RSSCompUSA to Sell Vista November 30
By Nate Mook and Scott M. Fulton, III | Published November 13, 2006, 5:34 PM
Small businesses looking to get an early start on upgrading to Windows Vista won't need to wait until the new operating system's late January 2007 launch after all. Microsoft has partnered with CompUSA to sell a special kit containing Vista Business and Office 2007 Small Business.
The Small Business Value Program Kit is designed for those needing five or more licenses of the two products. It won't contain any actual software, however, as Microsoft is still in the process of preparing retail packaging for January. Instead, it will contain an activation code and instructions for downloading Vista and Office 2007 from the Web.
Previously, Microsoft announced November 30 availability of Windows Vista and Office 2007 for its volume licensing customers. The company says that because more than 50 percent of small businesses shop at retail stores for their software, it decided to extend its Open Business and Open Value offerings -- which include the kit -- to CompUSA customers.
The initiative will be expanded to additional brick-and-mortar retailers beginning next year.
Microsoft didn't announce pricing, but said the program "enables small organizations to gain significant savings from the estimated retail prices of full packaged Microsoft products." Those businesses can also sign up for Software Assurance, Microsoft's program to provide support and updates over a certain period of time.
Subscribers to the company’s MSDN developers’ network, meanwhile, were informed this morning that the final edition of Office 2007 is now available for download.
Subscribers at the Premium level will be eligible to download Office 2007 and receive product keys from MSDN. Premium subscriptions are the company’s new top-tier, replacing Enterprise and Universal, and individual subscribers can pay as much as $2,500 for a two-year term. Thus, it’s not like these folks are getting something for free – they're just getting it earlier than most.
A notice from MSDN Subscriptions Program Manager Seth Adams this morning advised subscribers that the final edition of Windows Vista will also be made available this coming Friday. Vista should be available for Professional tier subscribers, who pay $1,199 for new two-year terms, and subscribers to the Microsoft Operating Systems program, whose fee is $699.
Licenses obtained during these terms are perpetual, meaning they don’t expire at the end of the subscription.
I run 2 small businesses when not working on my 9 to 5 Job. My wife and I have 3 machines we run constantly. I MIGHT be willing to purchase licenses, if it were worth my while. I would consider it if I could get office 2007 with VISTA Ultimate edition.
It would have been nice to buy Vista ultimate to celebrate Christmas with. However the incredible LOSERS who develop the software sent a message that 6 long years was not enough time to develop an operating system. A product where multiple features were left on the cutting room floor. Yes, I have been following VISTA a long time.
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Just a note to those interested in being legal:
Before you go out and spend the 699 to get a Microsoft Operating Systems membership on MSDN, you should know that the license is only good for testing and development. You are NOT authorized to use any of the downloaded operating systems, including Vista, for production.
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Before you go out and spend the 699 to get a Microsoft Operating Systems membership on MSDN...
...consider the $400 subscription to MS Action Pack. ;)
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No one will know how much it cost if they buy it there.
If you can figure out that CompUSA Price tag system (Usually 6 Numbers... Plus, nothing on the shelf is where it's supposed to be)
I worked there for 6 Months back in 1996, was the WORST job of my life. People (Customers) seriously would come in looking for fights.
Now it is more common, I had a guy back in 1996 ask me for a Floppy Drive, when I showed him where they were he told me "This won't fit". I said "Of course it will, it's standard". Then he mentioned he had a laptop, so which I said we could probably special order it for him. He insisted that we could not and refused to give me the make / model. After about 5 minutes of asking he said:
"You can't order the Floppy because I built (From Scratch) the Laptop".
To which I replied:
"Where did you find a case???"
The only reasons I go to CompUSA is if I have no other outlet to find the part I am looking for, or I simply want to wait in line for 45 minutes because they always seem to only have one cashier.
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compusa is so corrupt its no wonder they are getting first dibs.. im kinda glad they closed up here in syracuse, they lie to everyone trying to sell them the highest price apple laptop when all the user wants is windows and internet.. they told my friend you need this $2000 apple to use windows xp.. i made him take it back and get a $800 laptop that had jus ta athlon xp and it ran windows faster!
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Hmm... Where can I get a copy of this, lilmegsz??? =) Hook it up!
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i downloaded mine from usenet. it even has a crack! works perfect and sweet! dont even run a virus scanner cos no viruses can get through lol
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the crack right now only allows access to the operating system til the date of june 2007. yes it's the full version, but the crack makes it think that it's the evaluation version so you only get half a year out of it. wait til theres a better crack.
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LOL @ Plague201, "We have access to it now..."
Pirated version, yeppers, lmao, MS says NOT to mess with it regardless of what you hear :)
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Like MS is going to tell you "It's okay, go ahead and run it."?
Shya....
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$699 for any amount of time, in order to have access to any version of Windows is a darn good deal.
Looks like I know what my graduation present will be to myself :-)
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Has anyone encountered any small businesses that plan to make an early switch to Vista? I think business adoption of Vista is going to be slower than existing home users.
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I think business will adopt this quicker than home user. My only reason is the building security. I find it very annoying, however, it will keep the idiots from destroy the OS (like d/l virus and malware).
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I would have to disagree. Small business aren't aware of security issues - hell, most don't even backup. I can't see many of them opting to spend a small fortune upgrading the OS on their aging machines. Many small businesses are still running 9x versions of Windows, why would they be in a rush to do Vista if they didn't pick up XP in last 5 years?
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Hell, there are still a lot of small businesses that refused to adopt XP and are still on Win2k.
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I know of two who are currently using 2k who have skipped XP with the sole intent of hitting the next version.
Not exactly sure on the dates, I don't believe they intend to migrate the day it is released, but I doubt they'll wait too terribly long.
This works out well for them, because they will be replacing their computers at the same time. Makes sense to kill 2 birds with one stone.
My company, OTOH, is sticking with XP for a while, though we will be upgrading to Office 2007 shortly having skipped the 2003 cycle to hit this version.
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Damn Nov 30? We have access to it now...
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