Windows 7 Upgrades to Come at Cheaper Prices

Until July 3, consumers will be able to take advantage of a limited promotion from Microsoft that offers discounts on upgrades within the Windows 7 operating system.  Those in the market for a new PC will have the option to choose to upgrade whatever version of Windows 7 comes standard on the PC to a more advanced version.  Not only is the option to upgrade at the time of purchase a nice plus, but that option will also come at a reduced price when compared to the past. 

Several retailers will be participating in the promotion, which will cover two specific upgrades.  The first upgrade will offer consumers the chance to move from Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium.  This option will most likely affect those in the market for netbooks, as most come with Windows 7 Starter already installed.  This upgrade will cost $49, which is reduced from the previous cost of $79.  That is quite a substantial markdown that should attract many. 

The second upgrade will offer consumers the chance to move from Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional.  This would affect many in the market for a desktop or conventional laptop, as many come with Windows 7 Home Premium pre-installed.  The cost for this upgrade is $79.  That is reduced from the previous cost of $89.  It certainly is not as much of a discount as seen in the Starter to Home Premium upgrade, but it is a discount nonetheless.  Of course, not all retailers will be offering these promotions, so your mileage may vary.

You may be wondering how much hassle is involved in making these upgrades on new machines.  In actuality, it's not much of a hassle at all.  The transition is an easy one, since computers running any Windows 7 platform are actually upgrade-ready.  Thanks to the Windows Anytime Upgrade feature, computers running Windows 7 have the built-in capabilities to elevate to the highest level of Windows 7: Windows 7 Ultimate.  All of the components and features of Windows 7 Ultimate and other advanced versions are available, just in a latent stage.  Once upgraded via a new code that is purchased, these new features can be unlocked.  All of this can be done in as little as ten minutes, too. 

There is little doubt that if many consumers were aware of this ease in upgrade that they would have taken advantage of it.  Perhaps Microsoft was a little lax in its marketing efforts.  This new Windows 7 promotion should help in spiking sales, though.  For more on this Microsoft promotion, visit: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20001660-56.html