Microsoft let the cat out of the bag early last week by revealing that its forthcoming operating system should be in stores for Christmas '09.
That revelation, it seems, has opened the door for others as Windows enthusiast-and-blogger Paul Thurrot has now added that "you'll be able to get the final version of Windows 7 publicly on October 15, 2009."
That's about as specific as it gets, and Thurrot - working, presumably, from a Microsoft-provided schedule - seems to believe the date is set in stone and suggests that would-be buyers can begin to mark their calendars. There's still no official word from Microsoft, we should add, but Thurrot's Windows 7 insight has a solid track record.
So, with Microsoft's next major release just 150 days away, will you be planning a day-one purchase? Maybe not, according to Dell marketing executive Darrel Ward.
Speaking in an interview, Ward suggests that although demand for the multiple editions of Windows 7 is greater than that of previous Microsoft releases, "the ASPs (average selling price) of the operating systems are higher than they were for Vista and XP".
Suggesting that higher prices in tough economic times could be naive on Microsoft's part, he adds "I can tell you that the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista".
The news may come as a surprise to customers expecting a low-cost upgrade to the much-maligned Windows Vista, and the supposedly-rising prices will also apply to business users with Windows 7 Professional expected to be more costly than Windows Vista Business.
Microsoft has thus far remained tight-lipped in regards to Windows 7 pricing, but it appears Redmond's flagship operating system won't come cheap.
HEXUS.net - News :: Microsoft Windows 7 to launch on October 15, 2009 : Page - 1/1
That revelation, it seems, has opened the door for others as Windows enthusiast-and-blogger Paul Thurrot has now added that "you'll be able to get the final version of Windows 7 publicly on October 15, 2009."
That's about as specific as it gets, and Thurrot - working, presumably, from a Microsoft-provided schedule - seems to believe the date is set in stone and suggests that would-be buyers can begin to mark their calendars. There's still no official word from Microsoft, we should add, but Thurrot's Windows 7 insight has a solid track record.
So, with Microsoft's next major release just 150 days away, will you be planning a day-one purchase? Maybe not, according to Dell marketing executive Darrel Ward.
Speaking in an interview, Ward suggests that although demand for the multiple editions of Windows 7 is greater than that of previous Microsoft releases, "the ASPs (average selling price) of the operating systems are higher than they were for Vista and XP".
Suggesting that higher prices in tough economic times could be naive on Microsoft's part, he adds "I can tell you that the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista".
The news may come as a surprise to customers expecting a low-cost upgrade to the much-maligned Windows Vista, and the supposedly-rising prices will also apply to business users with Windows 7 Professional expected to be more costly than Windows Vista Business.
Microsoft has thus far remained tight-lipped in regards to Windows 7 pricing, but it appears Redmond's flagship operating system won't come cheap.
HEXUS.net - News :: Microsoft Windows 7 to launch on October 15, 2009 : Page - 1/1
