Windows 7 might be getting good write-ups from the technology press, but there could be at least one barrier to its mass adoption come release day: price.
In a telephone interview conducted between CNet and Darrel Ward, Director of Product Management for Dell's Business Client Product Group – and isn't that a mouthful – Ward was audibly concerned that the price Microsoft's next generation operating system Windows 7 would hamper consumer take-up.
During the interview, Ward said that “one thing that may influence adoption, make things slower or cause customers to pause, [is] that generally the average selling price of the operating systems are higher than they were for Vista and XP.”
Ward went on to say that, in these difficult economic times, Microsoft was “naïve to believe that you can increase your prices on average and then still see a stronger swell than if you held prices flat or even lowered them. I can tell you that the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista.”
Explaining that he believed that the high cost at launch would hamper early adoption from “schools and government agencies” along with smaller private businesses, Ward was worried that Microsoft's choice to sell the product at a premium compared to previous Windows releases would mean “some of the smaller business may not be able to enjoy the software as soon as they'd like.”
Despite this, Ward revealed that Dell has “a visible number of customers, large and small, who are actually waiting for Windows 7 and who have already put plans in place to target the transition to Windows 7,” proving that there are at least some customers for whom price is no barrier.
Have you been put off by the high price that Windows 7 will fetch at retail, or is it worth it to upgrade from Windows XP or Vista? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
In a telephone interview conducted between CNet and Darrel Ward, Director of Product Management for Dell's Business Client Product Group – and isn't that a mouthful – Ward was audibly concerned that the price Microsoft's next generation operating system Windows 7 would hamper consumer take-up.
During the interview, Ward said that “one thing that may influence adoption, make things slower or cause customers to pause, [is] that generally the average selling price of the operating systems are higher than they were for Vista and XP.”
Ward went on to say that, in these difficult economic times, Microsoft was “naïve to believe that you can increase your prices on average and then still see a stronger swell than if you held prices flat or even lowered them. I can tell you that the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista.”
Explaining that he believed that the high cost at launch would hamper early adoption from “schools and government agencies” along with smaller private businesses, Ward was worried that Microsoft's choice to sell the product at a premium compared to previous Windows releases would mean “some of the smaller business may not be able to enjoy the software as soon as they'd like.”
Despite this, Ward revealed that Dell has “a visible number of customers, large and small, who are actually waiting for Windows 7 and who have already put plans in place to target the transition to Windows 7,” proving that there are at least some customers for whom price is no barrier.
Have you been put off by the high price that Windows 7 will fetch at retail, or is it worth it to upgrade from Windows XP or Vista? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
RELATED ARTICLES
MSI MPG Velox 100R Chassis Review
October 14 2021 | 15:04
Want to comment? Please log in.