Win7 Release date - Oct 12

[valis]

is there any difference between the upgrade version and "full version"?
I have winxp, and would like to get the win7 upgrade for 49 dollars... I knwo i have to do a clean installl but that doesnt matter to me.
but is there a difference??
thanks

If you have a valid Xp/Vista license that you won't be using (when you move to Win7) then get the upgrade. There may be some 'upgrade' scripting missing from full retail media (as you won't be using it to upgrade eh) but otherwise I wouldn't expect any differences in what winds up installed.

Also--I can't verify this will work right now--but a lot of people used Vista 'upgrades' by installing it, not activating, then installing over the top (of itself) again, then activating. This was widely reported, as for example in this article. I've got enough XP install CD's here that I shouldn't have a problem doing a 'clean' install, but for someone who may only have Vista (less likely here on PlanetZ I think) this may be a good way to get Win7 'clean' (without any Vista detritus that would be left even if you simply did a clean Vista install before.)

[kylie]

is there any difference between the upgrade version and "full version"?
I have winxp, and would like to get the win7 upgrade for 49 dollars... I knwo i have to do a clean installl but that doesnt matter to me.
but is there a difference??
thanks

Microsoft designed Windows 7 Upgrade media for Windows Vista. A customer with Windows XP can purchase Windows 7 Upgrade media but must back up their files, clean install, and then reinstall their applications.

I would read that like "yes, you can buy it, and you can even install it". don't know if there is a restriction like "you can only upgrade to win 7 home premium from xp home, and if you have xp pro you can only go win7 professional" or the like, but time will tell, I think.

valis, thanks for the link. I'm still curious if the system builder edition will still contain both disks, and if the keys tied to it will activate both a 32 or 64bit installation.
you can preorder vista SB with win7 upgrade option (at amazon, for instance) but you have to choose 32bit or 64bit (for vista). and there is a sidenote that reads:

Der Umstieg von Windows Vista auf Windows 7 ist ausschließlich gültig auf die gleiche Edition, Sprachversion und Software Architektur (32/64-Bit).
that is:
Upgrade from Vista to Win7 is only valid for same edition, language version and software architecture (32/64bit)

[valis]

OEM/System Builder copies are restricted in many ways the retail copies are not, so it's really hard to say without more information. My guess would be that it's a restriction tied to the OEM/SB upgrade process, not to the retail upgrades. But you are correct, only time will tell.

[kylie]

but especially "the 32 or 64bit" restriction is most ridiculous, even more when you consider that the upgrade for people who bought vista with a new computer are tied to an architecture as well, and they do have an OEM version preinstalled. why does upgrading provides both architectures while a new bought oem edition (which is slightly more expensive) is restricted to the vista version the upgrade coupon comes with? well, we'll still have to see win7 only system builder copies, when they hit the stores. for now, you can only buy vista with the right to upgrade. maybe this is, again, a special case...

[valis]

This is my impression, but I have no information beyond what you can read yourself online:

Retail upgrades are meant to go out to the general public, and so both editions come with that upgrade because of its 'retail' status. Retail versions of many tech products tend to have full packaging & other included niceties that the 'OEM' versions do not (cpu's come with heatsinks, software has full shelf packaging etc). Also having both versions in a retail package will eliminate confusion for customers who go to Best Buy/Costco etc and have no real idea what that even means. Give them an extra $1 disk and avoid the potential confusion for retailers & annoyed customers, calls to MS etc.

We all know the reality is that the 'D.I.Y.' PC market is one of constant hardware rotation & people purchasing SB editions because they built their own (and it's cheaper). But I think that the OEM/SB versions that are available in online outlets are not for our convenience alone, they're there to keep the impression that the PC market is a 'level playing field' when MS products are concerned and keep MS products in front of customers so people stay in the MS ecosystem. I think MS tolerates 'pirated' copies at the consumer end for similar reasons, give people an immediate need to change and you're likely to be fueling the adoption of open source software instead of 'ignoring' the problem and allowing those customers to keep MS's OSes as the dominant paradigm.

OEM (& by extension system builder) licensing is built around the idea that the customer gets whatever comes with the base system, and the "Systems Integrator" or VAR (Value Added Reseller--Dell, HP etc) handles all support and will be upgrading that same base system, etc. So they will know what your original OS version was, and provide the appropriate upgrade (options). Since the OEM/SB version is tied to the hardware it came with, and 32bit systems wouldn't be upgrading hardware & software at the same time and still be the 'original' system that the OEM licensing is (in theory) tied to.

Just my words & impressions and I just typed my thoughts out fast off the cuff so I'm not even sure what I wrote there without re-reading it, so hopefully that makes some kind of sense.

[kylie]

what bothers me is that the "upgrade" we speak of seems to be retail upgrade version that nevertheless entitles you to upgrade from a OEM/SB version.
I would understand the whole thing better if you could upgrade from a retail box only, _or_ receive an OEM upgrade that is restricted to the architecture of the system you bought.

it's the mixture that makes it so confusing (at least for me)...

[mikephillip17]

Win7 is an upgraded version of vista so I don't think you can simply upgrade your window(xp). You need to install win7 I guess. What you people think about this. Plz do reply me back..

[valis]

That's in regards to the actual 'installation' process for the upgrade media. I've read MS's statements that Win7 from Xp will "back up your files and perform a fresh installation of Windows" rather than an in-place upgrade. Where it moves existing files to, I'm not sure. (Ie, the same partition or the 'backup' partition that Win7 also insists on creating now?) Vista can be an in-place upgrade but I personally like fresh installs.

The former discussion was about licensing, but honestly i can't see someone breaking down your door for applying a retail upgrade to an OEM license. Usually if there's something 'wrong' you just call the number and go through the process with them. I've found they'll ask you questions but rarely deny you the actual activation.

In regards to using an 'upgrade' to get a 'fresh' install (my preference) with Vista Sp1 & Vista (and I think even XP) Upgrade media, you can install the 'upgrade' over itself by avoid activating the first time (or just prevent the OS from seeing the net). Then perform the 'upgrade' to the existing installation, and it will activate automatically. The first installation would have asked for an existing product key to upgrade from, or existing media or an existing install on the disk of the previous OS. The last route seems to 'see' itself as the existing install of a former OS...and some people used this as a method to avoid having to do anything but deal with that one install media (ie, no need to fumble with old product keys or CDs.)

I also like to dump my installation DVD or CD onto an external drive's partition (or USB thumb drive). With fast enough USB media (or a firewire drive etc) you can do both installs in less time than the single install would have taken from a DVD (from DVD Windows7 actually dumps all of the files onto the drive after any formatting of the partition to speed up the install process.)

[braincell]

It will backup your files if there is enough space, also it does not delete and format the hard drive.