On the same day that it announced officially the pricing of Windows 7, Microsoft also revealed that customers would have the opportunity to buy the two main editions of the next iteration of Windows at discounted prices. The discounts went live on June 26, 2009, and Windows 7 Professional is available for $99.99, while Windows 7 Home Premium can be bought for just $49.99.

One good place to start is the Microsoft Store. The Redmond-based company not only sells the two Windows SKUs at the discounted prices but also offers a list of its partners that do so across North America and Japan. As a reminder, the special offer is only available in the US, Canada and Japan.

“Promotional pricing is available on Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional upgrade versions only. This promotional pricing is a limited time offer, while supplies last, and is limited to three (3) copies per edition per customer,” Microsoft informs. In the US and Canada, the special prices will last until July 11, or as long supplies are still available. In Japan, Microsoft will discontinue the offer on July 5.

What are customers getting? Well, they're getting the upgrade editions of Windows 7 Professional and Home Premium. I have seen questions related to whether a clean install of Windows 7 was possible using the upgrade media. The answer is apparently yes. But the fact of the matter is that with the upgrade, Windows 7 media consumers also get an upgrade license. Meaning that they might install Windows 7 as they see feet, either upgrade or clean install, but only as long as they already have a genuine, licensed copy of Windows Vista or Windows XP. Otherwise, they would be breaking the EULA, essentially pirating.

“Pre-Orders can be reviewed, updated, or cancelled at any time before pre-order items are released,” Microsoft explained. “Prices for pre-order items are covered by the Pre-order Price Guarantee, which describes what happens if prices change after you purchase a pre-order item. A credit card is required for pre-order, but your card will not be charged until your order is shipped or the product is made available for download. If you wish to return an item that was pre-ordered, the 30-day return period begins: when downloadable products are delivered electronically to your account; when physical products are shipped.”