There’s no doubt, at least in my mind, that Windows 7 is a very worthwhile upgrade from XP or Vista. But, as October 22nd approaches, we should start thinking seriously about when we should get it and how much we should be paying for it.
The early adopter
If you are an early adopter and don’t already have a copy of Windows 7 through a volume licensing program such as the action pack, then let’s face it you’re used to paying over the odds. But if you’ve been lucky or savvy you’ve already bought your copy on Amazon or another website offering the, since expired, pre-order price of £50 per copy. This in my mind offers great value for money.
If you haven’t done this then you can still get a decent deal. Amazon UK is offering Windows 7 Home Premium for under £65 which is, frankly, close to the maximum I’d consider paying for it.
Families and Friends
If you have more than one PC in your home then it’s worth waiting for the launch of the family pack. This will give you three licences to Windows 7 Home Premium for £50 ($50) each. Excellent value for money and, let’s face it, most households will have more than one PC. You might consider buying a family pack with friends to save money there too.
Students
If you’re a student and have a .ac email address then, frankly, you’d be an idiot not to take full advantage of Microsoft’s student offer on Windows 7. You can buy a full copy of Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional for only £30 ($30). This offer runs until January 2010.
Buying a new PC in the next year?
If you plan to replace your PC in the next twelve months, then, honestly, I’d wait and get Windows 7 then. There’s no point whatsoever in forking out money now for something you’ll only get, essentially for free, later on.
Everyone else
If you don’t fit into any of the above categories you’ll still be able to buy Windows 7 cheaply, but you may have to wait until 2010. Websites such as Dabs usually sell OEM copies of Windows cheaply, usually about £80 but you won’t get any product support from Microsoft, which, let’s face it, you probably won’t miss.
Another way to get a cheap copy of Windows 7, and again you’ll probably have to wait for a while, is your local computer fair. These are a great place to find cheap software and hardware.
Finally, and if there’s still any left, Microsoft are offering 90-day trial versions of Windows 7 Enterprise. This is long-enough to tide you over until you can get a copy from elsewhere.
So there’s plenty of places you can get Windows 7 without paying over the odds for it. As always I’d advise avoiding illegal (cracked) copies. Microsoft are all over piracy and you can be certain that one day soon, and just you when you least want it to, Windows Genuine Advantage will render your PC unusable until you pay £180 for a full copy.
Don’t have nightmares 
