Most people buy a PC preinstalled with the edition of Windows that meets their unique needs. However, for some customers their needs may change over time.
With Windows Anytime Upgrade (or WAU), we make it super easy and convenient for the small number of customers who’s PC needs evolve to need a higher edition of Windows 7.
There are a couple of specific situations where we think WAU will prove useful:
Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium: $79.99
A customer may purchase a netbook thinking they would use primarily it for email. Over time, they find they are using that netbook as their primary every-day PC. That person decides they want their netbook to do more. If the netbook is running Windows 7 Starter (or Windows 7 Home Basic in select markets), WAU makes it super easy to upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium. Moving to Windows 7 Home Premium will allow that customer to take advantage of features such as Aero Peek and other enhanced functionality in the Windows Taskbar in Windows 7 such as Taskbar Previews. Desktop themes are also enabled and so is Remote Media Streaming.
Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional: $89.99
Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Ultimate: $139.99*
* You’ll note that we’ve reduced the price of moving from Home Premium to Ultimate 12% in the US as compared to Vista pricing
Another case where WAU may come in handy is when a person wants the ability to connect to a business network (a “domain”). Using WAU to move up to Windows 7 Professional enables the customer to take advantage of the ability to join a domain and use Windows XP Mode to run older programs. When using WAU to move to Windows 7 Ultimate, you’ll get everything from the other editions plus BitLocker to keep your USB devices encrypted and secure and the ability to run your PC in any of 35 different languages (via Language Packs).
After Windows 7 is released to market on October 22nd, you will be able to buy a retail package that contains an upgrade key at a store near you for any of the 3 paths I highlighted above.
If you live in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK or the US (13 countries) – you will be able to purchase the upgrade from Microsoft online directly within Windows 7.
Whether you buy a WAU retail package from a store or online directly within Windows 7, the upgrade takes as few as ten minutes. This is because it only requires an upgrade key (no media). Your current programs, files, and settings will remain intact.
For a rundown of the Windows Anytime Upgrade experience, click here.
Now let’s talk about the Windows 7 Family Pack. Last week I confirmed we were doing a family pack for Windows 7 consisting of Windows 7 Home Premium for installation on up to 3 PCs.
Today, most homes have more than one PC in them. When you run Windows 7 on more than one PC on a home network, you can do more with features like HomeGroup. HomeGroup allows people to connect to PCs on their network and share files, music and photos with the whole family – easily. The Windows 7 Family Pack is an easy and affordable way to get all your PCs in your household running Windows 7 through licensing to install Windows 7 Home Premium on up to 3 PCs.
The Windows 7 Family Pack will be available starting on October 22nd until supplies last here in the US and other select markets. In the US, the price for the Windows 7 Family Pack will be $149.99 for 3 Windows 7 Home Premium licenses. That’s a savings of more than $200 for three licenses. This is a great value and we’re excited to be able to offer it to customers.
I just wanted to take a moment and post a few quick reminders.
- The Windows 7 Beta expires on August 1st.
- The Release Candidate download ends on August 20th. You will still be able to get a product key beyond that date but, downloads will not be available. So if you have not downloaded the release candidate, please do so soon.
- Looking to start a Windows 7 deployment? Questions on application compatibility? Check out these key resources
As always, your key source for Discovering, Exploring, Piloting, Deploying and Managing Windows 7 are available on Springboard at www.microsoft.com/springboard.
For the latest tips and trick, follow us on Twitter at @MSspringboard
Hi, Mark Rogers here. I run the Software Ecosystem Team here at Microsoft. Building on Mike’s recent post on overall ecosystem readiness, I wanted give you a quick update on our progress helping developers get ready to serve the hundreds of millions of users of Windows with our next release.
We listened carefully to our partners on every continent, except maybe Antarctica, and overhauled our online content and tools for Windows 7. Millions of developers have been visiting the Windows Developer Center to take advantage of code samples, white papers, and tools. The team recently released the Windows 7 RC Training Kit for developers- which includes presentations, hands-on labs, and demos. Al Gillen recently released a whitepaper on Windows 7 and why developers should be considering this product now.
I also wanted to take a moment and highlight a new contest for developers called the Windows 7 Code Contest. The Windows 7 Code Contest is a worldwide contest recognizing and rewarding professional and hobbyist developers for applications showing off the features in Windows 7. Developers can prepare to innovate and Code to the Power of Windows 7! To sign up, developers can go here: www.Code7Contest.com. We made it easy to submit with short videos and submissions are already flowing in – I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
It’s exciting to see that, even before Windows 7 ships, we’re seeing software partners deliver products that are better with Windows 7 by taking advantage of new features. Here are a few examples.
Windows Touch and multi-touch features provide a natural, intuitive way for users to interact with PCs. Companies such as Roxio, Corel, and Cegid are all enabling Windows Touch in their applications. Roxio has been developing a range of applications and services designed for Windows 7 that use the full capabilities of our platform. Personally – my favorite is Roxio PhotoShow Touch. Here is what Michael Demeyer, Vice President of Corporate Products from Sonic Solutions, says about Windows 7 and Windows Touch:
We’re seeing new opportunities combining the power of online services with new features in Windows 7 such as Windows Touch. Our new PhotoShow Touch application on Windows 7 allows us to create an immersive and engaging experience for creating and editing slideshows with the touch of a finger. The new technology in Windows 7 has enabled us to shorten our time to market and expand our business as customers experience our new software first hand.
On the commercial side, we have Cegid Group who is integrating the desktop functionality, new functions, features, and gadgets of Windows 7 with its Cegid Business ERP product lines. Cegid takes advantage of the new Jump Lists, Search functions, and Windows Touch to connect people and information throughout the enterprise. Pierre Dianteill, Director of Marketing at Cegid Group, talks about early integration of Windows 7 in their products:
Cegid and Microsoft have a profound and long standing partnership providing both enterprise applications and vertical solutions to our mutual customers, world-wide. Cegid is a Microsoft Gold Partner and a consistent early adopter of Microsoft technologies. The early integration of Windows 7 within the Cegid Business ERP product lines demonstrates our on-going commitment to offer Microsoft based solutions delivering business value and competitive advantage to our customers.
Corel is taking advantage of new features in Windows 7 to deliver new and exciting ways for consumers to interact with creative software. New products in the works will support the newest features of Windows 7. Joe Roberts, Executive Vice President of Products at Corel, discusses bringing people closer to their content with Corel products and Windows 7:
Looking at the Windows 7 Release Candidate, one thing is absolutely clear — Microsoft has it right. With the introduction of Windows Touch technology, Corel has the opportunity to design an entirely new generation of consumer graphics and digital media applications that will enable users to create in more personal and exciting ways. We believe the user should always be at the center of the creative process. With the hands-on capabilities in Windows 7, we’re now able to foster more natural, connected interactions between people and their content, whether it is a favorite photo, video or digital painting.
Sensor and Location API’s in Windows 7 offer a platform for using sensor devices, such as light sensors or GPS sensors, to create environmental or location awareness in programs. FullArmor delivered a software-plus-services offering called PolicyPortal which utilized Windows Azure services for scale, and used sensor APIs in Windows 7 for location based tracking for theft deterrence and management, reducing hardware requirements and training, which directly reduced the cost of deploying the solution. Here is what Danny Kim, CTO of FullArmor, has to say about their products and Windows 7:
Our goal with Windows 7 is to help our customers reduce costs and extend the Windows platform to provide greater value. Our solution, PolicyPortal, is a service that runs on Windows Azure to manage laptops running all flavors of Windows Client, including Windows 7. We believe the combination of PolicyPortal on Windows Azure, and Windows 7 is a great combination to lower costs for our customers while increasing functionality.
Software and hardware companies are also taking advantage of Shell Integration to be more discoverable, informative and interactive. Nuance is leveraging new technology in Windows 7 to revolutionizing the way people scan, search, edit and store paper. Windows 7 lets Nuance make scanning easy and accessible – just a click away within Windows Explorer. Nuance PDF Converter lets us make converting from paper or PDF into Microsoft Office formats as easy as a single click with Jump Lists, and makes it possible to search and find scanned documents as easy and as integrated as searching your Microsoft Office files. Here is what Robert Weideman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Nuance’s Document Imaging Division, says:
Since 1999, Nuance and Microsoft have partnered to help users and organizations overcome barriers to productivity cause by paper. With Windows 7 we have dramatically magnified the benefits of that partnership, to the benefit of all users. Scanning has never been so easy, converting documents never so valuable, and the user experience never so compelling. The combination of Nuance imaging applications on Windows 7 will make everyone believe in the Green Office.
The best part of my job is seeing all the new investment in Windows 7! There are many other partners getting ready for Windows 7 – please visit www.readyset7.com to learn more or simply see what they are saying here.
For those of you who have been waiting for this, I won’t make you read any further. You can download these bits for the Hopper Test Tool. The current version is compatible with Windows Mobile 6.0, 6.1, and 6.5. The previous version of Hopper is not supported for Windows Mobile 6.5.
Hopper is a software test tool that simulates input stress on Windows Mobile powered devices. Hopper will stress all applications that are available through the menu system by rapidly sending keystrokes and screen taps in a random fashion. By sending a large number of user inputs very rapidly, Hopper can quickly isolate troublesome scenarios and find bugs in your applications.
It is very important to begin Hopper testing early in your development cycle, as application defects found early in the development cycle are easier to fix and provide a stable base to build the rest of your application. Sometimes, bugs found by Hopper are very difficult to find and fix, but their value should not be underestimated. Hopper will help you find system and application scenarios that you may not have thought of.
The power of Hopper lies in its ability to very rapidly send random inputs to the system. This ability is also what makes Hopper debugging challenging, since it is often difficult to find simple user reproductions.
The Hopper Test is required for Windows Marketplace for Mobile application certification. The application must complete two hours of the Hopper test without exhibiting unpredictable behavior, hanging or crashing. As of this blog date there is currently a typo in the Application Submission Guidelines document, which states that Hopper version 2.0.24.7025 is required. The corrected text should refer to version 2.0.24.2359.
Also of note in the guidelines is that a focus application will need to be customized and deployed to the device prior to running Hopper. This will ensure that Hopper’s main focus is on the target application. More information on how to create a focus application is available here. A third party Managed FocusApp solution has also been released by Simon Hackfort and Peter Nowak on CodePlex.
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As we’ve been saying for a while, we continue hearing feedback from our customers that they are excited to test and deploy Windows 7. Baker Tilly, an accountancy firm in the UK, has taken this to the next level and has already completed deploying Windows 7 across their infrastructure. I chatted with Simon Harding-Rolls, Director of IT at Baker Tilly, to get more information on their Windows 7 deployment.
Rich Reynolds: What operating system was Baker Tilly using before their Windows 7 deployment?
Simon Harding-Rolls: Windows XP. This formed the basis of what we called "Standard Build 4" which was deployed to all desktops and laptops used throughout the firm.
We have a policy to standardise and commoditise the provision of IT as much as possible hence the imaginatively named "Standard Build."
Rich Reynolds: Why did Baker Tilly choose to deploy Windows 7?
Simon Harding-Rolls: We needed to change, feeling that there was little more business benefit we could squeeze out of XP. After evaluating the beta versions of Windows 7 we found it to be robust, compatible with the vast majority of our applications and delivering greater performance. This was the platform we needed for (an also imaginatively named) "Standard Build 5."
Rich Reynolds: How many seats of Windows 7 did you deploy?
Simon Harding-Rolls: We have deployed to 2,318 seats over some 30 sites.
Rich Reynolds: When did you complete your deployment?
Simon Harding-Rolls: Deployment was organised by site with the last being "hit" on 17th July.
Rich Reynolds: What version of Windows 7 are you running? Assuming you’re using Windows 7 RC, when will you upgrade to the final version of Windows 7?
Simon Harding-Rolls: We have based our "Standard Build 5" on the Enterprise Edition of Windows 7 and deployed using build number 7201. This contains a number of improvements on the standard RC and was released just in time for us to deploy – but only just! A little midnight oil was required to assimilate it into our build and complete our regression testing. We plan to deploy the final version of Windows 7 during November at the same time we are rolling out Windows Server 2008 R2.
Rich Reynolds: How long did it take you to deploy Windows 7?
Simon Harding-Rolls: We deployed the system to the first site on 22nd June, so the whole task took exactly four weeks. All the work was done outside of normal office hours so as to minimise the disruption to our users. About three hours of evening effort was required for a site of about 100 users.
Rich Reynolds: I believe Baker Tilly has a strong partnership with Dell; how did this partnership enhance your Windows 7 deployment experience?
Simon Harding-Rolls: Our relationship with Dell was absolutely crucial in that it gave us access to the technical resources and knowledge we needed to ensure the project’s success.
Rich Reynolds: What steps did you take before deploying Windows 7? Any application compatibility testing? Did you have an IT Solutions provider help outline your deployment process?
Simon Harding-Rolls: Preparation started in February and involved detailed planning, prioritising which benefits we were attempting to realise for our users, developing test builds, deploying these to a selection of users representative of the different disciplines within the firm as well as our own formal testing. Application testing started early by completing the tests and developing regression test plans under Vista. These were then ported to the release candidate when it became available. We have a long tradition of "self sufficiency" and therefore did not employ an "IT Solutions Provider.”
Rich Reynolds: Did you use any tools to help deploy Windows 7 across your infrastructure?
Simon Harding-Rolls: CA’s Unicenter, which we have used for many years.
Rich Reynolds: Did you encounter any issues with your Windows 7 deployment? How did you overcome them?
Simon Harding-Rolls: We didn’t hit any significant issues during the deployment itself. This was almost entirely down to the amount of testing we had performed prior to pressing the "green button.” Prior to the deployment there were, as you would expect, a number of issues particularly with the early builds of Windows 7: functionality not behaving quite as expected and some application compatibility issues. The former were overcome with assistance from Dell and Microsoft and the latter issues have mostly been resolved in more recent builds of Windows 7. Where this has not proved possible in the time allowed, we have deployed Terminal Server based solutions as a temporary measure to cover a couple of apps whilst the suppliers are making their software fully compatible.
Rich Reynolds: What benefits are you expecting from Windows 7? Cost savings? Energy efficiencies?
Simon Harding-Rolls: While there will be cost and energy savings, these are not our prime drivers. Windows 7 delivers greater performance and flexibility to our users. That means they can do more, wherever and whenever is most appropriate to meet the needs of our clients.
Rich Reynolds: Have you seen any benefits from your Windows 7 deployment already?
Simon Harding-Rolls: Thus far we have received over 300 emails from users. Over 70% have mentioned improved performance. That’s without any prompting!
Rich Reynolds: Are there specific features you expect may save your company money?
Simon Harding-Rolls: We will be deploying DirectAccess, BitLocker and BranchCache later this year. Again, rather than pure cost saving, we will be looking to maximise the performance and flexibility of the system for our users enabling them to be more responsive to our clients’ needs.
Rich Reynolds: What is your favourite Windows 7 feature?
Simon Harding-Rolls: As a partner: more productive members of staff. As Director of IT: a system that is manageable. As a user: I just love the uncluttered task bar!
Rich Reynolds: Are you using Windows Server 2008 or planning to migrate to Windows Server 2008 R2?
Simon Harding-Rolls: We are currently using both 2008 and 2008 R2 for specific production tasks. We plan to standardise our estate on R2 with the migration projects currently in development / testing with deployment planned for November.
Rich Reynolds: Are you using Internet Explorer 8?
Simon Harding-Rolls: Yes – and the users love it, both for its speed and tabbed browsing.
Rich Reynolds: What advice would you give to another corporation looking to move to Windows 7?
Simon Harding-Rolls: I’d love to say "go for it,” but every corporation’s needs will be different as will their resources. For us, having seen the results of our initial evaluation, the decision was a no-brainer. In our case, programme and project risk was identified as coming from the scale of the enterprise and NOT from the fact that we were deploying new or "bleeding edge" technology. If you do "go for it,” at the risk of stating the obvious: plan, develop, test, test again and DON’T take steps that are too big – it’s just like climbing Everest really!
Rich Reynolds: Thanks for your time, Simon!
To the other Windows 7 early adopters out there: leave a comment and let us know how you’re deployment is going. We love hearing from you and would be happy to share your story.
Die Produkteinführung von Windows 7 , Windows Server 2008 R2 und Exchange Server 2010 wirft ihre Schatten voraus. Viele haben mich über mein Blog schon gefragt. Seit heute kann ich auch die Antwort geben. Unter dem Motto “Effizienz neu definiert” wird…(read more)
Last week, I blogged that members of the Windows Technical Beta Program would not be receiving a complimentary copy of Windows 7. Normally I hate to be wrong but in this case, I’m stoked that I am.
To show our appreciation, members of the invitation-only Windows 7 Technical Beta Program will be eligible for a free, final copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. For more information on how to take advantage of this, refer to Paul’s post in the .Beta_Program newsgroup for details.
Tell Paul that Brandon sent you – and be sure to thank him!
Nachdem ich mittlerweile täglich Mails bezüglich der Verfügbarkeit von Windows 7 in der MSDN Academic Alliance erhalte, habe ich bei Julia Maintz nachgefragt. Sie betreut bei uns MSDN AA und sagt: “Windows 7 RTM wird ab Mitte August verfügbar sein über…(read more)
Gastbeitrag von Georg Binder , selbständiger IT-Dienstleister und Autor von windowsblog.at . Eine der öfter gestellten Fragen zur Vorschau in der Taskleiste von Vista bzw. Windows 7: “Warum sieht man manche Office Applikationen in der Taskbar Preview…(read more)
Xavier Lauwaert here. We at Sony are excited to welcome the arrival of Windows 7 with its performance, ease of use and connectivity innovations. Indeed, pre-release reviews and engineering investigations show that Windows 7 is in line with industry needs and end user requests for an operating system that is leaner, faster, easier to use and more connected.
These last months we have been working with Microsoft to ensure that not only the operating system but also our PCs create a symbiotic effect whereby end user usage models are optimized. The end result is an improvement in day-to-day life performance as well as simply making the PC more fun to use. We live in a very PC-centric and connected world and Windows 7 addresses both these needs.
With households increasingly switching from desktops to notebooks and even having more than one PC, the concept of mobility and connectivity increases in importance. At the same time, Windows 7 is built on a solid foundation. Be it a netbook or a mainstream notebook, we expect to deliver unprecedented performance and connectivity options through Windows 7. Faster boot up times, improved battery life and the ability to stream your contents through the “Play To” feature will not only make the PC omnipresent but Windows 7 will also bring content “to life”.
Windows 7 will provide new solutions and expectations and we look forward to leveraging this release on our platforms.
Xavier Lauwaert
Senior Manager Product Marketing at Sony
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