Microsoft Releases Windows Vista RC1, New OS Pricing

Published: September 6, 2006

by Alex Woodie

As expected, Microsoft this week announced the availability of Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1), a near-final version of the company's new operating system. Microsoft has not yet opened the floodgates to allow public testing of Vista, but says it expects the RC1 release to be downloaded by 5 million people in the weeks to come. The company also provided a glimpse into Vista pricing, which doesn't differ much from what was disclosed by Amazon.com last week.

As we talked about last week, Microsoft is gearing up for a massive wave of public testing as it winds up the development for Windows Vista and prepares to launch the new operating system later this year and in early 2007. Following two private betas and a slew of interim builds, the Windows development crew up in Redmond, Washington, has deemed Vista far along enough in the process for the first RC release.

Yesterday Microsoft announced that Windows Vista RC1 shipped to a small group of testers Friday, and that it will become available to participants who have enrolled in the Vista Customer Preview Program (CPP) within a week.

If you would like to get your hands on RC1, but didn't register for the CPP in time, don't worry: Microsoft says it plans to reopen registration for the CPP in the next few days. When it's all said and done, Microsoft intends Vista RC1 to be poked and prodded by 5 million people around the world.

"Now that we're expanding the Windows Vista Customer Preview Program, an even broader audience will get to experience just how much Windows Vista has to offer," says Mike Sievert, a corporate vice president in charge of Windows client marketing, according to a press release. "The expansion of the CPP program really sends a strong message to the industry and our customers: The time to prepare for Windows Vista has arrived."

While it may be time to prepare for the arrival of Vista, the new operating system is still months away from actual delivery. Just the same, Microsoft appears on track to hit key upcoming milestones, including the delivery of the new OS to business customers in November and to consumers in January.

At least one Windows distributor, Amazon.com, was already taking orders for Windows Vista and estimating its delivery as January 30 (a date it has since removed from its Web site). The company, which also had pricing information posted to its Web site, has said that date was an estimation of when it could deliver new PCs equipped with Vista.

Microsoft also disclosed the pricing information yesterday for four of the five versions of Vista, including: Windows Vista Home Basic: $199 new or $99.95 for an upgrade; Windows Vista Home Premium: $239 new or $159 for an upgrade; Windows Vista Ultimate: $399 new or $259 for an upgrade; and Windows Vista Business: $299 new or $199 for an upgrade. Windows Vista Enterprise is only available through volume licensing, and Microsoft did not provide any pricing information for this version.

For more info on Windows Vista, check out Microsoft's Windows Vista Web site at www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.aspx.

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