Happy news for our British readers today -- Microsoft is selling
Windows 7 Home Premium in the UK at the bargain price of £65 for the full (non-upgrade) version. Converted to $107, that's less than Americans have to shell out just for an upgrade ($120) and about half the price of the full thing ($200). The Professional and Ultimate varieties are also cheaper by about $40 each. With Windows 7 E now
out of the picture (though seemingly still available for pre-order from the MS online store), it looks like Microsoft has chosen to match its lower price (listed with an £80 MSRP) with the new SKUs that will actually see retail shelves -- a price online retailers are now undercutting. Jolly good.
CNET was first to the story and was told by an Amazon UK rep that the current pricing is expected to be indefinite, but previous intel on the matter has indicated that Microsoft will be
hiking UK prices from January 1, 2010. So if you wanna be safe, better get that brand spanking new OS before Christmas rolls around.
[Via
Pocket lint]
Read - CNET article
Read - Microsoft UK online store
Read - Windows 7 Home Premium at Amazon UK for £65
posted August 19th 2009 6:28AM
Wow at last, they are finally understanding the wants of the customers!
Now lets next time they just make one version rather than 10!
I'm sure you'd be willing to pay hundreds more for features you'll never use, right?
If it's just 65 pounds, sure, why not.
You do know you can only buy 3 versions, right? Of course you do, silly bear.
"I'm sure you'd be willing to pay hundreds more for features you'll never use, right?"
These features have already been developed and do not cost Microsoft any more money in upkeep. Designating specific features for specific "versions" of the OS is an entirely arbitrary limitation meant to fleece pockets. Not to sound like a zealot, but OS X handles this in an enviable way.
Understanding what customers want would mean:
-A free upgrade for all Windows Vista Ultimate users to 7
And
-Reduced pricing for all Beta testers across the board up to launch.
Uncontrol:
MS developers put in a great deal of time to add those extra features that 90% of the public won't even use or miss, but you just expect them to give it away for free?
Remind me not to put you in charge of my sales division any time soon, as you have no realistic concept of how product pricing and software development works, only an idealistic one, and merely a consumers perspective at that.
@ WindowsFTW
If as a developer you are putting a great deal of time into features 90% of your market won't even use or miss, then you have failed business 101; especially since that is drawing away resources that you could be using to really boost the quality of your core product. Better is to have excellent open API's so that specialist 3rd party firms can make rock solid extensions that service the 1-10% of the market by using your core product.
Remind me not to put you in charge of my product development department. I'll end up with a Wheelbarrow that has side mirrors, a spare wheel, drink holder and comes with a large selection of stickers for personalisation, costs twice as much but leaks, tends to break and gives the operator splinters.
@Cy
Actually you'll end up with a range of wheelbarrows. Some will be basic 'carry shit around' models. Some will be 'carry shit around in a load distributed manner' models and some will be 'carry shit around in a load distributed manner whilst filtering the shit into different consistencies' models. You then get to choose the one you need. For most people it'll be the moving shit around model but others might want more, that's choice you see.
Of course other providers only make the 'carry shit around in a load distributed manner whilst filtering the shit into different consistencies' models and sell them at low prices. What they don't tell you is that it only works in one garden and you need to buy that too.
OK, to hell with the analogies for a moment.
Remember that Microsoft doesn't sell hardware. To Apple, the sale of OSX is incidental. That's why they have it so cheap and only have one version. (Actually, they have two, server edition, but let's not go there). Since the only way you will legitimately be using OSX is if you have already purchased their computers, they can afford to give you Snow Leopard for $30 or Leopard for $100. They don't need to make multiple options.
Microsoft, on the other hand, makes no money from hardware sales. They can't afford to make their software cheap, since they are a software-only company. They offer multiple SKUs to provide the consumer with the best option. Remember, you'll only see two on your shelves at the local store: Home Premium and Pro. Ultimate will have limited availability in some enthusiast shops. The rest are all OEM, except for Enterprise, which isn't available to consumers anyway. So you get to decide, do I want something geared at media, or something geared at business productivity. Or, if you wish, you can always upgrade to ultimate later.
So in a way, OSX is simpler, because 1 < 2. But it's not as bad as people make it out to be.
Love your work Mark, that was genius
For once, UK customers don't get massively screwed on software (or hardware, gadgets, games...) prices. Makes a nice change, thanks MS!
UK cheaper than US? I am in shock! Maybe Engadget has been hacked by pranksters...
Thanks MS!
Of course, if I was being cynical I might suggest that dropping the European price is a cunning ploy to reduce the value of sales in the EC without dropping the number of units sold; the idea would be to limit the size of whatever fine the EU dreams up for MS the next time they're short on cash.
But I'm not cynical. Oh no.
Ohh and UK prices would normally include sales tax (VAT), while US prices do not. So you need to add another 0% to 10.25% to the US price, depending on where you live and how/where you order it from.
That would be 15% for the UK
Not been paying attention eh bailey?
Did I just slip into a strange parallel universe?
@ Bailey
VAT is back to 17.5 % after X-mas.
I suddenly don't feel too ecstatic about getting my Pre-Order version for £49.99 ....
So if you buy ps3 slim and windows 7 you end up spending about the same amount (US/UK). Are Sony and Microsoft cooperating in some new ingenious way?
I believe this is a mistake that will be corrected....
If not watch out for the fllying pigs droppings. If you thought pigeon droppings were bad....
Time to call mom and have her ship me some copies.
I'm tired of Europeans bitching about US prices being lower. Your prices include VAT already built-in. Our prices do not include taxes (we commonly use sales tax, which is applied post-purchase, and is generally 9-11% these days).
If you see OUR prices 50% less, then you can complain. But by and large, we're paying every bit as much as you.
It's your mind that makes it necessary to fine Bobfantastic, people who think everything is done for money and should be done for money end up doing anything, even breaking the fair play rules, for money, and then they need to be told not to, and they they cry and scream murder and 'discrimination' and 'communism' and whatever else they can think up to deflect the truth.
@Joshua Ochs
Not necessarily true.
Consider the new slim PS3 that will be sold for 300 USD and 300 EUR. At the moment, the euro price converts to 426.36 USD. Adding in a generous 11% sales tax to the US price = 333 USD.
So, even after sales tax, and assuming that the 300 EUR already includes VAT (which I don't believe it does) the euros are still paying close to 100 USD more than we are.
No way! This is awesome news!
We've been (the EU) screwed over so many times by US SW companies that this almost looks like BS, but I sure hope it is not!
YAY! Hopefully they'll spread this pricing policy across the entire EU! Can't wait!
You have more import taxes.
It's cheaper and the EU gets a choice on IE. Win Win.
Also important to consider the average wage for the US and UK, plus the fact that the UK has "free" healthcare. It all matters.
Am i reading this right or did someone switch the K and S keys around on Savovs keyboard..?
If its true then it must be freezing in hell today!
I wonder if they know steve irwin is australian?
He's not anything, he's dead
Much too soon, Gordon, MUCH too soon. 22.3 years - 2.95 years = NOT FUNNY YET, *GORDON.*
That Crikey was like fingers on a chalkboard.
As an ex-pat Aussie if I have one more block headed American ask me what part of England am I from.................
@Phrank
Nice SP reference...
Crikey is Australian, not English -.-
noobs.
Crikey: An old English public school exclamation of surprise as exemplified by Frank Richards' Billy Bunter stories. More recently adopted by Australians. Etymology: euphemism for Christ, Date: 1838, England.
I was just about to say that....
Jiminy cricket 1813 is a LONNNG time ago.
P.s not everyone in the UK speaks with even a vaguely similar accent.
@Major4Play - you'll be lucky if you can understand anyone in the UK these days... it's full of teenage parents who barely understand grammar, as well as (no offence here) migrants who either have no knowledge of English, or speak with such strong accents you can't make out what they're saying! Still, they're trying at least :)
Around here I live in the present...not in historical England. Crikey is an Australian term for those of us living in the "here and now".
Well, I didn't realise that it originated from the UK but in any case, in the present it's more of an Australian term. Just like "gay" used to be used as a term do describe "happy."
All semantics aside, I think it still would have been more UK appropriate if he it had read:
Windows 7 will cost half as much in the UK as in the US, bollocks!
Crikey has developed around my area in the UK from that of what LondonConsultant said to "Crikey O'Reilly"...don't ask me why.
You fail.
That would be "Dogs Bollocks"
That makes a bliming change!
Apparently Windows 7 is only worth half the price without Internet Explorer.
Fact check on Aisle 3 please!