14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 7 is barely at its first month since it was released to manufacturing, two months away from general availability, but this detail is not stopping Microsoft or its retail partners from already selling the operating system. The Redmond company debuted a range of discounts associated with Windows 7 in select markets worldwide following RTM, and special offerings continue to be available. UK customers for example can buy Windows 7 Home Premium edition at just half the official estimated retail price delivered by Microsoft.
Amazon.co.uk is offering the Home Premium SKU of Windows 7 for as little as £63.99, down from £149.99, allowing buyers to save £86.00 (57%) (via CNet). This in the context in which the full Home Premium SKU for Windows 7 is priced at $199.99. Although Microsoft did indeed run a few marketing initiatives involving consistent discounts of Windows 7, the special offerings for UK customers weren’t trumpeted by the software giant in the same manner as the discounted Windows 7 Home Premium for $49.99 or Windows 7 Professional for $99.99, introduced after RTM.
In addition, Play.com is also selling Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium for £74.99 and promising Free Delivery, emphasizing the discount from £149.99. Both examples involve the retail flavor of Windows 7 Home Premium, not the upgrade version. At the same time, the two online e-commerce websites are indicating that customers will be receiving nothing less than the full Windows 7 Home Premium edition.
Microsoft was flirting in the past with the idea of an E variant of all Windows 7 SKUs specifically designed for European markets, and complying with the European Commission’s antitrust regulations. The E flavor of Windows 7, namely the latest iteration of the Windows client but with Internet Explorer stripped off, never got to see the light of day. The software giant is working with the EU antitrust regulators in order to provide European users with a mechanism to choose the default installation of the browser in Windows 7, instead of the E versions.