Microsoft Windows Vista goes on sale at Amazon
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Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc.   has started taking early orders for Microsoft Corp.'s   Windows Vista operating system at prices ranging from  $100 to $399.
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(InfoWorld) - PCs running Microsoft'sÂ new Windows Vista operating systemÂ got a cool response from consumers in Japan during their first month on sale, according to data published Tuesday. Sales of desktop and laptop computers from brand-name makers in February were 1.2 percent higher than the same month in 2006, said BCN. The company came up with its figure after analyzing point-of-sales system data from about 560 specialist PC and electronics shops that are part of 12 retail chains. The entire market was up 6 percent thanks to better demand for white-box PCs made by computer stores and for motherboards. The jump in the brand-market was smaller than expected by market watchers, who thought the launch of the long-awaited operating system on Jan. 30 would give the PC market more of a kick. Better sales had been expected in part because consumers had shown a lack of interest in new PCs in the months prior to Vista's launch. In October, sales were down 21 percent compared to the previous year. In November, they were 22 percent lower, in December 19 percent down and in January 14 percent below the same month in 2006. The little strength there was in the brand-name market came from increased sales of laptops, sales of which were up 9.3 percent on a unit basis for the month, said BCN. The desktop sector was down 13.8 percent on the year. Despite the apparently lackluster response from Japanese consumers, Microsoft and two major PC makers have in the last 24 hours given the Vista launch votes of confidence. "We're actually pretty happy with how the launch has gone so far," said Darren Huston, president and CEO of Microsoft's Japan unit, at a news conference on Monday. The same day Walt Mayo, corporate director of Dell Japan's home and business sales division, said in an interview that the Vista launch has been "good overall." On Tuesday Richard Walker, head of Hewlett Packard's consumer PC division, said sales of Vista PCs were "strong" in the global market. He didn't have any data specific to the Japanese market. "We're definitely ahead of our plan as far as Vista is concerned," he said. Among Vista sales demand for the premium versions has been greater than anticipated, said Microsoft's Huston. "That was actually a good, positive surprise for us," he said.
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Forget the people lining up at Best Buy to get Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system. The real selling took place yesterday in a packed ballroom at the Washington Hilton, where more than 3,000 people from local companies and government agencies gathered to catch a glimpse of the new software....
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Microsoft on Friday made available to the public a pre-release version of Windows Vista SP1. We want to know what you think.
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By Ken Dey, The Idaho Statesman, Boise  Jan. 31--The long-awaited Microsoft Vista operating system went on sale Tuesday to consumers nationwide.
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Although Windows Vista has been on sale for nearly nine months, Microsoft has yet to seriously market the operating system, letting a certain rival control public mind share on a number of fronts. That's all about to change, as the Redmond company attempts to make Vista more compelling to consumers.
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Microsoft Corp. will charge $239 for the version of the Windows Vista operating system it hopes most consumers will buy, according to prices listed on Internet retailer Amazon.com's Web site.
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Microsoft has given the go ahead for users to buy the low-cost OEM copies of Windows Vista now appearing on sites like Newegg.com; however, they would be expected to adhere to the licensing terms just like any other computer manufacturer.
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At his Sunday-evening CES keynote, Bill Gates announced that Microsoft has sold more than 100 million Vista licenses so far. The number requires some elucidation.
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Listings on Amazon.com hint at possible pricing and release info for Microsoft's next edition of Windows. Plus: Upcoming.org adds Yahoo Local events. In Monkey Bites.
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(InfoWorld) - Microsoft on Tuesday released the pricing for Windows Vista, about a week after online retailer Amazon.com disclosed the OS's pricing on its Web site. The company also expanded the tester base of Vista to about 5 million users as it begins gearing up for Windows Vista's widespread release, which is scheduled for early next year. Microsoft's suggested retail pricing for Windows Vista is as follows: $399 for Windows Vista Ultimate, $299 for Windows Vista Business, $239 for Windows Vista Home Premium, and $199 for Windows Vista Home Basic. Upgrades to Windows Vista from XP are $259 for Windows Vista Ultimate, $199 for Windows Vista Home Premium and $99 for Windows Vista Home Basic. The prices are the same as the onesÂ listed on Amazon.com's Web site last week, except the online retailer listed an upgrade for Vista Home Basic as $0.95 more. Amazon.com is already taking pre-orders for Vista, and lists on its Web site that the OS will be available on Jan. 30, 2007. Microsoft has not given a firm date for Vista's release, but is targeting sometime in January for the OS's general release. On Friday Microsoft made available Release Candidate 1 (RC1) of Windows Vista, which means the OS is in its final testing phases. The release was initially made available only to about 15,000 users who are in Microsoft's TechBeta and Technology Adoption Program (TAP) program, but on Tuesday the company expanded that release to members of the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program. The company also will post Windows Vista RC1 to its Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) and TechNet Web sites so subscribers of those programs can download it. The company said that about 5 million users worldwide will have access to RC1 as Windows Vista goes through its final testing. Windows Vista's release has been delayed several times, and industry and financial analysts have said they think the release will slip even further into 2007. However, analysts Tuesday said the release of RC1 and Vista's pricing are positive signs the company could be on track to release the OS on time.
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Microsoft Corp. unveiled a new line of computer peripherals, including a $250 wireless keyboard and mouse that are compatible with its upcoming Windows Vista operating system.
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The software maker's Canadian Web site briefly posts prices for Windows Vista's many editions.
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Last night at midnight, Microsoft put its latest successor on sale.
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(InfoWorld) - AfterÂ several delays, it appears Microsoft may get theÂ next generation of its Windows operating system to customers according to its current schedule. As was expected, the company made Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 available on Friday, which means the OS is in its final round of bug fixes and tweaks before it will be ready for release to the general public. Windows Vista RC1 is available to TechBeta and Technology Adoption Program (TAP) program subscribers Friday, but MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) and TechNet subscribers won't get the OS until next week, Microsoft said. Microsoft has said since March that Vista will be available to business users in November and consumers in January 2006. With the last major upgrade to Windows, Windows XP, it was about two months between RC1 and the product's release to manufacturing. If Vista follows a similar schedule, with RC1 out Friday, the release to manufacturing -- and a release to business customers -- could happen as soon as early November. OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) typically need about six weeks to get the OS installed and tested on PCs before putting those machines on the market. If Windows Vista makes it to manufacturing by the end of November, it could hit its January release date for consumers. Online retailer Amazon.com isÂ already taking pre-orders for Vista, and has listed availability of the OS as Jan. 30, 2007 on its Web site. In a letter to TechBeta subscribers on Friday, Jim Allchin, Microsoft co-president of the Platforms and Services Group, thanked them for their support and feedback, and mentioned several improvements to the OS that have been made since Beta 2 was released in May. "Weâve made some UI [user interface] adjustments, added more device drivers and enhanced performance," Allchin wrote in the letter. He added that Microsoft will continue to work on Vista's "application compatibility, as well as fit and finish" until its release to manufacturing, which is yet to be determined. Allchin also advised ISVs (independent software vendors) to use RC1 to certify its applications to run on Windows Vista, and asked for more feedback from testers to improve the OS before its final release. "Windows Vista is going to touch hundreds of millions of lives all around the world," he wrote. "Thanks for everything youâre doing to help us give them the best experience possible." Allchin's letter is available on theÂ Windows Vista team blog .
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(InfoWorld) - In an effort to simplify the distribution of Windows Vista and make it easier for customers to upgrade, Microsoft Corp. will include the various retail versions of the OS on one DVD instead of having separate DVDs for each Vista edition. In the past, Microsoft distributed each version of the Windows client OS on its own disk. However, in a move it is calling "Windows Anytime Upgrade" -- which cuts costs for Microsoft as well as making it easier for customers to upgrade -- the version of Windows Vista that a customer buys will be activated by his or her product key and will be on a disk with the other editions of the OS. For example, if a customer buys Windows Vista Home Premium from a retail store, he or she will get a DVD that also includes Windows Vista Ultimate, but the product key for the purchase will only activate Home Premium and its features and functionality, said Mike Burk, a Microsoft spokesman. "With Windows Anytime Upgrade, the idea is to provide customers with the most convenient user experience possible by enabling them to more easily and directly upgrade to a higher edition of Windows Vista from within their current edition," he said. Consumers will have their choice of several versions of Windows Vista when it becomes available, which is scheduled for January 2007: Windows Vista Ultimate, which will cost US$399; Windows Vista Business, which will cost $299; Windows Vista Home Premium, which will cost $239; and Windows Vista Home Basic, which will cost $199. Microsoft has said it plans to urge customers to purchase premium versions of Vista in favor of Windows Vista Home Basic, the entry-level version for U.S. consumers.
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This morning, BetaNews FileForum was alerted to the availability of the latest release candidate for Windows Vista Service Pack 1, just released from Microsoft.