“People who buy certain Windows personal computers this holiday season will be offered free or heavily discounted coupons to upgrade to Microsoft Corp.’s new operating system, Windows Vista, under a program designed to spur sales despite Vista’s delay, Microsoft says,” The Associated Press reports.
“Vista is currently scheduled to be released to consumers sometime in January, after numerous delays that forced the Redmond, Washington, software maker to push the launch date beyond the holiday season. It’s also scheduled to be released to big business clients in November, although exact launch dates for both versions haven’t been made public,” AP reports. “The coupon program begins Thursday and runs through mid-March, Microsoft said Tuesday. Particulars of the deal will vary depending on the computer maker and retailer.”
“Microsoft estimated it would have to defer about $1.5 billion in revenue from its fiscal second quarter, which ends December 31, to its fiscal third quarter ending March 31 because of the promotion. But the company said it would have no impact on its overall fiscal 2007 results,” AP reports. “Microsoft and computer makers have offered similar deals in the past to try to lure people to upgrade. The cost to upgrade or buy a new version of Vista at full retail price will range from $99.95 to $399, depending on the version.”
Full article here.
Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols writes for eWeek, “Vista is finally—we think—arriving shortly. But, which, if any, Vista is the one you should buy for your home or company?”
Vaughan-Nichols writes, “With six different versions, the potential for buying the wrong version for the job has just gone up. Buy too low and you don’t get the functionality you need. Or, buy too high, and you get some office ‘functionality,’ like the Game Performance Tweaker that you really don’t need.”
Vaughan-Nichols covers all of the Windows Vista versions and finds, “For home users, Home Premium is the Vista to buy. Business users should just buy Business Vista, and, unless Microsoft can come up with better reasons, avoid Enterprise. Oh, but before I go, let me add that the Linux and Mac desktops, are every bit as good now, if not better, than Vista will be tomorrow. So long as you’re seriously thinking about upgrading your PCs, you really should consider the non-Microsoft alternatives. You may just be surprised at how good they are these days.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: For our Windows-only visitors via Google News and elsewhere: Why continue on with an expensive ($399 for Vista Ultimate?!) operating system that is trying so desperately to be Apple’s Mac OS X? Most likely, you’re going to need a new computer to run Vista anyway. Why not use that money toward a new Mac instead? Install a copy of Windows XP on it via Apple’s free Boot Camp or Parallels US$79.99 Desktop for Mac. From what we see, you won’t be missing out on much by ignoring Windows Vista (some call it “Windows XP SP3”) and you’ll be gaining so much more with Apple’s virus-free Mac OS X and iLife applications running on elegant and inexpensive Intel-powered Apple hardware. Macs will run Vista, too, if you’re so inclined.
See:
The plight of the Windows sufferer prompts CNET Editor to suggest: Get a Mac – October 24, 2006
Development approaches of Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista yield very different results – August 15, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard sets new bar, leaves Microsoft’s Vista in the dust – August 08, 2006
Symantec researcher: At this time, there are no file-infecting viruses that can infect Mac OS X – July 13, 2006
Sophos: Apple Mac OS X’s security record unscathed; Windows Vista malware just a matter of time – July 07, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Analyst: Windows Vista may still impress many consumers because they have not seen Apple’s Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Now is the perfect time to consider trying something new (and you can still run your Windows applications, too)! At some point in your life, you’ve probably told someone, “You don’t know what you’re missing,” right? Well, we’re saying that to you today. Get a Mac! You deserve it. And the Mac community will be here to support your new adventure every step of the way. Why do we care what you use? Do it and you’ll find yourself telling people to “Get a Mac,” too. Switching from Windows PC to Mac really is a revelation.
Find out more about Mac OS X Tiger here: http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/
And Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard (coming spring 2007) here: http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/
Apple’s Intel-powered MacBook starts at just $1099. And, Apple’s Intel-powered iMac starts at only $999.
. Apple’s Mac mini starts at just $599
(For $200 more than a box of Vista Ultimate, you get a Mac, Mac OS X, iLife, and so much more)!
Don’t just take our word for it (we are MacDailyNews, after all). Check out the related articles below and see what independent reviewers have to say about the Mac and Mac OS X:
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple Mac mini desktop (6.5-inches square by 2-inches)
Apple Mac mini Core Duo: The fruit takes root in the living room – July 24, 2006
Mossberg: Apple’s new Mac mini ‘a solid addition to any entertainment center’ – March 09, 2006
PC Magazine review gives Apple Mac mini 4 out of 5 stars – March 08, 2006
Chicago Tribune: Apple’s new Intel-based Mac mini might make you switch from Windows – March 07, 2006
Mac mini 6-button remote, Front Row typify Apple’s ‘sophisticated simplicity’ strategy – March 06, 2006
Reader report: 1080p 24fps playback on Mac mini Core Duo plays fine – March 03, 2006
Apple’s new Mac mini a HDTV media center in disguise? – March 01, 2006
Apple’s new Mac mini: perfect for HDTV – March 01, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac mini ‘a good first step into the living room’ – February 28, 2006
Apple introduces new Intel-based Mac mini – February 28, 2006
Apple iMac desktop
Digital Trends Review: Apple iMac 17-inch Core Duo ‘silent, beautiful, very fast and reliable’ – July 12, 2006
Seattle Times: Apple iMac is ‘so beautiful with its simple, yet elegant design’ – July 08, 2006
Wired names best media center: Apple 20-inch iMac with Front Row – June 08, 2006
Review: Apple’s new iMac Core Duo ‘an outstanding feat of engineering, a high-precision instrument’ – February 16, 2006
Apple iMac the finest, most reliable, stable, elegant and intuitive personal computer available – February 14, 2006
Review: Apple 20-inch iMac Core Duo 2.0GHz – February 06, 2006
BusinessWeek: Apple’s new iMac Core Duo is an iMac on Steroids – February 02, 2006
Thurrott: ‘I highly recommend Apple’s new Intel-based iMac’ – January 31, 2006
Thurrott: ‘Nothing on Windows approaches the quality of Apple’s iLife ’06’ – January 31, 2006
Computerworld: Apple’s MacBook Pro ‘fast, really fast – looks like a real winner’ – January 28, 2006
InfoWorld: Apple perfects the desktop personal computer with new iMac Core Duo – January 25, 2006
PC Magazine review gives Apple iMac Intel Core Duo 4.5 out of 5 stars – January 20, 2006
Mossberg: New Intel-based iMac the best consumer desktop with the best OS and best software bundle – January 18, 2006
Apple MacBook notebook
The Seattle Times: Apple Macbook is best computer for school – August 26, 2006
PC Advisor: Apple MacBook ‘a terrific piece of hardware, quite a product’ – July 31, 2006
Apple 13-Inch MacBook benchmarked: it’s fast – July 24, 2006
Washington Times: If you want a stylish, great, capable portable, buy an Apple MacBook – July 18, 2006
AP: Apple’s MacBook should give makers of Windows-only notebooks nightmares – July 07, 2006
Boston Herald: Apple MacBook superior to iBook predecessor in every way – July 03, 2006
MSNBC’s Krakow: Apple’s MacBook ‘the best notebook computer I’ve ever used’ – June 28, 2006
The Washington Times: Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook ‘is one powerful, affordable Mac portable’ – June 23, 2006
IT Business Net reviews Apple 13-inch MacBook: ‘Insanely great value, Strong Buy recommendation’ – June 13, 2006
Computeract!ve: Apple MacBook ‘the best of both worlds’ – 5 out of 5 stars – June 13, 2006
Washington Post: Apple MacBook leaves iBook in the dust – June 11, 2006
Mossberg: Apple’s new MacBook surprisingly inexpensive, offers vastly superior Mac OS X – June 08, 2006
Time Magazine on Apple’s 13-inch MacBook: ‘Dell and HP should be very worried’ – June 07, 2006
Thurrott: Look at Apple’s MacBook and ‘you might just find your perfect notebook’ – May 31, 2006
Personal Computer World review: Apple MacBook – May 22, 2006
Amazon offers US$100 and $150 rebates on Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro models – May 22, 2006
Ars Technica reviews Apple MacBook – May 19, 2006
iTWire’s Beer: My next notebook is an Apple MacBook – May 18, 2006
Analyst: MacBooks are best consumer notebooks Apple has created, sure to be big winners – May 18, 2006
Apple’s new MacBooks are mobile HDTV media centers – May 17, 2006
PC World: Hands on with Apple’s new black MacBook running Mac OS X and Windows – May 17, 2006
Apple MacBook Pro notebook
BusinessWeek: Apple MacBook Pro ‘one of the very best notebooks on the market’ – June 09, 2006
Windows expert weighs in on Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro – June 07, 2006
Washington Times: Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro the ‘who’s-your-daddy’ of notebooks – June 06, 2006
CNET review: Apple’s 17-inch MacBook Pro is a dream (CNET rating: 7.3 out of 10) – June 03, 2006
PC Magazine: Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro: ‘offers virtually everything a user needs’ – May 26, 2006
Detroit Free Press’ Wendland: Apple MacBook Pro ‘the finest portable computer I have ever owned’ – March 14, 2006
Fortune: Apple improves what were already two of best computers on planet with iMac, MacBook Pro – March 14, 2006
Seattle Times: Apple’s MacBook Pro ‘delivers the Mac experience with speed and potential to spare’ – March 11, 2006
AP: Apple shines with MacBook Pro – ‘fast with decent battery life’ – March 11, 2006
Apple’s MacBook Pro ‘leaps a generation beyond PowerBooks’ – March 08, 2006
Boston Herald: Apple MacBook Pro ‘contender for best notebook on market, comes with a superior OS’ – March 06, 2006
Time Magazine’s Gadget of the Week: Apple MacBook Pro – March 06, 2006
PC Magazine review gives Apple MacBook Pro 4 out of 5 stars – March 03, 2006
Ars Technica: Apple MacBook Pro ‘an extremely solid machine, an important step forward’ – March 02, 2006
Mossberg: Apple’s MacBook Pro gives users a ‘much better OS with vastly better built-in software’ – March 02, 2006
New York Times’ Pogue: Apples MacBook Pro a ‘beautifully engineered, forward-thinking laptop’ – March 01, 2006
Apple MacBook Pro a ‘drop-dead gorgeous laptop’ – February 27, 2006
Computerworld: Apple’s MacBook Pro ‘fast, really fast – looks like a real winner’ – January 28, 2006
Apple Mac Pro desktop
MSNBC: Apple Mac Pro is the ultimate desktop computer – August 28, 2006
Apple Retail Stores can build-to-order customized Mac Pros on site – August 26, 2006
Computerworld hands on: Apple’s new Mac Pro is ‘one screamer’ – August 18, 2006
Dell cannot compete with Apple’s new Mac Pro price or feature set – August 15, 2006
Ars Technica reviews Apple Mac Pro Quad Xeon 64-bit workstation – August 11, 2006
Apple Mac Pro with/ 20” Cinema Display less expensive than Dell Precision 690 sans monitor – August 10, 2006
Apple unveils new ‘Mac Pro’ featuring quad 64-bit Intel Xeon processors – August 07, 2006
And unlike the kluge that is MS’s distribution strategy, you can get all the functionality plus more for only $129 upgrades. You won’t find OS X Tiger Hobbled Edition..
…like the Game Performance Tweaker that you really don’t need.
Couldn’t they have come up with a sleeker name? And aren’t the majority of Windows consumers corporations anyway? I can’t imagine consulting my clients on how to disable the Game Performance Tweaker that keeps interfering with their Office apps.
Hey, someone on the street sold me the “Three Legged, Crippled and Blind Tiger” edition last year! That’s not a legit copy?!?!
this is one of many stupid MS ideas. why complicate things so much? can’t you just produce one product that meets everyone’s needs? apple does it with less money and fewer employees.
You know, every time I’m ready to flame MS for aggravated lameness, I look at my brokerage account and see how my AAPL shares are doing..
Three cheers for Ballmer and company! Keep up the great work, guys! How about implementing a pre-licensing scheme that requires a ZOON and an Xbox to activate the coupon which is redeemable in ten years, unless Vista actually ships before that?
-jcr
“The coupon program begins Thursday and runs through mid-March, Microsoft said Tuesday.”
So in reality, Vista isn’t going to ship until April..
Linux?????? That’s some serious bad advice. At least he got the Mac part right.
from TFA: buy too high, and you get some office ‘functionality,’ like the Game Performance Tweaker that you really don’t need.
is my sarcasm detector broken, or does this make no sense at all?
JadisOne, the original name was Game Playin’ Fixer Upper, but Microsoft decided that one didn’t work too well. “Tweaker” is a much more professional sounding term, don’t you think?
I see that Microsoft have to offer discounts on software before it is even released!!
Surely if the software was good enough, people would buy at full price as soon as it is released?
“And, Apple’s Intel-powered iMac starts at only $1299.”
iMac 17″ is now $999!
mike… So funny. I think my sarcasm detector was broken for not picking up on that. You might have fixed my detector.
Both Windows and republicans going down the tubes.
What a year!
MW_ “shown”, as in “G.W. Bush as shown himself to be the model for Mad Magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman”.
Up to $399 for the OS, not including $50 for AV, plus, don’t forget, you can only move it to another box ONE TIME over the life of the product, which could easily be 5 years or more. For do it yourselfers-Yikes!
Always Right….I agree…what a year and its going to get better. Just read an article that people in West Texas thought Bush appeared to be too much of an intellectual when he first started running for an elected post in Texas. Now THAT is a scary thought and I never plan on driving through that area again.
So long thread. We hardly knew you …
Thanks for nothing Always Right
Please you purchase my CD. no?
http://www.amazon.com/Borat-Cultural-Learnings-Glorious-Kazakhstan/dp/B000IHYWCC/ref=sr_11_1/002-6250209-8000842?ie=UTF8
iMac starts at $1299?? Its starts at $999 remember…?
My pleasure. Been kind of boring around here.
re: “Tweaker”;
See, that there is just how are president would call it.
“I’m a Uniter, not a Divider”.
“A masterbater, not a fornicater”
“The gubment’s ‘puter’s have TWEAKERS, not “fixer uppers”.
Always Right…
Shouldn’t you be posting on Stuart Smalley’s board or something instead of bugging us here? Get a life dipsh*t…
They will have to give away the consumer version of Vista to compete with Apple.
The problem with these garden variety MSM-regurgitators is that they think that anyone cares about their politics; they are so wholly derivative in content and utterly unoriginal in presentation that all they can do is parrot what ABCCBSNBC has told them on unrelated news sites. Amazing. It’s the political equivalent of the nude protest or the pie throwing.
I can’t really say I’d recommend Linux to the “average” home user. It’s not quite a turn-key option at this point, although it has made incredible strides in the past two years.
Anyone contemplating upgrading their whole system just to get Vista should do themselves a HUGE favor and get a Mac mini, plug it into their existing monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and be done with Windows hassles forever. You will have the most advanced OS on the planet pre-installed, iLife apps, and will be completely virus/malware free. And if you MUST, you can still run Windows on it as well.
You just saved yourself about 2 grand.
Your welcome.
Well, one nice thing is that Microsoft is at least giving out coupons. Buy your Vista-compatible PC now and they’ll give you Vista for $20.
Come late March, you’ll have people buying a new Mac with 10.4 and then have to shell out $129 for 10.5, if they want the latest.
Heck, I wouldn’t mind Apple doing some Leopard Coupons for people who buy Macs a month-or-so before it’s release.
Vista, the bastard stepchild of OS X Tiger, which is soon to be obsolete.
Micro$oft. How Do You Want To Crash Today? ®