For those folks who would like to buy a new computer, but cannot wait for Microsoft Vista to come out, there is a discount for you. Specifically, if you buy a new computer that is Vista-capable between October 26 – March 15, 2006, you will receive a discount or free discount from Windows XP to Vista, and Office 2003 to 2007.
Microsoft’s intentions are to provide goodwill to computer vendors who want to ensure the Vista delay does not dampen holiday sales. Microsoft usually has delays in launching new products to ensure final bugs and errors are resolved. Many shoppers may want to wait until Vista comes out before buying a new computer. The anticipated Vista launch is now the beginning of 2007. By providing discounts to upgrade to Vista on pre-Vista computers, computer vendors will not have to worry about dampened holiday sales.
Microsoft Vista offers features like translucent desktop windows, improved performance of digital music and photography, and data backup for business users. But those features come at the cost of greatly increased demands on hardware performance. A Vista-ready PC must have at least 512MB of memory and an advanced processor and graphics card.