Companies often have to contend with leaks of information from journalists, bloggers, insiders, enemies, etc., but it’s harder to get all worked up about it when they manage to leak information on themselves. Who can forget, for example, Apple accidentally leaking the Power Mac G5’s specs just days before its launch?
This time, it’s Microsoft who’s joined the Whoopsie Daisie club, after unintentionally posting pricing information about the forthcoming Windows Vista on their Canadian website. The prices were cleverly encoded in Canadian dollars, but it wasn’t long before intrepid investigators broke the cipher for all to see. The bottom line? Vista’s going to be expensive, no matter which of the many versions you buy.
According to Neowin.net, list quoted the price for Windows Vista Ultimate as C$499 (US$450.18), while Home Premium will be C$299 (US$269.71). An upgrade to Vista Ultimate will cost C$299 (US$269.71), while an upgrade to Home Premium will cost C$199 (US$179.51), according to the blog.A lot of people have criticized Apple for charging $129 per yearly upgrade. For me, OS X is the one absolutely essential piece of software on my Mac; without it, it’s a big paperweight. Granted, not all of the bells and whistles are necessary for my everyday activities. But a pricetag between $179 and $450 is going to make me think long and hard about what exactly I’m getting for my money on an OS that I consider, at best, a necessary evil.
When pricing something in Canadian dollars, they don't just do the currency conversion, and vice versa... I think there's usually actual price differences, so are those 'conversions' really accurate?
Vista-vs-Leopard will be the best sales tool Apple has ever had.
You're probably right, Tim. But the conversions should be in the right ballpark. I'd expect the prices to come in maybe a little lower; perhaps Home Premium at $250, for example.
That sort of pricing might lead more than a few Windows users to conclude that they may as well get an entirely new computer with the OS pre-installed.
...Thus once again ensuring that Windows PCs outnumber Macs 10 to 1.