out there.

Darren, keep up the sharp eye. It most certainly does imply that vista doesn't currently work.

[StalkyTheFish Posted Jun 5th 2009 2:29PM]

I wish it was $50 or $60 for the full version. It might just compel more people to buy legit versions of Windows for a change.
That said, at least MS is offering an upgrade price. Apple will likely charge the usual full $129 regardless of where you're upgrading from, and Vista/XP to 7 seems like a more substantial upgrade than 10.5 to 10.6 at this point.

Apple may want to keep in mind that there is now some measure of competition here. Most any Mac that can run 10.6 is capable of running Win7 instead.

(This posted from a Win7-running 24" iMac that, lately, only gets booted into MacOS for video jobs.)

[slbailey1 Posted Jun 5th 2009 2:48PM]

I have a Dell Mini 9 netbook that came with Windows XP. I've upgraded the Dell to 2gb of ram and 32gb SSD. I'm currently running Windows 7 RC1 - which runs great!!

1. Can I buy the Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade and install it over Windows 7 RC1? Should I do a clean install?
2. Can I buy the Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade, uninstall Windows 7 RC1, reinstall Windows XP, and do a clean install of Windows 7?
3. Do I have to purchase a full version of Windows 7 Home Premium?

[DarthPaul Posted Jun 5th 2009 2:53PM]

http://eeepc.net/upgrade-path-from-windows-xp-to-windows-7-clarified/

Seems like you'll have to do a clean install but they won't get too edgy about the licensing although I'm not sure how it'll work if you don't have original media (as on netbooks)

[SexMurderArt Posted Jun 5th 2009 3:09PM]

LMAO

[jsjohnson Posted Jun 5th 2009 3:18PM]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this or not but....

Why would you buy a copy of Vista at full retail price after June 26 when the upgrade to 7 is only $50??? Every upgrade of Window's that I've used has always allowed the use of any Windows CD to do a fresh install (or upgrade on existing install). I just pop in my old Win98 or Win2k CD and roll...so why bother buying Vista to go to 7?

And no mention of a Win7 Ultimate presell upgrade? That's odd.

[slinky317 Posted Jun 5th 2009 3:57PM]

Only Home Premium and Professional are going to be available to consumers in stores. Ultimate apparently you have to upgrade AFTER buying Home Premium or Professional via Microsoft's website, or you can get it via licensing. Ultimate is targetted more towards business users instead of consumers.

[jsjohnson Posted Jun 5th 2009 5:01PM]

Thanks, just seemed out of line with Vista since it was available from the start at retail stores.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 5th 2009 4:55PM]

Well if BB can easily give consumers a free upgrade to Win7, then I can only pray that MS will follow suit with good faith. Be nice if they gave Vista users some sort of coupon to purchase Win7. I admit that I like using Vista, I do feel like it was sort of a bastard child OS.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 5th 2009 5:00PM]

It appears that Microsoft will somewhat liberal in the licensing. For example, it will be possible to use an "Upgrade" version of Windows 7 Home Premium to bump up Vista Ultimate. You will have to do a clean install, but the license will support this upgrade path. You will end up with Windows 7 Home Premium, but you will not have to pay the Windows 7 Ultimate upgrade price if you just want Windows 7.

Likewise, it will be possible to upgrade from a 32 bit Vista to a 64 bit Windows 7 (once again, by doing a clean install, but the upgrade license will support this change from a 32 bit "qualifying" product to a 64 bit Windows 7.)

More details at http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=609&pgno=3

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 5th 2009 5:22PM]

My first time coming here and my last. I can tell right away the writers for this 'website' are about as bad as they come. Biased stupidity. It's like watching the media report on Obama.

[Brian81 Posted Jun 5th 2009 7:33PM]

Win7 drops panties

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 5th 2009 10:49PM]

Amazing. Its not even about Apple. there is no mention of Apple and its still an Apple fanboi article simply by the damn tone. The prices are amazing and yet what is the focus? VISTA SUCKZORZ! Seriously guys. Rebrand the site already to Apple Rockz and get it done with.

[Andurilan Posted Jun 6th 2009 12:53AM]

Thats It. I've had it.

This Will be the last post I will ever post here until some type of transparency is restored here. I left Gizmodo because of this. I've read this article on other blogs.
This is got to be the most spun article of them all. The other articles report this as it really is, without spin. Windows 7 will be presold through Best Buy for 6 months for an really good price about half of Vista's upgrade Price.

Here's the other titles of the article of the site's I mention, to drive my point home.

Istartedsomething:
Best Buy memo leaks Windows 7 pricing? Upgrades might cost less than half than Vista equivalent.
http://www.istartedsomething.com/20090606/best-buy-memo-leaks-windows-7-pricing/

You lost me to Gizmodo. Feel free to earn back my readership by getting some integrity chops.

[Garst Posted Jun 6th 2009 3:46AM]

This sounds like a way for Best Buy to scam you out of your hard earned money. Do you think Microsoft is going to charge $50 to go from Vista Home Premium to 7 Home Premium?

[superhobo Posted Jun 6th 2009 6:00AM]

No, I would think they'd charge more.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 6th 2009 5:37AM]

microsoft is offering free upgrades to windows 7 on ALL pc's bought after july 1st,so hardly a deal for best buy,hardly news either.

[RandallLind Posted Jun 6th 2009 6:33PM]

$100 isn't bad for Win 7 pro. I wonder if you need vista install. I heard they stop clean installs from upgrade versions.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 7th 2009 3:48PM]

Actually, This letter is intended for all best buy employees, considering I am one, I should know. The phrase "a vista that works", I what best buy is using to inform their employees of what windows 7 is not. Many employees and customers have not used or researched windows 7 in depth and from what they know, they only see it as "Vista that works" Best Buy just wants to inform its employees, and their customers, That windows 7 is a entirely new operating system, not a big fix of service pack to vista.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 8th 2009 2:19AM]

I think the 'vista that works' "program" they are referring to would be a marketing program.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 8th 2009 8:08AM]

hahahahahahahahahahaha. Sorry, almost lost my breakfast at the line:
"Others won't be able to compete with our Geek Squad offerings" I am
laughing so hard, tears are streaming down my face. Read that as:
Others won't be able to rip off customers as much as our untrained,
unskilled, inexperienced high school morons by trying to sell people
extra garabage they don't need or want. There goes that pesky
Truth Filter again

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 8th 2009 8:07AM]

hahahahahahahahahahaha. Sorry, almost lost my breakfast at the line: "Others won't be able to compete with our Geek Squad offerings" I am laughing so hard, tears are streaming down my face. Read that as: Others won't be able to rip off customers as much as our untrained, unskilled, inexperienced high school morons by trying to sell people extra garabage they don't need or want. There goes that pesky Truth Filter again

[Kilorad Posted Jun 8th 2009 4:10PM]

@ Darren Murph

Yellow Journalism!

If only you were a real journalist.

[alane Posted Jun 8th 2009 9:05PM]

This isn't clear to me and somebody else asked the same question a page or so ago. Does the $50 get you an upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium from XP Professional or just Vista Home Premium? There are a lot more XP machines out there than Vista machines, and I suspect at this price XP is excluded. On the other hand, in the past MS has normally cast a pretty big net with the allowable upgrades. So does anybody know for sure?

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 10th 2009 4:09PM]

depends on what "isn't" isn't?

vista's marketing was a "PR" failure by MS. perhaps it is an unfortunate human imperfection, but perceptions matter.

increased productivity is mostly a marketing/media-perception thing - annoying vista junk, like UAC, is less productive. MS has to create the "perception" of Win7 as "less annoying".

("more productive" is "corporate-speak" for {perception of} "less annoying".)

Even the name "Vista" for an OS is "annoying". It conveys a "disconnect" from reality, a failed/meaningless metaphor. Win7 is "less annoying" because it conveys a "back to basics" feeling.

BB can't insult MS by telling the truth "too directly", so they come out with this hilarious way of trying to tell their employees how to sell customers on Win7 by subtly reinforcing that it is "less annoying".

*nix/apple people spent years bashing MS for not being "secure". then MS made vista "more secure". then MS customers didn't like "more security" since it was "more annoying". now, Win7 is "less annoying".

Its all about marketing/perception. unix/linux/mac is about perception of elitism/snobbery, windows is about perceptions of populism, the "common man", and so forth. Win7 is Mac without snobbery. MS wins as long as it stays "cheap".

[howard911s Posted Jun 12th 2009 7:19PM]

Just bought an HP DV3510NR from bestbuy dman it! jumped the gun too early and it doesnt make sense for me to return it and wait for this deal either cause the restocking fee will be higher than the windows itself when it comes out...

questions

$49.99 for windows 7 premium upgrade sounds reasonable, you guys think this will let me do a clean install since I have vista already or this will only let me UPGRADE from existing vista built?..I'm hoping the former....

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 2nd 2009 1:25AM]

hey bestbuy does not charge for restocking within 14 days of purchacing

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 25th 2009 12:59PM]

As Best Buy said Vista in effect doesn't work so I am moving on up to Windows 7.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 10th 2009 10:59AM]

This memo is not holding up, I questioned if I can get a free upgrade to Windows 7 if I go and buy Windows Vista Ultimate (an individual copy as this memo states it qualifies) on the Best Buy forum and a Best Buy person stated:

"08-10-2009 10:47 AM

Hi there and welcome to the Community! The program only covers new computer that are purchased. The program is operated and sponsored by the computer manufactures, not Best Buy.
Adam | Best Buy® Retail Representative | Geek Squad® Agent
BestBuy.com | 1-888-Best-Buy (1-888-237-8289)
GeekSquad.com | 1-800-Geek-Squad (1-800-433-5778)"

The thread is here: http://forums.bestbuy.com/t5/Computers/Planning-to-buy-Windows-Vista-Ultimate-free-upgrade-to-Windows-7/td-p/45027