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When Vista was first released, Microsoft used BitLocker and the promise that Ultimate Extras would be released on a regular basis, convincing some users that Ultimate would be worth the steep price, which was initially $400. However, after the years went by, some Vista users got more and more angry, and ever more articles were created in which writers and users accused Microsoft of ripping them off. Instead of the regular updates that users were led to believe that they would receive, paying as much as $160 extra for the Ultimate version, Vista Ultimate users have received nothing but a few extra, rarely used features, a Hold’Em game (among the millions of other free Hold’Em games, available for any OS), some language packs (useless for most people), some sounds, Tinker, and the ability to use videos as your desktop.

The language packs should have been included by default (or offered) for every Vista edition, considering that it’s languages; charging for the language packs is basically charging extra for the interface. The few extra features, Dreamscene, the two games, and the sounds are understandably exclusive to Ultimate; however, they are most certainly not worth the extra $100-160 that Microsoft charged. Now, with Microsoft’s decision to allow pre-ordering of Home Premium and Professional (but not Ultimate), Microsoft has slapped the Vista Ultimate users in the face. Not only did these users get ripped off tricked, but they are also being denied a chance to obtain the Ultimate version of Windows 7 at a fair price (to help lessen the sting of Vista Ultimate).

This cannot be a good marketing move as most Vista Ultimate users (such as myself) are passionate about technology and Microsoft as a whole, and not just your ordinary, silent customers. We wanted unique, exciting extras that were exclusive to Vista Ultimate (every Ultimate Extra except for the language packs have been ported back to XP and other Vista editions) and ongoing, yet Microsoft coughed up almost nothing. Instead of hurting their competition with Vista Ultimate, Microsoft has enticed Vista Ultimate users to simply buy the Home Premium version this time around, or even more drastic, switch to a different OS such as GNU/Linux or buy a Mac. And now that Windows 7 Ultimate has been announced, it appears that it will simply be Windows Vista Ultimate without DreamScene or other Vista Ultimate extras.

Instead of simply apologizing (if you can even call it an apology) for the outright scam failure that was Vista Ultimate, Microsoft could at least offer a significant discount on the upgrade version of Windows 7 Ultimate for Vista Ultimate users (as the final Ultimate extra), or maybe even eliminate the Ultimate (Enterprise) SKU and combine it with Professional. This would simplify the abundance of SKUs and make the pain of Vista Ultimate a little easier.

What do you think?

Related posts:

1. Windows 7 Beta Display Language Interface Packs
2. Windows 7 Language Waves
3. Five New Windows 7 Wallpaper Packs Appear
4. Microsoft Cuts Down On Windows 7 Editions
5. Of Vista and Windows 7
6. Windows 7 7106 English Leaks

Kristian Kenney spotted an interesting clause in the Microsoft Software License Terms of Windows 7 Home Premium hinting at family licensing packs for that edition of Windows 7. Here is the new clause in the Windows 7 Home Premium terms:

2. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS.
a. One Copy per Computer. Except as allowed in Section 2 (b) below, you may install one copy of the software on one computer. That computer is the “licensed computer.”

b. Family Pack. If you are a “Qualified Family Pack User”, you may install one copy of the software marked as “Family Pack” on three computers in your household for use by people who reside there. Those computers are the “licensed computers” and are subject to these license terms. If you do not know whether you are a Qualified Family Pack User, visit go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Linkid=141399 or contact the Microsoft affiliate serving your country.

It basically states that Microsoft will be offering a Windows 7 Home Premium Family Pack which can be installed on up to three computer systems in the household. There is no word on the pricing yet. Ed Bott speculates that Microsoft will match or even surpass Apple’s Family Pack which sells for $199 and allows users to install the operating system five times. The Family Pack is only offered for the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system and not Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate. It is also likely that businesses are not allowed to use this version.

The interesting question is definitely about the price of the Family Pack edition. Offering it for $199 or $189 as Ed Bott suggest would mean that it would be offered at roughly the same price as the normal Windows 7 Home Premium edition (according to Amazon.com who sell the edition for $199). It is therefor likely that the price will be higher than $199 unless a requirement would be a Windows Vista or Windows XP operating system license.

Related posts:

1. Windows 7 Home Premium To Cost $200?
2. Windows 7 Wallpaper Theme Pack
3. Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7
4. The Netbook Debate
5. Windows 7 Upgrade Pricing
6. Windows XP To Windows 7 Upgrade Confirmed

Announcement: 50% discount on Windows 7 Pre-Orders for a limited amount of time.

A gentle reminder to readers who may still be running the Windows 7 Beta that it will start shutting down every 2 hours from today. To stop this you need to upgrade to Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC), which won’t suffer the same fate until March 1st, 2010 by which point you probably will have purchased the full version.

If you do try and install Windows 7 RC over a Windows 7 beta build, it won’t work.  However, if you want to install the Windows 7 RC candidate and not lose all your customisations then follow these instructions.

Related posts:

1. Windows 7 Beta To RC Upgrade Instructions
2. Windows 7 Update: From Beta To RC The Microsoft Way
3. Microsoft Is Sending Out Beta Expiration Date Emails
4. No Windows 7 In 2009?
5. Windows 7 Beta Expected This week
6. Windows 7 Beta Signup Period Extended

There’s been a few comments recently on my article “what will Apple’s response be to Windows 7“, and it’s hardly surprising as any conversation about Microsoft and Apple / PCs and Macs will always get a debate going.  In part I think the recent interest will be because of the news that Steve Jobs has returned to work after a period of illness.

Many commentators are saying that there’s very little between the two operating systems, and indeed Linux, these days.  I’d say this is extremely accurate.  All the operating systems do the same things in broadly similiar ways.  They have the same features, all generally look similar and it can be hard sometimes for a casual observer to tell them apart.

The differences all come in the implementation.  Microsoft have always gone for the ’simple’ approach while Apple’s focus has always been on making things ‘easy’ (which brings up the whole Windows 7 Simple vs Easy argument again).  The implementations are different and different operating systems will suit different people and different ways of working.  Anyone who comments “Mac’s are better because” or “Windows is best because” should really be saying it’s just better for them!

This brings me on to Windows 7 vs Snow Leopard which are even more similar because both Microsoft and Apple have announed that their latest operating systems are focusing on being smaller and quicker than the previous versions.  Now, even the development cycles are the same.

Suffice to say though that Apple WILL have a response to Windows 7 and I don’t believe it’s going to be a pretty one.  Rather than let Snow Leopard stand on its own merits, the battle will be waged on TVs and billboards, we’ve already seen the first signs of it, and in the run up to October 22nd we can be sure that Apple will be slinging as much mud at Microsoft as possible.

This, I believe, will be their only response as, because the operating systems are all so similiar these days, it’s the only response they can give.  It’s a shame because it’s slowly turning Apple into the nasty company they’ve always tried so hard not to be.  But in the middle of a financial crisis and in a global competitive marketplace, is it all that big business can be?

The question also has to be asked how behaviour such as this can possibly be in the best interests of consumers.

Microsoft’s response so far to these adverts has been pretty considered and professional.  They should keep this up and not get drawn into professional mud-slinging.  This way they might finally be able to take the moral high ground that Apple have occupied for so long.

Comments invited.

Related posts:

1. What will Apple’s response be to Windows 7?
2. Microsoft’s Response To Windows 7 UAC Criticism
3. Windows 7 and OS X Comparison
4. Windows 7 Boot Speed Benchmark
5. Windows 7 Market Share Climbing
6. Microsoft Claim Windows 7 Will Be More Secure Than Linux And Leopard

Windows 7 News has been running for nearly 2 years, and is run jointly by myself and Martin.  The site has exceeded all our goals, and Windows 7 hasn’t even launched yet!  We’d like to thank you the readers for making the last 2 years so enjoyable.

We’ve since launched Windows 8 News which is growing nicely, and we’ve just launched our latest joint venture.  We both have always wanted to do a dedicated gadgets site, so we’ve launched Otaku Gadgets.

We’ve also recruited a great team of authors to help grow the site quickly, who are creating some great posts:

• Fancy A New Keyboard? Try These
• The Palm Pre: A Revolution In The Making?
• The iPhone 3GS: The ‘S’ Makes All The Difference
• Top 5 Places To Buy Unique (Geeky) T-Shirts

We hope that you’ll check ou Otaku Gadgets and help our new baby grow.  If you’re interested, here are some posts from other sites that Martin and I run:

Windows 8 News

• Unofficial Windows 8 Concept Video

One Tip A Day

• Turn Your Tweets Blu!
• Upload Files To Over 15 Online File Hosting Sites Simultaneously

gHacks

• Firefox 3.5 Portable
• Europe To Get Standard Phone Chargers

Related posts:

1. Run Gadgets In Windows 7 With Disabled UAC
2. Write For Windows 7 News
3. New Windows 7 Forum
4. Please Help Test Windows 7 News In Mobile Browsers
5. Mike Halsey joins Windows7News.com