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Windows Vista Home Basic vs. Home Premium vs. Business vs. Ultimate

Microsoft applauded shipping in excess of 60 million Windows Vista licenses in the operating system's first six months of general availability. However, the Redmond company is right on track to correct this little slip up.
windows - comments - 20.8.2007

Upgrade Windows Home Server From RC to RTM 1.0

I have been searching high and low looking for a leak of WHS RTM 1.0(thats how I found the previous article)and today on the Unoffical Windows Home Server blog "We Got Served", there is a nice article on how to upgrade to RTM.
windows - comments - 16.9.2007

Should You Upgrade from Vista to XP SP3?

Windows Vista was released to manufacturing and to businesses in November 2006, and the operating system hit the shelves only at the end of January 2007.
windows - comments - 27.12.2007

Free Windows Vista Business and Windows XP SP2 on Parade

Free Windows... Not a concept you would expect from Microsoft. With a business strategy focused on proprietary software, the Redmond company is by all means at the opposite technology spectrum from open source and free software.
windows - comments - 9.3.2008

How to Downgrade from Windows Vista Business or Ultimate OEM Edition and Install Windows XP Professional

A lot of users still don’t getting used to Windows Vista. A lot of reviews have been labeling Windows Vista as bloated, hard to use, tons of compatibility issues, inconvenient, not user friendly, not stable and etc.
windows - comments - 22.8.2008

Vista upgrade invalidates your XP key

If you choose to purchase an upgrade version of Windows Vista to upgrade XP, you will no longer be able to use that version of XP.
windows - comments - 30.1.2007

One More Reason to Upgrade to Vista: 6-Minute XP Hack Is Frightening!

Six minutes... that is all it took to hack Windows XP, and to completely take over the operating system. Nick McGrath, Director of Platform Strategy at Microsoft U.K., witnessing the XP hack first hand, described the effortless attack and compromising of the platform as "enlightening and frightening.
windows - comments - 13.11.2007

Tell Hasta la Vista to XP - Time to Upgrade to Vista SP1

Like it or not, this is the right time not only to upgrade to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 but also to tell hasta la vista to Windows XP.
windows - comments - 30.6.2008

Microsoft Announces the Availability of Vista SP1, XP SP3 and Windows Home Server

Microsoft is currently hard at work cooking the first service pack for Windows Vista and the third and final service pack for Windows XP. On top of these two refreshes for its last releases of the Windows client, Microsoft has also debuted in the area of home servers in July 2007, with the RTM of Windows Home Server.
windows - comments - 9.10.2007

Home Computer - Home Network - Home Server

In the 1960s & 70s the idea of a home computer was unheard of outside of science fiction circles. Before the late 1980s home networks were unheard of.
microsoft - comments - 2.12.2007

Windows XP Home No Longer Qualifies for Windows Vista Upgrades

Windows XP Home Edition no longer qualifies for Windows Vista Business Upgrade or Upgrade + SA through Volume Licensing.
windows - comments - 17.10.2007

XP to Windows 7 Upgrade Scenario - Hardlink Migration

With Window 7, Microsoft provides a direct upgrade path only from Windows Vista, not allowing a similar scenario when it comes down to Windows XP.
windows - comments - 18.4.2009

XP to Windows 7 Upgrade Scenario - Hardlink Migration

With Window 7, Microsoft provides a direct upgrade path only from Windows Vista, not allowing a similar scenario when it comes down to Windows XP.
windows - comments - 19.4.2009

Your XP-to-Windows 7 upgrade path: Buy a new PC

Microsoft's leaders really, really want you to forget about Vista and move right on to Windows 7. And who can blame them?
windows - comments - 17.9.2009

Differences between the XP Home and Professional Edition !

Windows XP is based on Windows NT4 and Windows 2000 technology. Microsoft is positioning the Windows XP Professional Edition to replace Windows NT4 and Windows 2000 Professional. In addition, the Windows XP Home edition will be replacing Windows 95/98/ME.
windows - comments -

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

Dell brings back XP on home systems

Dell is bringing XP back. Amid significant customer demand, the computer maker said on Thursday that it has returned to offering the older Windows version as an option on some of its consumer PCs.
windows - comments - 19.4.2007

Microsoft Announces Extended Support for XP Home/ MCE

Today, Microsoft is announcing the addition of an Extended Support phase for the Windows® XP Home Edition and Windows XP Media Center Edition operating systems, providing consumers with an additional phase of support.
windows - comments - 24.1.2007

Netbook Sales Lift Windows XP Home Share

Windows XP had nearly disappeared from U.S. retail PCs in August. By December, Windows XP PCs were second to Vista Home Premium. Netbooks are the reason.
windows - comments - 5.2.2009

Half of American Business PCs Can't Run Vista

About half of the average business PCs in North America are unable to meet the minimum requirements for Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system, while 94 percent do not meet the system requirements for Vista Premium.
windows - comments - 7.12.2006

Microsoft Teams Up With CompUSA to Deliver Windows Vista Business ..

Through Microsoft’s Volume Licensing offers, customers can take advantage of cost savings and early access to major new product releases at CompUSA stores.
microsoft - comments - 13.11.2006

Guide to KMS Activating and TroubleShoot Vista Business and Enterprise

Guide to Activating and troubleshoot Windows Vista Business and Vista Enterprise by KMS server was writed by generalnewbie in our forum.
windows - comments - 14.1.2007

Cost of Vista Business License Offset by Savings, Says Microsoft

For a great many large businesses, "the move to the next Windows" has been an ongoing, daily affair for at least well over a decade. And up until recently, the reasons why this migration tends to proceed so slowly have been, to Microsoft, a complete mystery.
windows - comments - 15.6.2007

KMS Crack Method to Activate Windows Vista Business or Enterprise Edition

If you intend to activate Windows Vista against a KMS server (Enterprise or Business edition only), but having a hard time to find a working KMS (Key Management Service) server that is public available on the Internet, it’s possible to install and set up a spoofed KMS host. This tutorial is a complete guide to properly activate your Windows Vista with your own local KMS server with pre-built and pre-installed activated Windows Vista KMS as VMWare virtual appliance image, without the need to install a KMS yourself.
download - comments - 13.12.2006

Microsoft: Windows XP to Windows 7 upgrade possible

Microsoft has confirmed that customers can purchase upgrade media and an upgrade license at a discounted price to move from Windows XP to Windows 7.
microsoft - comments - 4.2.2009

Windows XP SP3 Update Breaks Windows Home Server Remote Access

Windows Home Server users are reporting Remote Access problems after updating their home computers to Windows XP Service Pack 3.
windows - comments - 18.5.2008

Windows Vista, Office 2007, Exchange 2007 Business Launch

While it's not the retail launch date, today is the official business launch for the next generation of Microsoft's Windows operating system, Windows Vista.
windows - comments - 1.12.2006

Should Microsoft get into the PC hardware business?

I really enjoyed watching this recent interview with Microsoft Technical Fellow Mark Russinovich on Microsoft’s TechNet Edge.
microsoft - comments - 9.9.2008

Windows 7: What’s coming for business users

Microsoft showed off publicly for the first time Windows 7 at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) on October 28.
windows - comments - 28.10.2008

Will business users bite on Windows 7?

Most of the Windows 7 features Microsoft has demonstrated and touted for the past few months have been aimed at consumers, not business users.
windows - comments - 4.3.2009

Ballmer tells companies to upgrade from XP

CEO of Microsoft Corporation, Steve Ballmer, has warned companies to upgrade from Windows XP, or else they will face anger from employees. The reason for this is because, according to Steve, "If you deploy a four or five-year old operating system today, most people will ask their boss why the heck they don't have the stuff they have at home". Many of you know that many companies chose to stick on Windows XP when Vista was released, due to poor driver support on Vista, and the fact that XP did everything they needed. However, PC World states that 31 percent of IT decision-makers said they are beginning the switch to Windows Vista.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 06.02.2009

Will XP SP3 Slow Vista`s Adoption?

Analysts say that the more secure, stable and reliable Windows XP is, the less reason businesses have to upgrade to Vista in a hurry. The upcoming release of Windows XP Service Pack 3 will further slow the rate of business adoption of Windows Vista by extending the life of the older operating system, some analysts say.

Microsoft quietly released Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 2 to the masses Feb. 19. But the company finds itself in a Catch-22, given its need to provide comprehensive security to protect its large installed base of business customers still running XP while, at the same time, encouraging those customers to upgrade to the new Vista operating system. But the more secure, stable and reliable XP is, the less reason they have to upgrade in a hurry.


neowin.net - 21.02.2008

Top 10 reasons why you should upgrade to Windows 7

With the Windows 7 Release Candidate already leaked to the public, and the the official bits coming May 5, there's been a lot of hype surrounding Windows 7, with generally positive reviews from the community. Windows 7 is everything Vista wasn't... and some of what it should of been. If you're using XP or Vista, there's no excuse not to upgrade to Windows 7. In no particular order, here are my top 10 reasons why: Virtual XP Mode: Many users and businesses have been reluctant to upgrade past Windows XP, and who can blame them? Microsoft had to keep extending support for Windows XP for this reason.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 28.04.2009

Microsoft Plans Vista Upgrade Coupon For Holiday PC Buying

Microsoft later this month plans to roll out an Express Upgrade program that gives buyers of Windows XP-based PCs a coupon for a free or discounted upgrade to Windows Vista through March 15. As part of the deal, designed to drive PC sales though the holiday season, Microsoft will include coupons in each Windows XP SKU that will entitle users to a free or discounted Vista upgrade when the next-generation operating system ships in the first quarter of 2007, industry sources said.

For instance, customers who buy PCs equipped with Windows XP Pro, Windows XP Pro Tablet PC Edition and Windows XP Pro x64 Edition are entitled to a free upgrade to Vista, sources said. Customers will be responsible for fulfillment costs. Not all of the coupons will be for free upgrades. Customers who buy systems running Windows XP Home Edition can upgrade to Vista Home Basic Edition for a flat แ fee and to the higher-end Windows Vista Home Premium Edition for a cost of ๟.


neowin.net - 05.10.2006

No More Clean Installs Using Windows Vista Upgrade Discs

Although it has been discussed to death here, some official coverage on the front page is needed. Thanks to Ambiance for posting a direct response from Microsoft about the issue.

Unlike with the Windows XP Upgrade CD, with Windows Vista users are forced to have a valid install of Windows XP Home or Professional on their machines before upgrading with a Vista Upgrade DVD. This typically isn't a big deal for the majority of users on the first install of Vista; but think about the necessary steps if you already have Vista installed or no operating system on the computer:
  1. Install a genuine copy of Windows XP Home/Professional
  2. Acti vate Windows XP through Microsoft
  3. Upgrade to Windows Vista from within Windows XP
Either shell out the extra cash for the full version or be prepared for the extended process of installing XP, and then Vista. Of course there is always the OEM road, but remember that such a copy is limited to the computer it is first activated on.


neowin.net - 29.01.2007

Will your PC run Windows Vista? Download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor is an application that you can run on your current Windows XP-based computer to find out if it's ready for an upgrade to Windows Vista...
microsoft.com/windowsvista - 25.05.2006

Windows Vista SP1 vs. Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2

Principled Technologies has released two Microsoft commissioned reports on Windows Vista SP1 performance. In these tests, Principled Technologies measured responsiveness of Windows Vista SP1 vs. Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2 when performing a set of common business and home tasks. The results show that SP1 performs on par with Vista RTM and Windows XP.

The test show that as with Windows Vista RTM, overall performance is on par with Windows XP. It’s important to remember that Windows Vista is a more advanced operating system, which includes many more capabilities than Windows XP. By default, Windows Vista includes antispyware, a search indexer, and the shadow copy service. All these work in the background, providing important services to customers, but they of course take up a portion of the PCs memory and processor resource.

On several common business and home operations Windows Vista SP1 was noticeably more responsive after rebooting than Windows XP.


neowin.net - 28.02.2008

Will XP SP3 Slow Vista's Adoption?

Analysts say that the more secure, stable and reliable Windows XP is, the less reason businesses have to upgrade to Vista in a hurry.



The upcoming release of Windows XP Service Pack 3 will further slow the rate of business adoption of Windows Vista by extending the life of the older operating system, some analysts say.



Microsoft quietly released Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 2 to the masses Feb. 19. But the company finds itself in a Catch-22, given its need to provide comprehensive security to protect its large installed base of business customers still running XP while, at the same time, encouraging those customers to upgrade to the new Vista operating system.




winbeta.org - 21.02.2008

Understanding Windows 7 upgrade paths

Windows 7 has already earned itself a blue ribbon, and it isn't even in stores yet. Many Vista users will migrate to Redmond's latest and greatest operating system in search of greener pastures, and countless Windows XP laggards will be lured from the woodwork by Windows 7's polish. Microsoft will be granting both XP and Vista users the right to buy "Upgrade" versions of Windows 7 which run for considerably less money. But in terms of how you can perform an upgrade on a machine already running Windows, for some the in-place upgrade option will make the experience seamless; all your programs, files and settings will remain untouched coming from certain versions of Vista.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 03.09.2009

XP Home Edition Support Extended to 2008

For the past 2 weeks, the Windows community has been buzzing with news that Microsoft was scheduled to halt support for XP Home at the end of this year. (Apparently, Microsoft never expected that its next Windows release would take so long to ship.) Well, the crisis is over.

Microsoft this week revealed that it has extended support for XP Home (and a few other XP editions whose support was also scheduled to be terminated this year) to "2 years after the next version of is released," according to the company. If Vista ships on schedule at the end of the year, that means that Microsoft will continue supporting XP Home through late 2008. That's not too shabby.

Note that Microsoft's business-oriented Windows products have much lengthier support life cycles. Microsoft is supporting XP Professional, for example, through 2011.


jcxp.net - 16.01.2006

Microsoft recommends upgrade to Vista before Windows 7

As Windows 7 gets ready for its next release, it could be already hurting Vista's remaining chances with businesses and organizations. Microsoft has started to push Vista to its corporate customers. Earlier this month Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer warned companies to upgrade from XP. Following Ballmer, Gavriella Schuster, Senior Director in Windows Product Management group urges businesses to upgrade to Windows Vista now, even if they plan to move to Windows 7 when it ships. Schuster argues that the benefits of Vista upgrade would outweigh the costs of upgrading to Vista and urges companies to start Windows 7 Beta testing as soon as possible.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 12.02.2009

Dell to Sell Windows XP Professional with PCs Through 2009

In a letter to some of Dells customers, they said that " XP Professional is available for OEM installation on your Dell PC purchases through at least 2009 and likely longer." The "official" OEM and retail end date from Microsoft is June 30, 2008, just a few weeks away. There has been much talk of whether Microsoft would bow to the demand of the consumers to keep XP alive, and with this it is still hard to tell if Dell bought a years stock of licenses ahead of time, or if this is the precursor to an announcement from Microsoft.

Dell's plan for users is to have Windows XP Professional installed on their machines, but include the Vista install disk for when they are ready to upgrade. "With XP installed, we will send media for both Vista and XP with each PC so that when you are ready to migrate to Vista you may at no addition upgrade cost." The demand seems high, so let's hope others follow suit to allow companies the time and resources to fully upgrade.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 10.06.2008

Microsoft Partners: Vista Campaign Was Deceptive

Microsoft may soon be defending itself from a class action lawsuit over its 'Vista Capable' marketing campaign, and several of the vendor's channel partners aren't the least bit surprised.



Microsoft launched the Vista Capable campaign in order to keep PC sales strong after its decision to delay the release of Vista to consumers until after the 2006 holiday season. Consumers who bought a PC with the 'Vista Capable' sticker would get an XP machine and then later be eligible for a free or discounted upgrade to Vista.



What the campaign didn't specify was which of the four versions of Vista -- Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate -- a PC was capable of running. And according to solution providers, therein lies the rub.




winbeta.org - 14.02.2008

Vista Hardware Assessment Tool Addresses Upgrade Dilemmas

Perhaps the most oft-asked question by consumers with regard to whether they should adopt Windows Vista is whether their six-month-old or older hardware is too obsolete for Vista to make good use of it. This morning, Microsoft released for free download the XP version of its Vista Hardware assessment tool, whose aim is to tell consumers what they may need to upgrade in order to put the best polish on those heavily anticipated exclamations...
betanews.com - 21.02.2007

Principled Technologies Tests Windows Vista SP1

Nick White: When Windows Vista was originally released just over a year ago Microsoft commissioned Principled Technologies to compare the overall responsiveness of Windows Vista to Windows XP SP 2 for some common business and home tasks. With the release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Principled has updated their results. Principled Technologies concluded the following when comparing business scenarios:

  • Overall, Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP performed comparably on most test operations. Performance differences between the two operating systems were typically less than a half second. Significant differences of over a second occurred on only nine of 128 measures; Windows Vista SP1 led on eight of those.
  • Windows Vista SP1 was noticeably more responsive after rebooting than Windows XP on several common business operations.
  • Overall, Windows Vista SP1 was more responsive than Windows Vista on most comparisons. Performance differences between the two operating systems were typically less than a quarter second.


Principled Technologies also concluded the following when comparing home scenarios...




winbeta.org - 27.02.2008

Microsoft: Windows XP to Windows 7 upgrade possible

Microsoft has confirmed that customers can purchase upgrade media and an upgrade license at a discounted price to move from Windows XP to Windows 7. However, customers need to do a clean installation of Windows 7. The pricing details of XP upgrade licenses are not yet known. An operating system upgrade offers users the option of choosing between in-place upgrades, with installed applications & data in-place in the machine and a fresh installation which overwrites the hard drive's contents. By eliminating in-place upgrades, users can have a reliable installation after backing up all their data and applications.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 04.02.2009

IBM Recommends Windows XP

If you shop online for a new Windows computer, every manufacturer recommends Vista on their web site. For home use they all suggest Vista Home Premium, for business use, Vista Business gets the nod. All the manufacturers sell other versions of Vista of course, most if not all sell Windows XP too, yet their websites universally recommend Vista Home Premium or Business.



Except IBM.



Yes, IBM no longer plays in this game. Back in 2005, IBM sold their personal computer division to Lenovo.



However, IBM still sells their old notebook and desktop computers, albeit as "IBM Certified Used Equipment".




winbeta.org - 15.12.2007

Windows 7 upgrade details leak out

A document has leaked out that details the upgrade plans for users who purchase PC's with Vista this summer. According to the document obtained by Tech Arp titled " The Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Program Rev 2.1" states that computers purchased after July 1st will be eligible to upgrade to Windows 7 free of charge. The plan will follow in a similar path the Windows XP and Vista transition occurred. The idea behind the plan is to not prohibit people from purchasing computers as they wait for Windows 7 to be launched.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 12.02.2009

Windows 7 upgrade chart available

Microsoft has made available the official Windows 7 Upgrade chart, via allthingsd which indicates which previous versions of Windows are available for an in-place upgrade to Windows 7, and to which version they can upgrade. You can view the chart below: As you can see from just a glance at the chart, it's relatively confusing. Windows 7 offers no direct upgrade path from XP, which was announced very early on in the Windows 7 development life cycle. Very specific upgrade paths from other versions of Windows Vista exist also. You can perform a "Custom Install" which is pretty much a clean install, but you have the option to install Windows 7 to another disk without overwriting data.

Read full story.....
neowin.net - 10.08.2009

CIO View: Vista may be pretty but it's no big deal

When choosing to upgrade to Windows Vista, IT managers must decide whether the additional features will create any real value.



Cesare Tizi, ZDNet Australia's CIO of the year, shared an insight into maximising value, "It's a challenge moving the business from, say, Windows 2000 to Windows XP and getting enough value to justify that, let alone moving it to another environment," he said. He also noted that Windows Vista requires a lot of computing power.



Tizi gave the example of a call centre, and said it would be hard to justify such an upgrade when most users need nothing more than e-mail and the basic applications. However, Tizi also said that an upgrade to Vista would eventually be inevitable, but "it might take longer than Microsoft thought it might take."




winbeta.org - 01.11.2007