14 DAY TRIAL // The latest offerings around Windows 7 that went live at the start of this week come to complement the Windows Anytime Upgrade special deals that were already available to customers in the United States. Together with Sony and Amazon.com, Microsoft launched new promotions designed to appeal to students and graduates in the market for a new PC. Summer brings with it the graduation and back-to-school timeframe, which provides an excellent PC shopping season especially for students, although the new Windows 7 offers are not limited to students, with a single exception. But speaking of limitations, the discounts offered by Microsoft, Sony and Amazon.com can only be taken advantage of by those in the US, with no plans announced to internationalize the offerings, at this point in time.
“Behind door #1 we have a Sony VAIO E series laptop loaded with Windows 7 Professional and a free Blu-ray disc drive upgrade starting at $799.99. Plus, Sony will also give you a $90 credit towards the purchase of movies. The VAIO E series has a 15.5” screen that makes it easy to watch TV and movies, it weighs less than 6 pounds and you can get it in an array of colors so you stand out from the crowd. Ben will have a full PC review of the VAIO E series up shortly,” Microsoft’s Ashley Brown revealed, indicating that the deal would be discontinued come May 29, 2010.
Amazon.com is offering users a discount of no less than $50 for every notebook or netbook they purchase from the online retailer, as long as it is preinstalled with Windows 7. Just as it was the case with the previous offering, the Amazon.com deal will also expire on May 29, 2010, but customers are not limited to a specific manufacturer, as they can buy machines from OEMs such as Dell, HP, Gateway and ASUS.
In April 2010, Microsoft started offering discounted upgrades to Windows 7 editions via Windows Anytime Upgrade for customers of new PCs. Buying a new Windows 7 machine qualifies US customers for a Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade ERP $49.99 (normally $79.99); or a Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional upgrade ERP $79.99 (normally $89.99), for that specific PC, provided that they are US residents.
“We [also] have a limited-time offer only available through the Microsoft Store. You can grab a Dell Studio XPS 13 with Windows 7 Home Premium, Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student (with a free upgrade to Office 2010 Home & Student once it’s available) and free shipping for a special price of $989. This is a great deal, so don’t wait too long. I use an older (~2.5 years) XPS for my home machine and I love it (FYI, I upgraded last year to Windows 7 from Windows Vista with no issues). This offer is available to US residents until June 25th or while supplies last,” Brown added.