Windows 7 availability and launch-day pricing examined

Software

Published: Thursday 22nd October, 2009 | Author: Tarinder Sandhu
Companies: Microsoft (All Microsoft content)

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Retail version

Unless you've been living under a large rock for most of 2009, it won't have escaped your attention that Microsoft is launching Windows 7 today. We've looked at deployment, user interface, media interface, networking and security, and applications. Now we turn our attention to pricing.

Correct as of 13:20 on October 22, 2009, here's the current pricing of the three consumer editions (64-bit) - Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate - at seven UK etailers.

Full-retail edition

Windows Edition/etailer	Home Premium	Professional	Ultimate

Scan	£75.98	£170.24	£174.88
Dabs	£114.98	£160.98	£169.03
Ebuyer	£81.34	£148.00	£154.13
PC World	£99.99	£147.99	£159.99
Amazon	£114.98	£148.00	£159.99
Novatech	£141.42	N/A	£159.67
CCL Online	£78.99	£157.45	£169.95

For users requiring a clean-install Windows 7, launch-day pricing varies considerably for the Home Premium pack. A far cry from the £45 that some, including yours truly, paid a few months ago on pre-order, there are no standout bargains right now - at least from these (r)etailers.

Scan and CCL Online's pricing is good for Home Premium, and most etailers report having plentiful stock. A few are selling a three-license Family Pack for £129.99, we note.

Professional and Ultimate editions are priced far more consistently. Stock of Professional is reasonable, but a few etailers are pointing to week-long lead times for the Ultimate edition.

Don't need the full-retail box for a clean install?

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