Resellers reveal Windows 7 Family Pack price

IDG News Service — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:18:47 -0400

Microsoft Corp. will price a multi-license "family pack" for Windows 7 at $149.99, according to at least one online retailer that has posted pricing details prematurely.

Fadfusion.com, a Missouri-based online seller of computers, electronics and office supplies, lists something called "W7 Family Pack - Home Prem Upg" on its site for $138.99, an $11 discount from the $149.99 it claims is the package's suggested retail price.

The software, which will purportedly let users upgrade as many as three PCs in a single household to Windows 7 Home Premium, is listed as "discontinued" by Fadfusion.

At $149.99, the Family Pack would save a buyer $210 over three separate Home Premium Upgrades.

Earlier today, ZDNet blogger Ed Bott reported finding two other resellers, Expercom and University IT Computer Sales listing Windows 7 Family Pack, at prices of $136.95 and $144.95, respectively. As of mid-day Wednesday, however, both sites had pulled their Family Pack listing.

Searches by Computerworld later Wednesday turned up the Fadfusion listing, which was still available as of 6 a.m. Eastern time today.

Price was one of the last missing pieces from the puzzle. Last Thursday, Bott and another blogger, Kristan Kenney, uncovered information about the Family Pack, including the three-license limits, in the end-user licensing agreement (EULA) of a recently leaked build of Windows 7.

Microsoft has declined to confirm or deny that it would offer a Family Pack for Windows 7. "We expect to have other great offers in the future as we lead up to and beyond general availability," a spokeswoman said via instant messaging two weeks ago. "[But] we have nothing to announce at this time."

In 2007, the company sold a two-license Family Pack for Vista Home Premium for $159. The catch: Customers had to have also purchased a full or upgrade edition of Vista Ultimate, the most-expensive version in the line.

At Fadfusion's suggested list price, a Windows 7 Family Pack comes to $50 per license, a 38% decrease from the $80 per license for the Vista bundle.

Bott also dug up prices for various versions of the Windows Anytime Upgrade, the in-place upgrade Microsoft will offer that lets users bump up from, say, Home Premium to Professional by purchasing an unlocking key. Several of those product listings were viewable late Wednesday. PC Mall, for example, has the Home Premium to Professional Anytime Upgrade priced at $99.99, while PC Nation lists it for $92.55. Computerworld found a third reseller, eCost.com, that showed the same Anytime Upgrade for $94.99.

If accurate, the prices show that Microsoft will not give users much of a discount to upgrade once they have Windows 7. At suggested list prices, there's an $80 difference between Home Premium Upgrade and Professional Upgrade, and $100 between the two "Full" editions.

Microsoft also prices the three-license Office Home and Student 2007 at $149.95.