As much as I love the new Windows 7 Ultimate on my Sony VAIO FW490, I have to admit that the USD$319.99 price tag is a bit too rich for my blood. According to MicrosoftStore.com, the full retail version of Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate are USD$199.99, USD$299.99, and USD$319.99, respectively. Here are some tips to help you get a LEGAL copy of Windows 7, without the need to sell your kidney.
1) If you own a copy of Windows Vista, you can obviously go for the upgrade version. The upgrade version of Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate are USD$119.99, USD$199.99, and USD$219.99, respectively. You CAN still do a clean install of Windows 7 using the upgrade disk; you just need to have your Windows Vista CDKEY handy.
2) Get the OEM version of Windows 7 from places like Newegg.com. The OEM prices for Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate are USD$109.99, USD$139.99, and USD$$189.99, respectively (before the pre-order discount, which ends October 20, 2009; so act now to save another $10-$15). Here is the catch: the OEM license does not allow transferring the operating system from one PC to another (the product key is tied to a single machine). Furthermore, an OEM copy doesn't come with any support and only allows performing a clean installation.
3) If you are a college student or faculty, you can purchase Windows 7 Home Premium at a discounted price of USD$29.99 here or here.
4) If you are working in the IT field or if you are a computer science or engineering student, you may be able to get a copy of Windows 7 for free through MSDN or MSDNAA. Of course, if you know what MSDN and MSDNAA stand for, you probably already know about this. If you have never heard of MSDN or MSDNAA, then you probably can ignore this as well.
5) Attend to or participate in the various Microsoft events, like the Windows 7 Launch Party or the New Efficiency Technical Briefing. Microsoft hosts events like these regularly, and would often give out product keys to attendees. So keep your eyes open!
6) For those proud owners of the Sony VAIO FW490, who purchased their machines after June 26, 2009, simply register your laptop at SonyStyle and you can receive a copy of Windows 7 for free when it comes out on October 22, 2009.
7) If you are eager to give Windows 7 a try, or just can't wait to get rid of Windows Vista before October 22, you can always download a copy from MSDN or other sources (keywords: en_windows_7_ultimate_x64_dvd_x15-65922.iso, en_windows_7_professional_x64_dvd_x15-65805.iso, en_windows_7_home_premium_x64_dvd_x15-65733.iso). Install Windows 7 as normal, but do NOT put in any CDKEY. You can then use the product LEGALLY for 30 days. You can even extend the trial period up to 120 days using a simple commend (slmgr.vbs –rearm). During the trial period, your Windows 7 is fully functional, and there is NO annoying pop-ups or intrusive activation reminders.
Hope this helps.
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