Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft
Family Pack license for Windows 7 could cover 3 machines on the cheap
by Lee Mathews Jul 2nd 2009 at 8:36AM
Got three computers at home? There is reason to believe that Microsoft will let you license Windows 7 on all of them for a very competitive price.In recent leaked RTM branch builds of WIndows 7 Home Premium, there's been an interesting language chance in the license agreement under "Installation Use and Rights":
b. Family Pack. 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. Those computers are the "licensed computers" and are subject to these license terms. If you do not know whether you are a Qualified Family Pack User, visit go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Linkid=141399 or contact the Microsoft affiliate serving your country.No, the link doesn't work yet, but this seems to indicate that Microsoft is going to offer a multi-license pack of Windows 7 Home Premium. Other builds (Ultimate, Pro, etc.) don't contain the Family Pack wording.
It makes sense for several reasons. First, Microsoft offered a similar deal for Vista upgrades when it was released - a two pack for $49.99. Second, they use this strategy to push Office 2007 with the Home and Student edition. Third, Apple does it with Leopard and at one hell of a price: $199 for up to five Macs under the same roof.
CNet's Ed Bott predicts Microsoft will undercut Apple slightly and we'll see the Family Pack priced at $189.99, though it will likely cover three machines as the Office license does.
[via Kristan Kenney]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
sjones411 said 9:04AM on 7-02-2009
Apple will be selling Snow Leopard for $50 for 5 users when Windows 7 ships. That's not undercutting, that's almost four times the price for two less licenses.
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Malteserr said 9:22AM on 7-02-2009
Yeah, but have fun paying three times for the hardware.
sitruc said 9:23AM on 7-02-2009
Face meet palm
JoePalma said 1:21PM on 7-02-2009
Snow Leopard is hardly as ground breaking a release as Windows 7. Snow Leopard is to Leopard as service pack 2 is to Vista, it makes it smaller and slightly faster. At least Microsoft doesn't charge you 50$ for a damn service pack.
sjones411 said 2:00PM on 7-02-2009
Are you guys serious? Take off your fanboy-goggles for a minute and actually read what I wrote. I simply pointed out that at Windows 7's release, Leopard won't be the latest Apple OS release, Snow Leopard will be, and so it would be inaccurate to say that Microsoft is undercutting Apple. Nowhere did I say that Snow Leopard would be a better upgrade, that Windows 7 sucks, that Macs are a better value, or any other comment of the sort.
If someone says something negative about your Operating System of choice, don't jump to the conclusion that they're a fanboy in the other camp. I wrote that post on the Windows 7 RC, on my Lenovo Tablet PC. I also own a Windows Vista HTPC, a linux server, and an iMac. *Gasp!* You heard right, there's a computer user out there who's actually able to use and enjoy more than one OS, without turning the whole thing into a religious debate.
Computers are tools, and should be treated as such. Don't start a huge religious debate just because someone points out that your OS upgrade costs more than an alternative.
MK said 3:31PM on 7-02-2009
Duh, nobody making it religious but you.
BugMeNot said 8:17AM on 7-03-2009
The point is...
That offer is for a full license, not an upgrade. Just like the 5-pack leopard one (which is better value in the end).
And Snow Leopard is as much of an SP to Leopard as 7 is to Vista. Both are being released mainly to address (perceived?) performance opportunities/issues...
/ using XP and Tiger at home, btw :p
Lee Mathews said 8:18AM on 7-03-2009
What about the 14,000,000 license pack from Ubuntu? It's $0!!
Sorry, no one else posted a Linux comment yet so I figured we should add one....
Demo said 9:51AM on 7-02-2009
Will this be for upgrades only or full versions?
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Jon said 10:13AM on 7-02-2009
They should have a 1/2 off sale pre order now on this : )
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ShadowGod said 4:29PM on 7-02-2009
Very cool. But what I want is FULL versions, not upgrades. If they sell a FULL version 3-pc "family pack" for $300 or less, it's a no brainer ... I want it now.
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adrian said 2:24PM on 7-09-2009
Can you preorder this family pack? I didn't see any pricing offer yet for that.
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