Datasheet

40
Part I: Surviving Setup
Your decision regarding which version to purchase will also be influenced by the cost
difference of the more capable versions. Table 1-13 shows the current U.S. list prices for
the different Windows 7 versions. These prices will almost certainly change over time.
Table 1-13: U.S. List Prices for Windows 7 Product Editions
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Home Premium Full $199.99
Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade $119.9 9
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Professional Full $299.99
Windows 7 Professional Upgrade $199.99
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows 7 Ultimate Full $319.99
Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade $219.99
Pricing in countries other than the United States will vary, but should adhere to the rela-
tive positioning shown in Table 1-13.
Adding to the complexity here is that all retail versions of Windows 7, except
for Windows 7 Starter, are available in both 32-bit and 64-bit (x64) versions.
Windows 7 Starter will not be made available as a retail product but will instead
be sold with new PCs only.
If you’re buying a retail copy of Windows 7 and you already own a qualifying
previous version of Windows, such as XP, don’t buy a full version of Windows 7.
Instead, find out what Microsoft’s current requirements are to qualify for an
upgrade version, which is much cheaper. To successfully load an upgrade version,
you usually must be installing onto a machine that has the old version installed,
or you must have the old version on a CD (which you insert briefly during the
installation of the new OS as proof). Microsoft can change these requirements
at any time, so confirm this before whipping out your plastic.