Windows 10 "Upgrade"

[ShockInfantry]

For the longest of time I have been running my Windows 7 from a 335GB HDD I salvaged from an old HP computer I had before I decided to build my own computer with my brother's help. I have a Kingston HyperX 120GB 3K SSD that I never got around to installing since my Windows is er... not particularly genuine and didn't seem worth the hassle. Now with the Windows 10 supposedly the last OS from Microsoft for awhile, it seems that it would be a good excuse as any to finally get my Windows on a SSD and get a fresh install while I'm at it.

Some questions,

From what I have read from the Windows 10 Upgrade program they are having, is it a valid and good idea to just buy the cheapest retail version of Windows 7/8 and just upgrade to windows 10 from there to avoid paying full retail for a Windows 10 Home/Pro version?

Is it a better idea to just get a new SSD even though I haven't used the Kingston yet? I'm not sure if there are any advances that warrant buying a newer SSD other then maybe more storage room.

 

[USAFRet]

Keep that Kingston HyperX. I have one...it works fine, almost 3 years and running.

For the OS?
There is maybe a $10 difference of current prices between 7, 8.1, and 10 (when it is released). There is no 'cheap'.
And you probably don't need the Pro version of any of them.

 

[littleleo]

SSDs so out perform hard drives it isn't funny. I would have installed the SSD the moment I got it. You won't get a free upgrade from your bootlegged O/S, so yes buying one is required. A home version is all you need just be sure it is 64bit version. You can use any Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 and get the free upgrade to Windows 10. I've heard you can't do the upgrade with Windows 8 until you upgrade it to 8.1. Of course Windows 10 isn't out yet so who knows for sure until then. There are DL versions of Windows that are cheaper, then the OEM system builder version then the retail. Out of those 3 versions only the retail can be moved to another computer the others are usually "married" to the motherboard in your computer.

 

[SchizTech]

Like USAFRet says there's not going to be much difference in price between the upgrade vs the retail Win10. That SSD will be far faster than any HDD, even if it's not at the top of the current speed charts. The difference in perceived performance in common usage isn't huge between modern SSDs (though as with any component heavier workloads can show a larger difference).

 

[USAFRet]

There are DL versions of Windows that are cheaper, then the OEM system builder version then the retail. Out of those 3 versions only the retail can be moved to another computer the others are usually "married" to the motherboard in your computer.

There are no valid "DL" versions that are 'cheaper'. The license is what costs, not the install media.

 

[ShockInfantry]

Are the features added in the Pro version just not that useful for most users?

 

[littleleo]

Are the features added in the Pro version just not that useful for most users?

They are mainly for business and the main one deal with add your computer to a domain.

 

[littleleo]

There are DL versions of Windows that are cheaper, then the OEM system builder version then the retail. Out of those 3 versions only the retail can be moved to another computer the others are usually "married" to the motherboard in your computer.

There are no valid "DL" versions that are 'cheaper'. The license is what costs, not the install media.

$120 vs $132 is about $12 cheaper not as much as I've seen in the past but then I didn't look very hard either.

 

[USAFRet]

There are DL versions of Windows that are cheaper, then the OEM system builder version then the retail. Out of those 3 versions only the retail can be moved to another computer the others are usually "married" to the motherboard in your computer.

There are no valid "DL" versions that are 'cheaper'. The license is what costs, not the install media.

$120 vs $132 is about $12 cheaper not as much as I've seen in the past but then I didn't look very hard either.

Assuming US prices, from Newegg:
Windows 7 - $99.99
Windows 8.1 - $99.99
Windows 10 - $109.99 (when it is released)

 

[littleleo]

There are DL versions of Windows that are cheaper, then the OEM system builder version then the retail. Out of those 3 versions only the retail can be moved to another computer the others are usually "married" to the motherboard in your computer.

There are no valid "DL" versions that are 'cheaper'. The license is what costs, not the install media.

$120 vs $132 is about $12 cheaper not as much as I've seen in the past but then I didn't look very hard either.

Assuming US prices, from Newegg:
Windows 7 - $99.99
Windows 8.1 - $99.99
Windows 10 - $109.99 (when it is released)

Windows 7 Pro $59
https://softwareplaza.com/windows-7-pro.html?mode=list

Windows 7 Home $35
https://www.dealscube.com/index.php?module=listings&controller=listing&action=details&id=6467&gclid=CP2p48TsiMYCFQmVfgodhx0Anw

 

[USAFRet]

There are DL versions of Windows that are cheaper, then the OEM system builder version then the retail. Out of those 3 versions only the retail can be moved to another computer the others are usually "married" to the motherboard in your computer.

There are no valid "DL" versions that are 'cheaper'. The license is what costs, not the install media.

$120 vs $132 is about $12 cheaper not as much as I've seen in the past but then I didn't look very hard either.

Assuming US prices, from Newegg:
Windows 7 - $99.99
Windows 8.1 - $99.99
Windows 10 - $109.99 (when it is released)

Windows 7 Pro $59
https://softwareplaza.com/windows-7-pro.html?mode=list

Windows 7 Home $35
https://www.dealscube.com/index.php?module=listings&controller=listing&action=details&id=6467&gclid=CP2p48TsiMYCFQmVfgodhx0Anw

The key word you're looking for is "valid", as mentioned above. Those are not valid sales.

 

[littleleo]

There are DL versions of Windows that are cheaper, then the OEM system builder version then the retail. Out of those 3 versions only the retail can be moved to another computer the others are usually "married" to the motherboard in your computer.

There are no valid "DL" versions that are 'cheaper'. The license is what costs, not the install media.

$120 vs $132 is about $12 cheaper not as much as I've seen in the past but then I didn't look very hard either.

Assuming US prices, from Newegg:
Windows 7 - $99.99
Windows 8.1 - $99.99
Windows 10 - $109.99 (when it is released)

Windows 7 Pro $59
https://softwareplaza.com/windows-7-pro.html?mode=list

Windows 7 Home $35
https://www.dealscube.com/index.php?module=listings&controller=listing&action=details&id=6467&gclid=CP2p48TsiMYCFQmVfgodhx0Anw

The key word you're looking for is "valid", as mentioned above. Those are not valid sales.

LOL so you say.

Note! This product comes with a license product key. There is no CD or DVD. We will e-mail the file download included Genuine RETAIL product key to your e-mail address within 24hrs after the payment cleared.

Please note that the use of this OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium is subject to the terms of Microsoft's OEM System Builder Channel License. This software is intended for pre-installation on a new personal computer for resale.

I work for an Authorized Microsoft Reseller and I come across this stuff all the time. I don't like seeing it sold so far below the standard pricing I forward the URLs to my contacts at MS, but nothing ever happens. It really hurts my sales of Windows, but customers buy them despite the same arguments I've made to them that you've made, and they claim they work 100% w/o issue. Personally I would never buy a down load version I want the disk and license together. But for this guy...

 

[USAFRet]

Cheap, bogus, download things can be found all over.
And it does no good to advertise them in here.

Even their description is off. Retail vs OEM.

 

[littleleo]

Cheap, bogus, download things can be found all over.
And it does no good to advertise them in here.

Even their description is off. Retail vs OEM.

Yep, it does appear a little fishy I don't know how these sites survive.