Public will buy which version?

[Colin Barnhorst]

As far as I know, the MS distribution to the OEM's sets the earliest date
the OEM's can release as Jan 30. But you can bet that on Jan 30 you will be
able to visit your local computer outlet and walk out with a machine with
Vista preinstalled.

Each of the OEM's can start taking advance orders for Vista pre-installed
machines whenever they want but I don't believe they can ship them until Jan
30. With six weeks to go they are still only offering XP and the Express
Upgrade so they can ship (and charge credit cards) now. I don't expect the
OEM's to start taking orders for Vista pre-installed systems until just
before launch, but they are free to do so.

 

[Dale]

I stopped at the Dell display in the mall today. Just like you said, they
won't take an order for a Vista laptop but will gladly charge me today for a
hamburger on Tuesday... Or is that charge me today for an XP machine and
give me an upgrade to Vista on some undetermined and unpromised date after
January 30th? Yes, I think the latter was the accurate summary of the
conversation.

Dale

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Try Wimpy's next stop.

I don't know why one would buy today and take an Express Upgrade coupon when
the media takes four to six weeks to deliver AFTER Jan 30 as opposed to
buying a machine with Vista already on it on Jan 30 (except maybe today's
order might cost less). I am willing to bet that some of the offerings on
Jan 30 will also be on brand new models not on sale today. I don't want to
discourage someone who needs a new box right now from going ahead, but I
wouldn't.

 

[Robert Blacher]

Good grief, Colin, it's worse than that. Any computer you buy today will
have a 32-bit op sys on it. At the very least, you'll have to blow away all
your hard work customising the PC when the "Express" upgrade finally
arrives. At worst, as you and I have been discussing in another thread,
you'll be stuck with a 32-bit operating system when your "upgrade" DVD
arrives.

Not me. Merry Christmas, Microsoft. Ho, ho, ho!

P.S. I have implicitly dismissed "Windows Easy Transfer" -- the new
migration tool. It is easy enough -- it just doesn't work reliably in my
personal testing. It's a worst-case tool for someone upgrading a 2-year old
PC. I sure as heck wouldn't buy into using it by getting a PC today if I
planned to run Vista.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

As I understand it, only owners of XP Pro x64 qualify for upgrade pricing
for Vista x64, so someone running a 32bit version of XP would simply not
purchase an upgrade sku if thier intent was to migrate to 64bits. They
would purchase a retail full edition of Vista and use the x64 dvd to do a
clean install.

WET is very similar to XP's FAST. What issues did you run into? I can see
using WET, but not the upcoming WET Companion. It sounds like you've found
some things I haven't seen.

 

[Jan Ilacqua [MVP]]

I agree. I tried it as well, and found it to be less than all that helpful.
There are too many other ways to transfer data that are easier and faster.

I have been trying to use it in moving data from one drive and another
machine to my new Vista install, and I finally gave it up after a while.
But, that is my experience, and someone else may have very good service from
it.

Jan

<snip>> P.S. I have implicitly dismissed "Windows Easy Transfer" -- the
new migration tool. It is easy enough -- it just doesn't work reliably in
my personal testing. It's a worst-case tool for someone upgrading a 2-year
old PC. I sure as heck wouldn't buy into using it by getting a PC today if
I planned to run Vista.

<snip>

 

[William]

If I decide to get Vista, it would probably be the Home Premium Upgrade. I have a full version of windows 2000 that I can use as canon fodder for an upgrade rather than waste XP. That way if the upgrade does not go well, the XP license is unchanged..


Of the many versions of MS Windows Vista that will be available in January,
which version will the majority of the public buy? And then which of them
will be next? Will the price be the deciding factor in most purchases?

When will the new computers with Vista installed be available in retail
stores? And which version will the OEMs be installing on their machines? 32
and 64 bit?

Anyone care to speculate or give an educated guess? I'm betting that the
cheapest will be the bigger seller with the public and OEMs.