Vista pricing: no thanks

Microsoft announced pricing for Vista. I'm laughing at them.

Sure, they'll sell OEM copies just as they've been doing for ages, but do they really expect to sell any at retail? This is not a compelling upgrade. I haven't seen anything in Vista yet that makes me want to run out and buy it. Sure it's pretty, but I get my pretty from OS X anyway.

I was really pulling for Microsoft a couple of years ago, because the original plans really seemed like they would offer something exciting. What we're really getting is something pretty that's still Windows XP. I know the fanboys will come out and say that it does this or that, but does anything "new" really solve a problem not currently solved by XP or OS X?

Someone explain why Vista is worth a couple hundred bucks. I'm not seeing it. 

10 Comments

  • I'm with you on this, but if you think about it, what does XP offer over Windows 2000 Pro?

  • I never bought 2000. I went from 98 to XP, and even then only because I had an MSDN subscription at the time. I might have fought it longer otherwise. ;)

  • .Net framework 3.0 is a reason. What I mean is, yes you do get your pretty from Mac OS X, but what about not having to learn Objective C to offer that pretty in the form of your own applications?

  • I think you're confusing the audience. Most people don't write their own apps. Heck, I don't write apps for a desktop OS at all, I write them for the Web.

  • Windows XP Pro = $199; Windows Vista Business = $199.
    What's the big deal?

  • If you already have XP then XP = $0; Vista = $199

  • > If you already have XP then XP = $0; Vista = $199
    Sure but how many people upgrade by buying a retail copy? I'd say the vast majority of upgrades are covered by volume licenses, MSDN and theft.

  • The point I was making is that there doesn't appear to be sufficient reason to upgrade. Sure if you are buying new hardware by all means get the latest OS since your paying for it anyway.

  • We should get Vista for free. They are refactoring bad code and we should pay for it just because it comes with a new gui?

  • When XP came out in 2001, I bought it for $199, but I also got a bunch of free stuff. Like 512 Meg RAM upgrade, free Scanjet and maybe even a $50 rebate. I don't remember now, but it turned out to be a good value.

    The big question is whether I want the Business or the Ultimate? I mean are the new media features compelling enough for me to care? Do I still need or want to maintain my own domain at home?

    And then as we learned with XP Pro, if you buy the OEM version you get it for about half the price of the upgrade. So there's always the possibility of a computer upgrade.

Comments have been disabled for this content.