OSNews: http://www.osnews.com/story/21770/Microsoft_To_Offer_Family_Pack_for_Windows_7_Home_Premium Exploring the Future of Computing en-us Copyright 2001-2009, David Adams adam+nospam@osnews.com Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:33:08 GMT http://www.osnews.com/images/osnews.gif OSNews.com http://www.osnews.com It's about time!! http://osnews.com/thread?371415 http://osnews.com/thread?371415 The subject says it all. This is something Microsoft has needed to do for years and years now, ever since Windows 95 hit the streets. I think they should consider doing the same for Microsoft Office. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:55:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (cmost) Comments RE: It's about time!! http://osnews.com/thread?371421 http://osnews.com/thread?371421 I agree. The prices for Windows 7 are way too high for what you're getting over Vista. Don't get me wrong, I love 7 and have no problem paying for a license but the price has to be reasonable.

With the price of computers these days, the operating system seems to be the most expensive part which is crazy.

I think Microsoft should sell the Home Premium for $100 and no more. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:15:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (daedliusswartz) Comments RE: It's about time!! http://osnews.com/thread?371427 http://osnews.com/thread?371427
I think they should consider doing the same for Microsoft Office.


they do it already with the home and student edition of office 2k7 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:50:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (smashIt) Comments RE[2]: It's about time!! http://osnews.com/thread?371546 http://osnews.com/thread?371546
I agree. The prices for Windows 7 are way too high for what you're getting over Vista. Don't get me wrong, I love 7 and have no problem paying for a license but the price has to be reasonable.

With the price of computers these days, the operating system seems to be the most expensive part which is crazy.

I think Microsoft should sell the Home Premium for $100 and no more.


For me the price isn't too bad but for the average person on NZ$40,000 (before tax) per year with 2 kids and a mortgage, that is a heck of alot of money. The one thing that always struck me was just how out of touch companies are with their customer base; this goes for all areas and not just software. I really wonder whether these companies have studied their demographics and take into account just how much (or how little) disposable income the average person has.

Take Windows Vista Ultimate, when it was released in New Zealand it was priced equal to that of 2 weeks salary, the Home Premium didn't fare much better either. Couple the high price with the the buggy nature of the operating system, are any here surprised that someone on the average income aren't going to shell out cash for something that is equal to at least a weeks pay?

Like I said, Ballmer and his millions seems to have lost touch with what Joe and Jane Average can and can't afford; too much private jets and fancy parties have insulated him from the realities of his user base. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:08:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (kaiwai) Comments there are alternatives http://osnews.com/thread?371574 http://osnews.com/thread?371574 You know.. there are alternatives to Windows and Office.

I don't understand why people complain about why Macs are sooo expensive, when upgrading a Windows OS can cost as much as another whole PC. Microsoft should be ashamed to charge as much as they do for upgrades. But what do you expect from corporations these days..

Skip buying Windows7 and Microsoft Office. Instead, take that money and buy yourself a brand new PC and install Linux.

Come on, wake up people. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:05:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (lqsh) Comments RE[2]: It's about time!! http://osnews.com/thread?371575 http://osnews.com/thread?371575 I agree and I refuse to pay for a Windows upgrade.

Maybe I'll go buy a nice GPS or iPhone (insert other toys here), now that I've freed up my Windows OS upgrade fund. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:08:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (lqsh) Comments RE: there are alternatives http://osnews.com/thread?371587 http://osnews.com/thread?371587
take that money and buy yourself a brand new PC and install Linux.

Come on, wake up people.

If they're going the Linux route they probably wouldn't even need a new PC. Still, that isn't likely to happen unless someone introduces the average person to Linux and sets it up for them--be it someone they know, an OEM, or whatever. Otherwise, most people don't even know what "that Linux thingy" is or what it does, some of them still think Windows *is* the computer and the big blue E is the internet.
Obviously, this doesn't cover the situations where Linux just wouldn't fill the required need, but I'd say most people that applies to already know that... well, except for some of the casual gamers perhaps. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:16:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (darknexus) Comments RE[3]: It's about time!! http://osnews.com/thread?371595 http://osnews.com/thread?371595 The average person doesn't really upgrade their OS, they just buy a new computer, and the OS becomes part of the total cost. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:51:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (google_ninja) Comments RE[3]: It's about time!! http://osnews.com/thread?371597 http://osnews.com/thread?371597 I agree. In fact I've never paid to upgrade the OS on a computer; the only time I purchase an OS is for a new build.

Something else that's hard to swallow, building a budget-priced system and have the operating system be the single-most expensive item. Especially disheartening, knowing that large-scale commercial OEMs buy copies of XP for one-fifth the price that us home hobbiests are stuck with. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:55:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Bobthearch) Comments Comment by Flatland_Spider http://osnews.com/thread?371620 http://osnews.com/thread?371620 If I buy Ultimate, can I get a five pack of licenses and a six month MSDN subscription? ;) Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:48:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (Flatland_Spider) Comments They can offer botulism in a family pack http://osnews.com/thread?371652 http://osnews.com/thread?371652 and I'd be equally tempted... Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:15:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (yakirz) Comments RE: They can offer botulism in a family pack http://osnews.com/thread?371847 http://osnews.com/thread?371847 Yeah, I'm not all that impressed with it either... but I bet most people who are using Vista will be tempted by it. It is better than Vista... not that this says all that much. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:47:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (darknexus) Comments This is family abuse http://osnews.com/thread?371929 http://osnews.com/thread?371929 The Microsoft Mafia Vista 7 "Family Pack" will cause much suffering.

Windows 7 Failure Log. The Crash of Vista 2.0:

"Windows 7 is Vista 2.0 and will follow Vista into oblivion because Microsoft's development method is broken and their business model has been discredited. Windows 7 is mostly a name change that inherits all the technical and ethical problems of Vista"

http://slashdot.org/~twitter/journal/215957

XP Mode in Vista 7 is a scam -

"Microsoft is conducting a very carefully crafted PR campaign to make Windows 7 seem less broken than the Broken OS (Vista / Me II), but it isn't "

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/975/1051975/xp-mode-window...

The Vista 7 Hype Log -

"It's one thing for Microsoft to make this stuff up, it's another for it all be reported so uncritically by a press corps that's been lied to repeatedly. This kind of stuff has destroyed the reputation of the Wintel press. Vista should have been their last hurrah, but they are at it again"

http://slashdot.org/~twitter/journal/216759

Why Linux is Better -

http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/

Get Linux without having to purchase a Windows license! -

http://linuxpreloaded.com/ Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:11:00 GMT donotreply@osnews.com (AstralKnight) Comments