Painless programs offer easy upgrade to Microsoft Vista

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 03/20/2007 4:15 PM  |  Life

Arnawa Widagda, Contributor, Jakarta

Users buying new desktop PCs and notebooks today may find most manufacturers are still bundling Microsoft's Windows XP as the default operating software.

Though Vista has been available locally for several weeks now, sales of Vista-equipped systems still pale compared to Windows XP-equipped systems.

That doesn't mean you won't be able to use Vista. Microsoft and several hardware manufacturers are offering a program called Windows Vista Express Upgrade, under which users who bought eligible desktop PCs and notebooks between Oct. 26, 2006 and March 15, 2007 from participating manufacturing partners have a chance to obtain a free Vista upgrade for their systems.

These partners include makers such as Acer, Alienware, ASUS, Dell, eMachines, Fujitsu, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Lenovo, LG, Medion, NEC, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba.

""Our customers can shop for a new PC with confidence this holiday season because of the Express Upgrade to Windows Vista and Office Technology Guarantee programs,"" said Mike Sievert, corporate vice president of Windows Client Marketing at Microsoft.

""These programs ensure people will have a great experience with their Windows XP-based PCs today, and an even better one when Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office release become available,"" he said.

However, not all systems are eligible for the free upgrade -- some manufacturers only offer upgrades on selected systems -- systems designated as Vista Capable and Vista Premium Ready. In addition, manufacturers also have different upgrade options.

For example, Fujitsu offers an upgrade from Windows XP Home Edition to Vista Home Basic for free, while HP, Lenovo, NEC and Toshiba offer the same upgrade at a discount -- not including shipping and handling charges.

Windows Media Center systems from all these manufacturers are eligible for free upgrades to Vista Home Premium, while Windows XP Professional and Tablet PC systems are upgradeable to Vista Business Edition. You can read the details on each manufacturers' website or on Microsoft's Express Upgrade website.

If you have an eligible system, be sure to complete the upgrade process as quickly as possible. The Vista Express Upgrade coupon must be redeemed before March 31 - meaning you have less than two weeks before the offer expires. Keep in mind that if you redeem your Vista upgrade, you will not be able to retain your Windows XP license.

Some users will likely notice that Vista Ultimate Edition is absent from the upgrade path. This doesn't mean you can't upgrade to Vista Ultimate. On every version of Vista, you can use Windows Anywhere Upgrade to upgrade your version of Vista to versions with more featured.

Windows Anytime Upgrade makes the process of moving to Windows Vista Ultimate expedient and affordable. To use the upgrade, users simply click on the Windows Anytime Upgrade option in the Start menu, selects the desired upgrade edition, purchases it online to secure a new digital key, and then follows the on-screen instructions to complete the upgrade.

""These new programs give our customers more flexibility and choice to ensure they get the edition that's right for them."" said Brad Brooks, general manager of Windows Client Marketing at Microsoft. Hermawan Sutanto, Windows Client Product Marketing Manager for Indonesia added that Windows Anytime Upgrade is still limited to the U.S. and Canada currently while worldwide implementation is still in preparation.

Suggested retail prices to upgrade to more premium editions of Windows Vista are as follows: Home Basic to Home Premium US$79, Home Basic to Ultimate $199, Home Premium to Ultimate $159 and Business to Ultimate $139. Windows Anytime Upgrade will coincide with the general availability of Windows Vista in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan. On Jan. 30, and after its launch, users can find additional information at www.windowsanytimeupgrade.com.

The Vista Express Upgrade programs are not without their share of snags. When Vista was launched in January, thousands of users with eligible systems were disappointed to find their Vista Express Upgrade DVD had not arrived as expected.

One of the main reasons blamed for the delay is the preparation of a companion CD containing the latest Vista drivers for eligible systems. Manufacturers promise the Vista Express Upgrade and its respective companion CDs or DVDs would be ready to ship 6 to 8 weeks after Vista's launch -- about the same time the offer expires.

""Delivery lead is about two weeks from the order date (the date you redeemed your Vista Express Upgrade),"" said Sutanto, so users shouldn't have to wait long this time around.

Even users with do-it-yourself PCs are not left out in the cold. A few Taiwanese motherboard manufacturers are offering Vista Home Basic or Starter Editions with selected motherboards.

A local representative from ASUS said that they will be bundling a Vista Starter Edition with their Premium Vista Edition motherboards for a limited time.

Premium Vista Edition motherboards from ASUS also offer hardware modules for Vista special features such as Windows Sideshow, ReadyBoost and Trusted Platform Module support.

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