by Andy Brudtkuhl on June 25, 2009
To put this in context – Apple is releasing their new OS Snow Leopard for $29. There are no other versions – just the OS for $29. Okay.
Now you’d think Microsoft would have learned from the marketing debacle that was Vista. Here’s the pricing info for Windows 7, announced today.
These estimated retail prices for upgrade packaged retail product of Windows 7 in the U.S. are:
- Windows 7 Home Premium (Upgrade): $119.99
- Windows 7 Professional (Upgrade): $199.99
- Windows 7 Ultimate (Upgrade): $219.99
And the estimated retail prices for full packaged retail product of Windows 7 in the U.S. are:
- Windows 7 Home Premium (Full): $199.99
- Windows 7 Professional (Full): $299.99
- Windows 7 Ultimate (Full): $319.99
Confused yet? So am I.
I have a MacBook and a PC. I’ll definitely be upgrading to Snow Leopard. But there is no way I am $220 to upgrade my Vista Ultimate machine to Windows 7 Ultimate – if that’s even the right upgrade path. But if you want to – it will be available on October 22!
Oh Microsoft haven’t you figured out that less is more? Why so many choices? At least the case is easy to open.
Real Time Discussion (RSS Readers Click Through)
by Andy Brudtkuhl on June 8, 2009
Awhile ago I addressed the myriad of choices that is Microsoft Windows versioning and how they need to learn a lesson for the Windows 7 launch.
The same goes with pricing… Apple announced today the upgrade to Snow Leopard will be $29…
Microsoft – can you match that for a Windows 7 upgrade? Or will it be $300 for the Ultimate version?
In many cases it’s as expensive to buy a new PC to get a Windows upgrade… Don’t you see a problem with that?
by Andy Brudtkuhl on March 30, 2009
Don’t get me wrong – I love Vista. It was a huge upgrade from WinXP. Unfortunately the media has turned it into a monster – which had drastic effect on sale and helped to boost sales of OSX and Apple hardware. The problem is not the software itself – it runs great, fast, and has many killer differentiating features.
The biggest problem on the Vista marketing front was the myriad of versions that they had for sale. In an era where less is more, offering half a dozen different versions of software served only to confuse potential buyers.
Take a lesson from Apple and don’t version your product – as much. While in B-School we were pressed to learn versioning principles and the “Goldilocks” theory of pricing. In consumer software I really don’t think it works (enterprise / SMB market is a different animal). Less is more.
Here’s a tip for Microsoft – which could be huge. Offer two versions of Windows 7 – Lite and Pro. Windows Lite should be a low cost, small footprint version – for $99 – that would run on a Netbook or older hardware. Windows 7 Pro can be the full fledged version at $199.
Both are priced to sell and easily distinguishable from each other. C’mon Microsoft – learn your lesson.
by Andy Brudtkuhl on December 1, 2008
by Andy Brudtkuhl on June 9, 2008
As the dust settles from Steve’s latest presentation we are left with what everyone was expectinng – a 3G iPhone. With all the bells and whistles out on the table, I leave you with nine things missing from this latest announcement. I’m not saying these features have been left out or will never be included – I just wish they were included.
(If they were announced and I missed it let me know in the comments).
What features are missing from the 3G iPhone?
- Multimedia Messaging (MMS)
- Video Capabilities (Should I buy a Flip Video or wait to see if iPhone has equivalent functionality?)
- Ability to use as a modem (something I can do with my BlackJack) so I can use the built-in 3G on my MacBook
- No mentions of iChat integration, but I think it is safe to assume this will be included with the “push” technologies or 3rd-party apps
- Ability to cut and paste (a rumored feature)
- Removeable / Expandable Storage
- Stereo Bluetooth
- Flash Support
- Audio Recording
What do you think is missing? Let us know in the comments.
Technorati Tags: 3G iPhone, iPhone 2.0
