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Microsoft To Offer Family Pack For Windows 7 Home Premium
by Ed Bott
July 1st, 2009 @ 9:40 pm

In two recent posts (Windows 7 versus Snow Leopard: How much do upgrades really cost? and Do you need more than Windows 7 Home Premium?), I took a closer look at the differences between Windows 7 editions and their counterparts from Apple. In the Talkback section of both posts, several commenters noted that Microsoft is still far behind its archrival in Cupertino.

Until Microsoft comes out with a Family Pack license, they say, Apple will continue to have the upper hand. Well, maybe the wait is over. Thanks to a tip from Kristan Kenney, I took a close look at the agreements embedded in the License folder of the latest leaked builds of Windows 7. This is no longer a beta license agreement and is presumably very close to the final agreement that customers will accept. The agreements for retail copies of Windows 7 Home Premium contain this eye-opening clause: Family Pack Clause

If you can’t read the screen shot, here’s the relevant section: “If you are a ‘Qualified Family Pack User’, you may install one copy of the software marked as ‘Family Pack’ on three computers in your household for use by people who reside there.” (And a proofreading note to Microsoft Legal: Fix the typo in the last sentence of that clause before RTM.) When I first wrote about Windows 7 pricing last month, I speculated that Microsoft was likely to have a program like this up its sleeve:

What else can we expect to see? Back in early 2007, Microsoft offered a so-called Family Discount for Windows Vista, which allowed anyone with a Vista Ultimate license to purchase two Home Premium upgrades for $49.99 each. I expect to see an improved version of the Family Discount this time around. If Microsoft wanted to aim directly at its archrival Apple, it could sell three Home Premium upgrade licenses (to be used only in a single home) for $199 or less.

ZDNET Blogs

[shreader]

Here is something about the OEM Upgrade program also:

Welcome to the Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program!
The Windows® 7 Upgrade Option Program enables licensed end users of selected Microsoft Windows Vista® operating system editions to obtain an upgrade license to the appropriate Windows 7 edition if the end user meets program qualifications.

If you received a Microsoft Offer Form as pictured here when you purchased your qualifying Windows Vista computer, you can order your upgrade on this Website at no additional cost to you.

Upgrades for qualifying orders will be shipped on DVD, beginning on the Windows 7 general availability date of 22 October 2009.



Source: https://windows7upgradeoption.com/Landing.aspx