Amazon lists prices & Jan 30 availability for Windows Vista

Perhaps it's a cock-up but more likely it's a ruse by Microsoft and Amazon USA to help convince the world that retail versions of Windows Vista will actually be arriving at some time in the foreseeable future (honest, truly, for sure, really!).

Whatever the reason, Amazon is now carrying a full list of prices for 16 (yes, sixteen!) different flavours of Vista and taking pre-orders, with availability slated for January 30, 2007.

Prices for the DVD-based installers - all listed below - include free shipping and range from US $100 for Vista Home Basic Upgrade to $399 for Vista Ultimate.

Watch out, though, for No.13. Unluckily, that $40 offering is NOT an ultra low-cost version of Vista - it's a bit of software that was trapped by our search on Amazon. There is, however, one "bargain-basement" version - No. 8, Vista Home Basic Upgrade Additional License - which we presume is aimed at households with multiple PCs and appears to offer a whopping $10 saving over the one-off standalone version, Vista Home Basic Upgrade.

1. Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate DVD-Rom (Windows XP)
Buy new: $399.00 Available for Pre-order

2. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium DVD-Rom (Windows XP)
Buy new: $239.00 Available for Pre-order

3. Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade DVD-Rom (Windows XP)
Buy new: $259.00 Available for Pre-order

4. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade DVD-Rom (Windows XP)
Buy new: $159.00 Available for Pre-order

5. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Microsoft License Pack Additional License (Windows XP)
Buy new: $215.00 Available for Pre-order

6. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Upgrade DVD-Rom (Windows XP)
Buy new: $99.95 Available for Pre-order

7. Microsoft Windows Vista Business Upgrade Microsoft License Pack Additional License (Windows XP)
Buy new: $179.00 Available for Pre-order

8. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Upgrade Microsoft License Pack Additional License (Windows XP)
Buy new: $89.95 Available for Pre-order

9. Microsoft Windows Vista Business Upgrade DVD-Rom (Windows XP)
Buy new: $199.00 Available for Pre-order

10. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Microsoft License Pack Additional License (Windows XP)
Buy new: $179.00 Available for Pre-order

11. Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Microsoft License Pack Additional License (Windows XP)
Buy new: $359.00 Available for Pre-order

12. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade Microsoft License Pack Additional License (Windows XP)
Buy new: $143.00 Available for Pre-order

13. VistaPro Renderer (Windows 2000 / 95 / 98 / Me / XP) [Odd man out. Not a copy of Vista!]
Buy new: $40.00 In Stock
Used & new from $19.90

14. Microsoft Windows Vista Business Microsoft License Pack Additional License (Windows XP)
Buy new: $269.00 Available for Pre-order

15. Microsoft Windows Vista Business DVD-Rom (Windows XP)
Buy new: $299.00 Available for Pre-order

16. Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade Microsoft License Pack Additional License (Windows XP)
Buy new: $233.00 Available for Pre-order

17. Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic DVD-Rom (Windows XP)
Buy new: $199.00 Available for Pre-order

UK prices? Sorry, haven't a clue because, as these pages from Amazon UK and Amazon USA show, there looks to be no logical relationship between UK and US pricing on Amazon - well, certainly not for Windows XP at any rate, so possibly not for Vista, either.

We've also no firm ideas about UK availability but would hazard a guess that if it's Jan 30 in the States, then it might be about the same time in the UK. Naturally, we'll try to let you know as soon as we find out anything vaguely definite about pricing and availability.

So, do you reckon Vista really will be available retail (in the USA, anyway) on Jan 30? And, if so, how do the prices strike you (the current conversion rate is US$1= £0.526882)? Share your thoughts in this thread in the HEXUS.lifestyle.news forum.

HEXUS.links

HEXUS.community :: discussion thread about this article
HEXUS.lifestyle.headlines :: CTS - 2006 :: Windows Vista to be delayed again, according to MS
HEXUS.lifestyle.headlines :: Heads start to roll over Windows Vista delay but will that help?

External.links

Amazon USA - Vista pricing/availability/pre-orders
Amazon USA - Windows XP pricing and availability
Amazon UK - Windows XP pricing and availability

HEXUS Forums :: 14 Comments

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Posted by Parm - Tue 29 Aug 2006 15:52

3. Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade DVD-Rom (Windows XP)
Buy new: $259.00 Available for Pre-order

That'd be the one for me and it seems pretty reasonable I think.

Posted by Consumption - Tue 29 Aug 2006 15:55

Parm
3. Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade DVD-Rom (Windows XP)
Buy new: $259.00 Available for Pre-order

That'd be the one for me and it seems pretty reasonable I think.

What's the difference between the Ultimate Upgrade at $259 and Ultimate DVD-Rom at $399?

Posted by Parm - Tue 29 Aug 2006 15:57

I don't know for certain but my understanding was that the Ultimate DVD was for new customers and the Ultimate Upgrade DVD being for those who are upgrading from legitimate versions of Windows XP.

Posted by Bob Crabtree - Tue 29 Aug 2006 16:14

Parm
I don't know for certain but my understanding was that the Ultimate DVD was for new customers and the Ultimate Upgrade DVD being for those who are upgrading from legitimate versions of Windows XP.

That would be my expectation, too.

Have to say, though, that if I was a retailer, I'd be pretty hacked off at being expected to stock 16 versions of XP.

Posted by Bull Dog - Tue 29 Aug 2006 17:08

MS should have kept it down to 3 versions—maybe 4 TOPS.

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