Windows 7 sold early at college bookstore, order somehow maintained
By Donald Melanson 
posted Oct 9th 2009 6:47PM
posted Oct 9th 2009 6:47PM
Street dates are invariably broken somehow, somewhere even when it comes to the biggest products and companies, and Microsoft is certainly no exception, with it now able to chalk up at least one sold copy on the Windows 7 charts thanks to an exceptionally eager college bookstore. While it didn't come in an actual retail box, this does indeed appear to be a legitimate education copy of the OS and, according to our tipster, it has been successfully activated. A little earlier than the usual slip-up to be sure, but we have a sneaking suspicion this won't be the last copy that drops before the big October 22nd date. Feel free to let us know in comments if you happen to come across one.
Don't forget all the copies sent out to the house party hosts. I got a copy of Ulitmate yesterday.
Could you tell us which build it is so we are uptodate on the current ones ?
Mine is a RTM/MSDNAA one, build 7600.
I know loads of student friends that have a copy....My Party pack arrived yesterday, build 7600
You guys act like having build 7600 is something new. TechNet and MSDN subscribers have had this for nearly 2 months.
Same here. I'm running my copy right now.
Yep. I'm a computer science major and have had my MSDNA copies for a few months now.
Just Did my Clean Install Win 7 Ult .. Party Pack ..
Thanks MS !
I just installed mine as well a few days ago when I got the party pack. Works great :)
MSDNAA FTW!
Already put copies of win7 Pro (x64/x86) on all my friends netbooks/laptops :P
Do you actually have to have a party to get a party pack? Do they have any way of proving it?
my university's paying us to use windows 7!
okay fine. i just got carried away
got my windows 7 and i live in New Zealand, except the university that i go to allows me to download a free copy of windows 7 pro which isn't too bad.
@alex, I am also in New Zealand. Which uni are you at? I hadn't heard that they had Windows 7 for Students at my uni (Massey).
I work at a University bookstore, we've been selling Windows 7 for about two weeks now, 32 and 64 bit Ultimate editions, I bought our first copy :D.
But man, the copy in the pic is a little steep at $100 for a student licensed upgrade version. Student campus agreement copies are about $15-20 at my school for Ultimate. (least that was the Vista price)
If you are a bookstore, why are you SELLING Windows 7 to students??? Our whole engineering faculty got it in August under MSDN!!
My university is actually giving everybody free copies and it started earlier this week.
7 bucks for me at my university bookstore
Seconded for MSDN. Free Windows 7 anyone?
My community college is offering it for $29.99 when it comes out (officially). Is this the typical price? I noticed it was through Digital River.
Michigan State University computer center is not selling it yet, I checked earlier this week.
As a side note, they are only selling Win7 Ultimate for $83 as an upgrade.
bahahaha, Purdue is!
Boiler up!
haha.
I go to Michigan State too.
go green go white.
...Can't read, can't write. =p
That disc looks a bit fake imho
Nope, that's the disc. It looks a bit odd in the photo because the surface is holographic.
No biggie, WIN7 has been available for download since last month from my university, oh, and for free.
yeah, same here, im using it now? whats all the fuss?
Yup, got it for free a couple of months ago via MSDNAA for free. What's all the fuss about, Yawn, move on please.
Windows 7 has been freely available from my University before anywhere else, The PirateBay Technologies.
I am a IUPUI student and we have been selling Upgrades for a while now too. I wonder why it hit the EDU sector before the retail sector...mmmmm
Go Jaguars!
Well, I was a Hoosier and not a Jag, but it's still better than Purdue.
Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!
Jags are cool too.
I found out this week you can buy a second copy of Win 7 if you email UITS for permission. (Go Jags! :)
I have had it from school for over a month now free. Windows 7 Pro runs quite well on my machine.
My University has been selling it for at least a week now, and for $15.
My University has been selling it for atleast 2 weeks. $15. Its not fake. Im typing from it right now. Upgraded from RC1
@Aggierandy: being "Aggie"randy, I see we go to the same University. :) Did you do an upgrade or fresh install? I know all past OSes from the University have said "upgrade", but I've been able to use them as for fresh installs also. I'm hoping this one is the same.
UofG?
Yes it is an upgrade disc but I was able to fresh install on my computer. I checked if it would upgrade as well and it did. To upgrade from RC follow this guide:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/3075/how-to-upgrade-the-windows-7-rc-to-rtm/
@Aggie
When you buy it from A&M do they give you a disk or do they give you a download code?
I think when you're an aggie they give it to you on a stack of floppies. Hook 'Em
Why did it cost over 100$ dollars? I got vista from my university bookstore for 35 bucks?!
hmm, in my engineering uni we shall get it for free. Must be because we're engineering only.
I got my copy of Windows 7 Professional from my university for free, going to install it this weekend.
The MSDNAA got them eons ago.
This is about the people who need to BUY it.
Hehe
I "bought" MDSNAA account for Windows 7. Kekekekek.
Go my Ultimate copy from the Union at Indiana University about a month ago. Old news Engadget...I'll post a pic
Thanks for the heads up - graduated in 08, but need to have one of my friends pick it up. I figured you guys wouldn't have it until later - Vista didn't come in until way after launch. How much are they charging?
Same here. I got mine at the bookstore here at IU the other weekend. Kelley School also has professional through their MSDN. So now I have two copies of Professional and two copies of Ultimate. Total price for all 4 = $40
http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=70240
No problem!
We have it at the Texas A&M University software library for $15. It's been available there for about two weeks now.
Ok I see a couple fellow Aggies are readers here. Who'da thunk it? Anyway I'm the proudest member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie class of 2010 A-Whoop!
I go to Georgia Tech and we've been able to buy Windows 7 for almost a month now.
And get it for free through MSDNAA...
As others have said, I got Win7 Ultimate from the MSDN about 1.5 months ago. I'd kinda like to have other people (that aren't going to use their free license) to let me have their licenses, but I doubt that'll happen. :D
And here is how... Microsoft opened up volume licensing for Windows 7 in September. Most colleges that have a campus agreement buy rights to student licenses and sell them back to the students.
I don't know of Stony brook University sells em yet, but I know it's only going to be $15 as a student there.
I just sent DoIT an email asking when it'll be available in the Seawolves Marketplace...I'm curious as to what they're going to say...
Got mine from MSDNAA 2 months ago :-)
Got my copy of 7 Ulitmate free at the Vista Launch Training here in PGH a week ago.
There seems to be alot of variation for pricing... are there 'preferred' universities?
I got my copy of 64bit ultimate yesterday from the apple store at my college. I paid under 20 for it and am using it right now as I type. It is a very good OS so far and it uses ~200 mb less ram than Vista home premium did.
I'm hoping Microsoft has the student discount in Canada too.
Aaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.
Wait--Just a moment.
Ahahahahahahahahaha.
--
Really though, it'll probably be more expensive. Like, 60 bucks. Canada always gets the short end of the stick when it comes to these things.
our dollar is almost at par so lets not get screwed
My school, Indiana University has been selling copies of win 7 ultimate since late september. They are allowed to sell it early because of an agreement they have with MS.
"Windows 7 Ultimate Edition is available on media only (DVD) and comes in either 32-bit or 64-bit versions (each sold separately). Students, faculty, and staff can purchase media for this software from IU campus. Ask for Windows 7 Ultimate Edition. Price $20.00"
That disk in the picture is not fake.. I bought copies of XP Pro and Vista from my school and the discs look just like that one (or close it)
I can also buy Adobe Design/Creative Suites for $20 on disk or download for free!
Yeah, this isn't anything surprising. Most college bookstores have been selling Win7 in a sleeve for like 2 weeks now. I already got my copy of 64-bit ultimate for $35.
I ordered mine yesterday from the college bookstore and should get it tomorrow, the ultimate 64 version ,can't wait!
Interesting looking disc. Yes, I know it's for copyright protection, but still.
I've had a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate for over three weeks purchased from the Indiana University Bookstore for $20. They only had upgrade disks available, but there was a workaround that involved upgrading the fresh unactivated install (basically you have to install it twice). I switched from Ubuntu Jaunty (waiting for Karmic). Overall it is pretty nice. I like the new taskbar design and the jumplists (when they are supported). Also new Win+Arrowkey shortcuts are pretty useful.
Good to know that trick still works. I have bought the Pro x64 upgrade for £39 (Student college discount) Should be recieving it on the 22nd according to the email confirmation from Microsoft
IU baby!
FUNNY!!!! My school gave every IT students access to download a free copy about 3 weeks ago.
I would not have the patience to wait for it to download, I guess it beats paying for a disc though
Same here. I'm a CS student at Arizona, and we've all had access to it on MSDNAA for several months
I just downloaded it off the Rutgers MSDN site and installed on my girlfriend's comp, works perfectly.
They've been selling it for a while at the University of Texas at Austin campus computer store. My friend got his yesterday.
I got it for free from my school (OCC). I got it last week and its activated
Is it really that big of a deal? Anyone who really wants it has it through the RC program and the RC will far exceed the time needed to acquire the retail copy.
Don't get me wrong, I am running the RC on my computer and have a pre-order for the upgrade, it's a great upgrade but it's not like there should be people just dying to get their hands on a copy at this point.
My School is selling them too, I got 32 bit and 64 bit ultimate for $18 a piece for upgrade discs.
I've had it for a few days now, got it through MSDN AA at my university in UK.
this college doesnt have discount for it?
For those of you who have it already, how does it compare to Vista????
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roi9ptR2a-w
My bookstore's been selling 7 since the middle of september.
Butt-ugly disc design... no surprise as Microsoft is completely artless. Top to bottom.
dude... its a disk... unless you wanna wear it as hat, who cares? ...probably you I'm guessin...
lol... i know what im doing with my 32 bit version that came w/ my party pack
damn! I bought my Win 7 Ultimate upgrade for 20 bucks at my university last week(University of Houston).... Sucks for you if you are buying it for 89.99....
As a college student in our Computer Science department, I get Windows 7 for free through MSDNA. I am running a fully licensed version of Windows 7 Professional 64-bit as we speak!
I preordered my copy and should be getting a download link and a key on the 22nd. I was getting impatient though and wanted to download and it install it now and activate it on the 22nd. I couldn't find the iso on either isohunt or mininova though. What's up with that? I know it is up for download on MSDN, so I would have assumed that the isos would be everywhere by now.
wow that disc looks like crap!!
Because an install disc that you'll never see again is supposed to look sexy? Oh Fox, I'm sooo sad my 7 disc can't look like this =(
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3872992195_ceff1b9427.jpg
lol! /s
I bought it from my campus bookstore 2 weeks ago. Old news..
Windows 7 Professional RTM has been available to any college student that is given a subscription to MSDN TechNet for nearly 3 months now...
7 Pro has been available at Stanford via MSDN for some time now. 100% free of charge to boot...
That's from Indiana University. I go there, and we've had it for a few weeks. It costs $20 for Ultimate.
According to the picture, the receipt came from Western Michigan University, it's from their book store located in the Bernhard Center. I would know, I go to this school!