Windows Vista Ultimate: $450 US? | The Coffeehouse

MvTCracker

We have absolutely no way of confirming the information ourselves, but according to iTWire, we can expect to really pay out the nose for the most ultimate version of Windows ever conceived, Windows Vista Ultimate. Like, say, something to the tune of $450 US. Yeah, we know that's a lot, but we're assuming that's for the single-license full install retail MSRP; and when you consider the fact that the single-license full install retail MSRP of XP Pro is still $300 US, it's not too drastically unrealistic. Don't get us wrong, we're not exactly endorsing snapping up operating systems that cost more than the machines they run on but, you know, it is Ultimate freaking Vista, dude. Oh, and apparently Office 2007 Ultimate will set you back $679 US, too. Don't get dizzy now, just get your company to pick 'em up for you and you'll be well on your way to the Ultimate Microsoft suite which might have otherwise been used to put a nice down payment on a private jet.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/30/windows-vista-ultimate-450-us/

ElucidWeb

Yeah even me being a total nerd - geek - enthusiast - job type of thing I would not pay that of course I wouldnt anyways since I get it for free but still thats insane. Let me see, nice beefy (I need to watch my language) graphics card or Windows Vista, Graphics Card, Windows Vista, hmmmm Graphics Card!!

die-Sel

WOW that is costly. $450 is a nice GFX card.

luckly i also get it for free but if I had to pay, I would do with a lower end copy. Most new users will be getting an OEM copy with a new system but still, for home builders etc, it is costly.

jamie

* above: Empty box - please see "Sales Associate" Wink

Xaero_Vincent
Sexy me

Well I'll tell you what...

$450 for Ultimate is a hell of alot more reasonable than $650.

Regards,
Vincent

jamie

thats what it will be in canada at staples (business depot) judging by the original xp-pro pricing shown above (real pic - i took it...)

edit - actually the exchange may be lower now - but dont forget to add 15% tax on top of above

JohnAskew
9 girl in pink sweater

MvTCracker wrote:
We have absolutely no way of confirming the information ourselves, but according to iTWire, we can expect to really pay out the nose for the most ultimate version of Windows ever conceived, Windows Vista Ultimate. Like, say, something to the tune of $450 US. Yeah, we know that's a lot, but we're assuming that's for the single-license full install retail MSRP; and when you consider the fact that the single-license full install retail MSRP of XP Pro is still $300 US, it's not too drastically unrealistic. Don't get us wrong, we're not exactly endorsing snapping up operating systems that cost more than the machines they run on but, you know, it is Ultimate freaking Vista, dude. Oh, and apparently Office 2007 Ultimate will set you back $679 US, too. Don't get dizzy now, just get your company to pick 'em up for you and you'll be well on your way to the Ultimate Microsoft suite which might have otherwise been used to put a nice down payment on a private jet.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/05/30/windows-vista-ultimate-450-us/

If MS really has the cojones to charge that much, they will also offer a "free" OS to compete with Linux, (something like XP), or they will only lose marketshare. That's a reasonable opinion, isn't it?

ElucidWeb

They might but following the cander of their Express stuff it will be totally stripped down. It will be useful yes, but Linux would be much much more useful. I for one can never get Linux sound to work on any of my Hand Built PC's which I always prefer to do instead of buying a pre-made...

I ran Linux for 6 months straight (Ubuntu) and had a VMWare session with XP installed so I could do my VPN to check my Exchance mail for my company and I have to say Linux is pretty freakin nice but it has alot of things that bugged the livin day lights out of me...

Alot of it had to do with software I couldnt get from Synaptic I believe it was called. Cant really remember right now but if the software was in there it worked but another gripe was not everything created a shortcut so then I spent a good deal of time searching the filesystem for the program...But overall my biggest gripe was how crappy the multimedia experience was and that was after I walked through the 40 page guide on how to install all the third party multimedia codecs and programs to get it working period.

But I digress!!

Sven Groot
My name has 9 letters. Coincidence? I think not...

Windows Vista Ultimate at US$450 would still be cheaper than XP Pro is right now here in the Netherlands: €429.

If Vista Ultimate costs less than €550 over here I'd be very much surprised.

DoomBringer
Doom!

Ultimate is probably not going to be bought by many people to start with, most people are only going to use/need a lesser edition...

but still, its very expensive. More than I would want to pay.

alwaysmc2
It's not stupid; It's advanced!

engaget wrote:
We have absolutely no way of confirming the information ourselves

Well that says it right there. This is a classic example FUD, no?

Anyway, I would guess more like $300 US, since XP Pro (non upgrade) is $200 US.

I'll have to buy it myself, but I'll buy the upgrade.

W3bbo
The Master of Baiters

alwaysmc2 wrote:
engaget wrote:We have absolutely no way of confirming the information ourselves

Well that says it right there. This is a classic example FUD, no?

Anyway, I would guess more like $300 US, since XP Pro (non upgrade) is $200 US.

Hardly.

Why does Windows cost so much more over here in the UK anyway?

Windows XP Professional, when it first came out (and right until a few years ago) was £350, it eventually went down to today's £225, which is still about $400

jamie

in canada right now, president harper - i mean prime minister bush.. uh whatever is about to deal with equalization payments to the provinces..

maybe ballmer will need to do the same Smiley

BlackTiger
If you stumbled and fell down, it doesn't mean yet, that you're going in the wrong direction.

$450...$650... $1000... Who cares?

$300 for "super-puper version"- critical limit. Nobody will buy OS for $450! Even if OS is very "promising".

Or... Everybody will use pirated version. Why? Just think. Smiley

It's just stupid to pay $400-600 for OS! Don't tell "sad stories" about "OS is main part of your system". We still have good OS - WinXP. We already have "more or less good" alternatives at least for office use. 95% of people just don't need "cool stuff" included in Office2007. Yes, very nice UI, cool features. But most of people can live without them easily. Games? Good question. Even for gaming we don't need Vista now. XBOX, PS2, PSP, Nintendo, XBOX360, PS3... Yes, FPS and RTS on consoles SUXX. But all we need - just proper gamepads. Not whole OS for $(4,5,6,7,8,9)00.

Ferrari/Lamborgini are not public cars. Too expensive and unuseful for ordinary people in ordinary live.

My price for "Vista Ultimate" - $250-300 for "box".

Final question - why we need Vista?
Security? Marketing fake. What else?

alwaysmc2
It's not stupid; It's advanced!

W3bbo wrote:

alwaysmc2 wrote:

engaget wrote: We have absolutely no way of confirming the information ourselves

Well that says it right there. This is a classic example FUD, no?

Anyway, I would guess more like $300 US, since XP Pro (non upgrade) is $200 US.

Hardly.

Why does Windows cost so much more over here in the UK anyway?

Windows XP Professional, when it first came out (and right until a few years ago) was £350, it eventually went down to today's £225, which is still about $400

Wow, that's really expensive. But I can't say anything about prices outside of the U.S. (wait, maybe tarifs?)

Just think about it, though. Someone once said that the development of Vista probably costed about $7 million. But there are going to be at least 5 million copies (I think that is a very low estimate) of Vista sold. So if each copy is licenced for five bucks, then Microsoft would turn a profit.

That said, I don't think it will be more than $300 in the U.S. Everywhere I just don't know, but that's not my concern.

W3bbo
The Master of Baiters

alwaysmc2 wrote:
Someone once said that the development of Vista probably costed about $7 million

That seems awfully conservative, more like $7 billion.

Consider Microsoft probably has about 3,000 dedicated developers and artists working on Windows Vista (probably a lot more if you count those just 'chipping in' dev work/time)

3,000 * $70,000[1] = $210,000,000

Not quite $7,000,000 eh?

Then you need to factor in secondary purchases (like testing and dev hardware), license procurement (MP3 and DVD codecs, anyone?), silence money to stop getting sued by Patent Pirates, money to pay reviewers to give Vista an 8/10 or above rating, and most importantly: marketing and sales funds earmarking.

When all of those are added together, I can see the cost of Vista's development being easily in the multi-billion dollar range.

[1](average MS salary, I guess)

Jason Cox
Longtime C9 Lurker

You're always good for a latenight laugh, Jamie.
Big Smile

I can see Ultimate Edition being $450 USD, but would that be Full or Upgrade...

Rowan
Look, no errors.

$450 USD would be $590 AUD.

XP Pro appears to be about $250 over here at the moment, which I find quite reasonable.

I don't agree with the way MS will only allow certain software to run on particular versions of Vista. No matter how many versions of Vista there are you still won't have much choice; you either get part of what you want, most of what you want, or everything you want with everything you don't want.

Ultimate will be the latter with everything you don't want and everything you do.

alwaysmc2
It's not stupid; It's advanced!

Rowan wrote:
Ultimate will be the latter with everything you don't want and everything you do.

Like what wouldn't you want that you can't uninstall or disable?

The whole point of, say, glass not running on Vista Home basic, is because if you want Glass, then you should stop being a cheapo and buy Premuim or Ultimate.