Windows 7 Windows 7 Ultimate?

[kojo87]

Is there such a thing as Windows 7 Ultimate? first i heard there was and then i heard there wasn't. build 7100 claims to be Ultimate on startup and shutdown (but its just an RC). i've heard Microsoft was going back to only Home and Pro, trying to keep it simple like XP and unlike Vista. i've seen "official" box art pictures of a black Ultimate edition retail box but i haven't been able to find that for sale/preorder anywhere. does it really exist?

i already preordered a copy of Windows 7 Professional Upgrade. I am running Vista Ultimate x64 right now. that should upgrade to 7 Pro x64 fine right? i've seen charts where Vista Basic = 7 Home, Vista Home Premium = 7 Professional and Vista Ultimate = 7 Ultimate. now i think that was all BS.

 

[john3347]

Thanks John, will check back later. I was searching MS 7 site, but can't find anything regarding this.
That doesn't mean it's not true. But should be out there to inform people. Cause I know I'd be angry after buying Pro/Ultimate Upgrade just to find out that I can't upgrade my XP Home or Vista Basic/Home Premium.

With that said, there are ways around it. And this is not for me personally, but should definitely be known by all.

I don't remember where I saw the explanation we are discussing - may have been in an online magazine article or on a Microsoft Connect blog or - - I forget at the moment. I will find it soon.

Microsoft's position on this is: For instance, If you bought a copy of Windows Vista Home Basic (whether a retail box or preinstalled on a new computer) you paid a certain price for it. You could have used that OS, or for a certain (hefty) additional price, you could have upgraded it to Windows Vista Ultimate, but you chose not to spend the money for the upgrade to Ultimate. Now, since you only paid for Vista Home Basic, that same level is all that you can upgrade to with an UPGRADE installation key. If you wish to move to a higher level when you install Windows 7, you have to pay the same (or equivalent) upgrade price premium that you would have had to pay to make the same level upgrade in Vista. If you buy a Windows 7 Ultimate retail box, you will have paid the premium price and can upgrade any lesser version to that level. You wanna play, you gotta pay! You know Microsoft ain't gonna give nothin' away.

 

[kojo87]

i guess that makes sense. but the upgrades have significant price differences. if i have Vista Home Premium and i want to spend $100 to upgrade to 7 Pro shouldn't i be allowed to? instead Microsoft says no i can only spend $50 on 7 Home Premium. either way you end up paying more to upgrade beyond the 7 equivalent of what you already have (whether its full retail or upgrade license) how many people using Vista Home Premium want 7 Pro bad enough to spend $300 on the full retail version when they can get the Home Premium Upgrade for $50. but at $100 the Pro upgrade might sound worth it. see what im getting at here? i get that Microsoft wants to suck every last dollar they can out of the consumer but this just seems unfair.

didn't Microsoft allow for XP Home to Vista Ultimate upgrades?

 

[Tepid]

That was my thought. You can buy the upgrade to Pro, and upgrade from Vista Home Basic even. You pay the upgrade price to Pro, but you don't have to buy a full retial of Pro to have pro, if you have already purchased XP/Vista any flavor.

 

[Super Sarge]

i see that it was my own error. its just frustrating that no retailers even said that Ultimate was and option. guess i will just put that Pro upgrade on my dad's computer or my laptop. maybe i will just suck it up and pay the $220 when the time comes. i really don't feel like doing a clean install. i just reinstalled Vista...

you can upgrade from the RC (specifically build 7100) to the final retail edition right?

[EDIT] Thanks Drew. glad im not the only one in this boat. Microsoft's website doesn't even list Ultimate in the pre-order section. and why should we have to pay over twice as much as Pro users? i can see there being a small price difference but $120 more?? and for what? Bit-Locker?

By what I see I most likely go with the Pro version Update as most of the items that are in Ultimate are not things I use, I currently run Vista Ultimate OEM version 32 bit, I have W-7 on A separate HD running the RC-1 64 bit, I have ordered two (2) copies of W-7 Pro update, I will do a clean install, I will reformat the HD that RC1 is on and install Windows 7 Pro Upgrade. Same for my other computer. I going to Keep Vista on both in a dual boot configuration on both machines. My Laptop will remain a Vista only Machine

 

[john3347]

Egg on MY face

Tepid, and others!

I come today with apologies for apparently misreading a blog regarding "like for like" upgrade restrictions. This "like for like" edition upgrade seems to only apply to the "Buy Vista now and get a free upgrade to Windows 7 after it goes General Availability". In this scenario, one would not expect to buy (even dream of buying) a computer today with Windows Vista Home Premium, then "upgrade" to Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate in November without paying a price premium for the higher level OS. This upgrade for free offer (or for a small fee) on a newly purchased retail box OS or preinstalled on a new computer IS restricted to same level upgrade and only applies to Vista Home Premium, Vista Business and Vista Ultimate.



I apologize to all who may have been misled by my incorrect information. There is already far TOO MUCH confusion surrounding the introduction of the new OS and all the upgrade options and various editions, and, and, and. I apologize for seemingly trying to add to the confusion.




Announcing the Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program & Windows 7 Pricing – Bring on GA! - Windows 7 Team Blog - The Windows Blog

 

[Tepid]

It's ok John. It happens. We won't hold it against you. But don't be surprised if you get Rick Roll'd soon.

 

[omnivious]

are people still rick rolling? that's just ridiculous

 

[kojo87]

so this "like for like" thing only applies to newly bought PCs with Vista preloaded. that makes sense. so does this mean you can upgrade any version of Vista to any Version of 7? i guess it doesn't really matter to me much anymore as i have found a way to use my upgrade key regardless. i have about 5 computers i could put Windows 7 on so i will need to get more license keys either way.

 

[Tepid]

No, it only applies to the Free Upgrade to Win 7.

If you purchase a PC with Vista and get the coupon for the free Win 7 upgrade.
That is a "like for like" upgrade.

If you purchase the upgrade from say BestBuy, you can purchase any flavor upgrade to upgrade (or downgrade) any flavor XP/Vista.

At least, that is my understanding, and I could be wrong. but it should be that way.

 

[omnivious]

No, it only applies to the Free Upgrade to Win 7.

If you purchase a PC with Vista and get the coupon for the free Win 7 upgrade.
That is a "like for like" upgrade.

If you purchase the upgrade from say BestBuy, you can purchase any flavor upgrade to upgrade (or downgrade) any flavor XP/Vista.

At least, that is my understanding, and I could be wrong. but it should be that way.

from what I've been told by microsofts sales reps, tepid is correct in his assumptions, but microsoft reps have been wrong before, I don't really think they're wrong on this one...

 

[kojo87]

thats what i meant. i forgot to mention the part about the free upgrade coupon. this makes more sense. glad that i will be able to use this Win7 Pro upgrade as i intended. thanks for clearing all this up!

 

[john3347]

No, it only applies to the Free Upgrade to Win 7.

If you purchase a PC with Vista and get the coupon for the free Win 7 upgrade.
That is a "like for like" upgrade.

If you purchase the upgrade from say BestBuy, you can purchase any flavor upgrade to upgrade (or downgrade) any flavor XP/Vista.

At least, that is my understanding, and I could be wrong. but it should be that way.

Touche' Tepid. I agree with you now. However one can also build a computer and buy a retail box Vista OS with the same certificate that would be included with a new "store bought" computer and get the same free, or low cost, upgrade to a like Windows 7 version. I think there are circumstances when this would save perhaps $20.

I have also seen rumors about a family 3-pack of certain Windows 7 editions. Anybody have firm information about that? I have no idea what kind of discount would be applied to the second and third license.

 

[omnivious]

Touche' Tepid. I agree with you now. However one can also build a computer and buy a retail box Vista OS with the same certificate that would be included with a new "store bought" computer and get the same free, or low cost, upgrade to a like Windows 7 version. I think there are circumstances when this would save perhaps $20.

I have also seen rumors about a family 3-pack of certain Windows 7 editions. Anybody have firm information about that? I have no idea what kind of discount would be applied to the second and third license.

I have yet to see a retail vista that came with the win7 upgrade, if you see it, please inform me!

 

[kojo87]

I have yet to see a retail vista that came with the win7 upgrade, if you see it, please inform me!

Newegg has special OEM Vista bundles that come with a free upgrade to Windows 7. you might want to look into it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116678

 

[omnivious]

Newegg has special OEM Vista bundles that come with a free upgrade to Windows 7. you might want to look into it.

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit for System Builders w/ Tech Guarantee - Operating Systems

I know about the oem versions being sold with the upgrade, I'm talking about the retail version of vista with an upgrade...

 

[Super Sarge]

I'm too lazy to look back thru threads though I think I said this already. What has been stated is correct

Upgrade Paths (Advance, bargain offer):
Vista H P > Win7 H P
Vista Business > Win7 Pro

Upgrade meant is the sense of Vista to Win7 but not skipping flavors or 'levels'.
Nor can you go from (doing an Upgrade) a 32-bit Vista flavor to that same flavor (now) as a 64-bit Windows 7.
x86 OS > x86 OS
x64 OS > x64 OS
32 to 64 requires Full Version, clean install.

Other than that, the option is Full Version, clean install.

Notice I did not use equal signs but rather 'go to' signs. The bit about Media Ctr in Pro (NOW) has been well enough explained. Beyond that is just symantics, a name change & if you recall an XP flavor was Professional... MS went back to calling the business offering Professional. The rest about 'stepped versions' (everything + more concept) and modular is, also, correct. So Vista Business & Win7 Pro are bascially the same concept (flavor-version) but not having equivilent feature structure.

Regards,
Drew

So what you are saying is that since I am running an OEM version of Vista 32 bit Ultimate and 32 bit full version of Vista Home Premium that the Upgrade versions of W-7 Pro I have will not install that I must by full versions? Is the clean install trick that worked in Vista upgrade versions going to work in Windows 7 concerning Upgrades is there a definite answer on that Yet

 

[Radenight]

If you buy the Upgrade Version of Windows 7 it doesn't matter what you have pre-installed on your system as you can use the "trick" to install.. By doing so you will be doing a clean install anyway which will eliminate anything that was installed previously.. You'll be activating the Upgrade install that you do after the Clean Install..

If you still insist on doing an Upgrade, then yes, the Official Upgrade paths apply.. But as many members have stated many times, an Upgrade is not near as beneficial as a Clean Install.. But to each his own..

 

[Tepid]

maybe I am still not clear on this... because it does get confusing.... so in a different way....

Clean installs only being the case..... and only referring to purchasing (not the free offer) a higher level version upgrade....

As long as you have a licenes for a privious version of windows XP/Vista any flavor, full or upgrade.
And as long as you Purchase an upgrade licenes (not the free offer), and not a full licenes of any flavor.
You can use any previous version as a proof of owning a previous version of windows, and install the new flavor.

So, going from XP/Vista Home to Win 7 pro/ultimate is doable?

The upgrade trick done in vista is not of course confirmed yet for 7.

 

[kojo87]

@Tepid: you cannot upgrade from XP to 7.

now i am confused. first i thought we established that you cannot change editions when upgrading to Win7. then i thought we established you could. now everyone agrees you can't again? im confused. here is my original question. can i directly upgrade my copy of Vista Ultimate to 7 Professional? i don't mean the clean install upgrade trick. i mean can i pop the disc in and punch in my license key and upgrade from Vista Ultimate to 7 Professional. i would really rather not do a clean install because backing up all my Steam stuff is a pain in the ass.

 

[omnivious]

don't worry, you'll be fine, you will be able to install it one way or another