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Windows Vista Prices Discovered

Microsoft.com Canada has released pricing for Windows Vista.
windows - comments - 28.8.2006

Microsoft reveals Windows 7 prices

Earlier this year, Microsoft promised “aggressive offers” to win over would-be Windows 7 buyers. Today, the company made it official, touting a “screaming deal” for anyone willing to order a Windows 7 upgrade more than three months before the software officially goes on sale.
windows - comments - 25.6.2009

Microsoft slashes Windows Vista prices

Microsoft put up a Q&A on PressPass with Brad Brooks. He's the CVP of Windows Consumer Product marketing, and he announced that Microsoft is dropping the price of retail-packaged product (RPP) versions of Windows Vista when the SP1 version hits the shelves in a few weeks.
microsoft - comments - 29.2.2008

Microsoft's Final Prices for Windows Vista Editions?

The source for this article has been withdrawn - this remains for archive purposes until Microsoft verifies or denies it's authenticity.
windows - comments - 22.5.2006

Microsoft bumps support prices for Windows, Office

Microsoft's per-incident customer support prices were quietly bumped last week as the company rolled out the newest version of its operating system, Windows Vista.
microsoft - comments - 6.2.2007

Windows 7 Family Pack, Anytime Upgrade prices leak

Microsoft blogger, Ed Bott, has uncovered the prices for both the Windows 7 Family Pack and Anytime Upgrade options.
windows - comments - 8.7.2009

Vista PCs: These Prices Are Insane!

Nearly half of retail Windows PCs now pack 3GB of RAM. Manufacturers are bulking up features as average selling prices stabilize. Next trend: 64-bit Vista and 4GB RAM.
windows - comments - 6.8.2008

Zune HD prices leaked

Prices for the 16GB and 32GB models of Zune HD have apparently leaked according to Gizmodo. The screen shots shown below appears to have come from a Best Buy inventory. If Best Buy's inventory is correct, it also backs up the September release date.
microsoft - comments - 11.8.2009

Microsoft prices and dates OneCare service

Microsoft has revealed more details of its all-in-one PC care service dubbed OneCare Live.

Already in beta, the subscription-based package will be officially released in the US in June from retailers and via the Web. A year's subscription will cost $49.95 and will cover up to three personal computers.
microsoft - comments - 8.2.2006

Leaked memo hints at Win7 prices

Microsoft officials may not be ready to share the date of the Vista-to-Windows 7 upgrade program they preannounced this week. But Best Buy is.
windows - comments - 5.6.2009

AMD Cuts Prices on High-end Processors

AMD has cut prices on its high-end dual-core desktop processors after the launch of Intel’s quad-core Core 2 Extreme QX6800. AMD also announced its new restructuring plans to compensate for reduced quarterly revenue today.
common - comments - 11.4.2007

Memory Prices Set to Hit the Bottom in the 2H '07

After tumbling for more than four consecutive months, prices on dynamic random access memory (DRAM) may sustain rapid decrease in the coming months, causing memory chip makers to continue losing money.
common - comments - 26.4.2007

Win 7 Anytime Upgrade prices announced, EU & UK ripped off

Microsoft today unveiled pricing for Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU) and the Windows 7 Family Pack.
windows - comments - 31.7.2009

What about Windows 7 OEM pricing?

Microsoft still has yet to go public with its Windows 7 price list. But that hasn’t stopped customers and partners from publicly hoping for the best (cheaper than Vista) and fearing the worst (any kind of increase over the cost of Vista).
windows - comments - 16.6.2009

Windows Live to Get First OEM Bundle

Microsoft will imminently announce its first PC-bundling deal for Windows Live.
windows - comments - 14.3.2007

Windows 7 OEM Pricing Emerges

Windows 7 is set to be launched on the market in about three weeks from now, and those people considering choosing it as the platform on their computers are certainly interested in the costs the migration will imply.
windows - comments - 30.9.2009

Windows 7 E Full Version at Upgrade Prices, but No Upgrade SKU

With a new edition of Windows 7 tailored especially for Europe, Microsoft revealed that with this release of its Windows client, it was doing things differentially.
windows - comments - 25.6.2009

Microsoft Windows Vista OEM Preinstallation Kit available

The Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) OEM Presinstallation Kit is now available. Microsoft's Worldwide System Builder team would like system builders to experience the updated OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) tools which will be used to preinstall Windows Vista.
windows - comments - 16.10.2006

Microsoft: The Windows OEM License Dies with Its Computer

Licenses for Windows come in various flavors from Retail to Volume, but perhaps the most common of all is provided by original equipment manufacturers together with operating systems preloaded on new computers.
windows - comments - 17.6.2008

Get an Insight into the Windows 7 OEM Pre-installation Kit

Here is your chance to get an insight into the OEM Pre-installation Kit (OPK) that Microsoft will offer for Windows 7.
download - comments - 24.5.2009

Windows 7 OEM Named Partner RTM Information

Here is the correct current information as available for OEM's. Thansk to our fiend for report.
windows - comments - 22.7.2009

Want Windows 7 for 50 Percent Off? Order an OEM Copy

Missed out on the early preorder discounts? Popular retailer Newegg.com has listed the OEM prices for Windows 7, which will be offered at less than half what Microsoft will charge for a retail copy.
windows - comments - 26.9.2009

OEM Logo and Information for Windows Vista - Auto Patch

Thanks to Steve Jobs for this post in forum. You have successfully activate Windows Vista instantly in OEM style by using hardware-level BIOS ACPI-SLIC mod, or one of the two software based OEM BIOS emulator such as softmod SLIC BIOS bootloader and Paradox OEM BIOS Emulation Toolkit.
download - comments - 20.3.2007

Microsoft Confirms Windows Vista OEM BIOS Crack

Microsoft confirmed the fact that hackers have developed a valid Windows Vista crack designed to exploit the operating system's OEM BIOS activation.
windows - comments - 11.4.2007

First OEM Boxes of Windows 7 RTM Build 7600.16385

Last week, just days after Windows 7 was released to manufacturing, Microsoft started handing the gold bits to original equipment manufacturers.
windows - comments - 27.7.2009

Windows 7 Ultimate cracked and activated with OEM master key

Hackers cracked and permanently activated Windows 7 Ultimate RTM Final Version. Once again hackers wins the cat and mouse battle game from the Redmond giants.
windows - comments - 29.7.2009

Microsoft blacklists leaked Lenovo OEM Windows 7 Key

According to Neowin, Microsoft has responded to the latest Windows 7 cracking scheme by blacklisting the Lenovo OEM master key on computers that are not manufactured by Lenovo.
windows - comments - 31.7.2009

Vista to Windows 7 Upgrades Kill Access to OEM Recovery Applications

Users that upgrade Windows Vista OEM computers to Windows 7 might find that the recovery applications set in place by the original equipment manufacturer are no longer accessible.
windows - comments - 9.10.2009

Dell, HP, and Sony OEM Certificates Used in Windows Vista Activation Crack

The latest trend in Windows Vista cracks is to utilize OEM certificates in order to bypass the activation process of the operating system. Via the OEM crack for Windows Vista, original equipment manufacturer versions of the operating system are illegally activated through a process that involves patching the BIOS of the motherboard.
windows - comments - 26.2.2007

Dead Cheap Windows 7 OEM/System Builder, Pricing Details Revealed

How would you like to buy Windows 7, all major editions, at prices half of those for the retail versions of the operating system? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal? Well, that’s because it is, with the exception of a few small downsides.
windows - comments - 3.9.2009

Windows 7 OEM prices unveiled, 50% off list price

ComputerWorld is reporting that online retailer Newegg.com has unveiled Windows 7 OEM pricing. Newegg.com has priced the OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium at $99.99 which is a price reduction of 50% down from the recommended retail price of $199.99. Other savings are available for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate at $134.99 and $174.99, respectively. This is a saving of approximately 50% on each version from the list price. OEM editions are priced lower as you typically do not get retail packaging, little official support and you're not able to transfer the operating system license from one PC to another.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 29.09.2009

Windows 7 Ultimate cracked and activated with OEM master key

Windows 7 has yet to even be released officially to the general public, and already the dodgy folk on the Internet have fully cracked and activated the Ultimate version, with help from a leaked Lenovo OEM DVD .ISO file. The news comes from website My Digital Life who state that you can already pass Windows Genuine Advantage validation offline, OEM style. The leaked .ISO was originally posted on a Chinese forum, which was then downloaded in order for people to get hold of the boot.wim, and in turn retrieving the OEM-SLP key, plus the OEM activation certificate. Microsoft uses the same digitally signed OEM certificate, which has an .xrm-ms extension, as that in Windows Vista.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 29.07.2009

Numbers Behind Windows 95, Vista

Here is a rundown of some quick statistics comparing Windows 95 and Windows Vista. All prices are in USD. All figures for Windows 95 seem to be verified and although there are sources for the Windows Vista figures, Microsoft has not officially confirmed them. Windows 95 contained 11.2 million lines of code while Vista is believed to be at 50 million. Windows 95 had approximately 200 programmers while Vista supposedly had 2,000, according one Microsoft developer's blog.

The common retail price of Windows 95 was $89.95. The lowest amount you can pay for Vista (Home Basic Edition) is $99, and that's an upgrade - the full retail version is more than double Windows 95's price, $199. At the other extremity there is Windows Vista Ultimate Edition, ranging from $259 for the upgrade and $399 for the full. This of course, doesn't consider OEM prices, but I decided to do a little hunting. At mwave.com, Home Basic is priced at $89.90 while an OEM copy of Windows 95 is currently going for $19.95, but that isn't exactly a fair comparison. Anyone remember the OEM price for Windows 95 when it was released?


neowin.net - 24.01.2007

OEM Microsoft Office and OEM Microsoft Windows licensing

OEM Microsoft Office and OEM Microsoft Windows licensing is a topic that seems to again be generating questions and there are plenty of people out there who are illegally taking advantage of others to trying to make a quick profit by selling counterfeit or unlicensed software.



Here are the facts and answers to many of the points of confusion around OEM Microsoft Office and OEM Microsoft Windows licensing so you are informed and can protect yourself from the scammers out there...




winbeta.org - 02.08.2007

Microsoft blacklists leaked Windows 7 OEM key

Microsoft has responded to pirates by blacklisting the Lenovo OEM key that leaked earlier this week. On Tuesday Neowin reported that pirates were able to modify their BIOS and activate copies of Windows 7 Ultimate with a Lenovo OEM master key. Microsoft have worked with Lenovo to blacklist the master key before Windows 7 starts shipping with new PCs in October. According to Alex Kochis, Director of Genuine Windows at Microsoft: "we've worked with that manufacturer so that customers who purchase genuine copies of Windows 7 from this manufacturer will experience no issues validating their copy of Windows 7.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 31.07.2009

Microsoft block Windows 7 OEM key hack

Microsoft’s Windows Genuine Advantage team have responded to this week's news that a Windows 7 Ultimate licensing hack had been identified. After a Lenovo OEM Windows 7 image leaked and was used to extract a license key, Microsoft have worked with the manufacturer to blacklist the rogue key and replace it - on genuine Lenovo PCs bought with the new OS - with a working version.




winbeta.org - 31.07.2009

MS: It's Okay to Buy Vista OEM Software

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...
betanews.com - 30.01.2007

Microsoft cuts Xbox 360 prices across Europe

Microsoft moved to adjust prices in the European market, likely in an effort to both line up its prices with the rest of the world while also taking into account a weakening US dollar...
betanews.com - 10.03.2008

Microsoft recruits Altech for OEM distribution in Australia

Microsoft has struck an OEM distribution agreement with Altech Computers for its Windows Vista, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Server products lines. The OEM partnership is the vendor's first in nearly 10 years.



Microsoft SME and partner director, Pip Marlow, said the two companies had partnered closely over recent years.



The new relationship would expand its scope and enable Microsoft to deliver more support to the local system builder market, she said.



"Altech is the destination for small system builders - they do a phenomenal job supporting that part of the channel," Marlow said. Altech now shares OEM distribution rights with Ingram Micro and Synnex.




winbeta.org - 12.11.2007

Microsoft sends harsh reality check to OEMs

Last week, Microsoft sent certified letters to its OEM partners regarding Vista's anti-piracy technology -- or, more accurately, what happens if they dare ship a system with a "non-genuine" copy of Vista.

The answer: The system is crippled for 30 days, then hosed entirely until you pony up for a license. This is apparently what Microsoft means when it http://oem.microsoft.com/downl oads/public/US/wgavista/genuin e.pdf>warns of a "diminished user experience."

This would be fine if Microsoft were a reasonably competent organization and Windows Genuine Advantage worked flawlessly. True pirates deserve to be punished. But Microsoft isn't and WGA doesn't “ at least, judging by the many letters I got from Cringesters who bought legit OEM copies of XP from major manufacturers, only to have WGA label them as pirates. ..
winbeta.org - 04.06.2007

Staggered Windows 7 RTM schedule puts pressure on OEM production

Despite having recently been handed the RTM version of Windows 7, Taiwan-based OEM PC makers have said they will not be able to start rolling out PCs with Windows 7 off their production lines until September, instead of mid-August as projected previously, since they are still waiting on tools from Microsoft as well as final validation tests from independent software and hardware vendors.




winbeta.org - 03.08.2009

Microsoft announces Win 7 pricing, special pre-order price

Microsoft has finally announced the pricing and it is good news to the consumer, with prices for its most popular product, Windows Home Premium, receiving about a 10% price drop. With a drop in price Microsoft is hoping to regain customers after the less than desirable launch of Windows Vista. This prices are very similar, but not identical, to those we reported back in February. Microsoft will also be offering pre-order upgrades with aggressive prices never seen by Microsoft before. These prices are identical to those we reported back in early June, from a leaked Best Buy memo.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 25.06.2009

Microsoft Responds to Reported OEM BIOS Hacks

The WGA team have finally provided a written response to the reported OEM BIOS Hacks regarding Vista:
I know many of you are aware of reports of hacks that attempt to exploit our OEM BIOS based activation. We're aware of this type of hack and I wanted to take a minute to describe how these work and how we plan to respond.

First, what is OEM BIOS based activation?

Here's a little more information on how OEM BIOS based activation works. This form of product activation is also known as OEM Activation or just OA, which is how Microsoft refers to it and how I will refer to it in this post. Back at the launch of Windows XP when Microsoft introduced Windows Product Activation, we recognized that as easy as end-user activation is, it still represented an extra step.

neowin.net - 12.04.2007

July 1: No more Office 2003 for OEMs

Its only been six months since Microsoft launched Office 2007 at retail. But as of July 1, 2007, Microsoft wont be making the OEM version of Office 2003 to its PC partners, aka "OEMs."

Eric Ligman, Senior Manager of Small Business Community Engagement with Microsoft, reminded OEMs and customers of the pending cut-off date in a blog posting dated June 18:

"After June 30, 2007 , OEM Microsoft Office 2003 will no longer be availble from Microsoft. Some authorized OEM Microsoft distributors may have some remaining inventory left for a short time after June 30th; however, Microsoft will no longer be shipping OEM Microsoft Office to them." ..
winbeta.org - 18.06.2007

Microsoft can't afford to support OEM Vista?

Microsoft might have $7.6 billion in spare cash in the bank, but when it comes to supporting users who purchase Vista on a new machine, the software giant is all too ready to cry poor.

Conventional wisdom holds that if you feel the urge to upgrade to Windows Vista, buying it pre-installed on a new machine is the best way to go. The advantages are allegedly twofold: there should be fresh and functional drivers for all the built-in hardware, and you get OEM pricing (much lower than the retail $400-$700 price range) for your new OS.

That discount pricing comes with a nasty twist, however. Because you've purchased an OEM copy, Microsoft won't extend to you the courtesy of a 90-day support period for Vista, which it does offer to customers who struggle through the upgrade process on their existing machines. Instead, it will direct you straight back to your hardware manufacturer...
winbeta.org - 15.05.2007

Windows Vista SP1 Update Available via Microsoft OEM site

It looks like Microsoft has posted the final Vista SP1 bits to their OEM site which is accessible to anyone that registers. The file is a 1.13GB .img which combines the 32-bit and 64-bit update executables into one image:




winbeta.org - 12.02.2008

Pricing, Ship Date Set For Mac Mini Clone

AOpen has announced prices and a ship date for its "Pandora" box, the Intel-based clone of the Apple Mac mini.

The Pandora will be sold as a complete system, according to a note from the OEM that was sent to reporters this week. The Pandora will sell for an estimated price of $499 for a Windows-based configuration, and $399 for one configured around Linux. Systems will be available by Christmas, the company said.

AOpen representatives did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

Originally displayed at the Computex show this past May in Taiwan, the AOpen Pandora will be slightly smaller than the mini, according to the company. ..
winbeta.org - 30.09.2005

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Release Timelines Shared at Computex

Steve Guggenheimers anniversary keynote address at leading OEM conference also highlights partner opportunities with upcoming Microsoft innovations...
microsoft.com/presspass - 03.06.2009

Win 7 Anytime Upgrade prices announced, EU & UK ripped off

Microsoft today unveiled pricing for Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU) and the Windows 7 Family Pack. Windows Anytime Uprade WAU allows users who purchase machines with Home Premium or Starter to move up to a higher edition of Windows 7. After Windows 7 is released to market on October 22nd, you will be able to buy a retail package that contains an upgrade key from retail outlets.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 31.07.2009

Mac laptop prices steady as Windows prices fall

Speculation that Apple might be slashing Mac prices in the coming weeks could get a boost from new data released by The NPD Group.



Joe Wilcox at Apple Watch put together a chart of data from NPD showing the average selling prices of Windows PCs and Macs at retail stores in the U.S. As of June, the average Mac desktop retails for $1,543 while the average Mac notebook costs $1,515. On the Windows side, the average desktop costs $550 while the notebook costs $700.




winbeta.org - 07.08.2008