Windows 7 in Europe will have no upgrade options and up to double the pricing

iunie 30 00:40 2009

Windows 7 fans in Europe are in for a major disappointment. According to ComputerWorld, European customers will have to pay up to double the price for Windows 7 compared to the American counterparts. No particular reason was given as to why Windows 7 will be priced so high in the EU. Windows 7 in the United Kingdom will be priced differently, but will still have significantly higher prices than their US counterparts.

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced that European copies of Windows 7 will not contain IE8 as a response to the criticism coming from EU antitrust regulators. A browser-less version of edition called Windows 7E will be shipped instead. However, this has forced Microsoft to not allow its customers to perform any in-place upgrades from Vista, which would leave some version of IE on the computer.

Below are the prices for Windows 7 in the EU. Prices in the United Kingdom are different, but pricing in both regions are still significantly higher than the cheapest option offered in the United States. Below are the prices in Europe and the UK. Enclosed in the brackets are the same prices converted into US dollars according to today’s exchange rate. Alongside are the differences in pricing compared to the Upgrade edition of Windows 7 in the US. We compared the Upgrade edition prices in the US since the full editions in Europe are being offered at the European upgrade edition prices.

Windows 7 Home Premium – €119.99/£79.99 ($168.69/$132.22) – Up $48.70/$12.23
Windows 7 Professional – €284.99/£189.99 ($400.63/$314.05) – Up $200.64/$114.06
Windows 7 Ultimate – €299.99/£229.99 ($421.69/$380.17) – Up $201.70/$160.18

Prices in the UK are cheaper than those in the EU, while Windows 7 Professional costs twice as much as its counterpart in the US. Windows 7 Ultimate, which retails for $219.99 in the US, costs almost 90% more in the EU, and 73% more in the UK.

Fortunately for some Europeans, Microsoft does plan to offer its great Windows 7 pre-order special in France, Germany, and the UK. The pre-order program for those countries will begin on July 15 and run while supplies last, or until August 14th. The pre-order pricing are as follows:

Windows 7 Home Premium €49.99/£49.99
Windows 7 Professional €109.99/£99.99

Be sure to mark your calendars for July 15 and come back to check out our Windows 7 Upgrade FAQ and more info regarding where you can pre-order Windows 7 in Europe!

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