Happy Holidays from Microsoft: No more Windows 7 Family Pack |
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Happy Holidays from Microsoft: No more Windows 7 Family Pack
Microsoft said from the start that it would be offering limited quantities of its Windows 7 Family Pack, which let people upgrade three computers to Windows 7 Home Premium for the discounted rate of $149.99. But the deal turned out to be more limited than people expected, and the company is now taking heat over the news that it's no longer available in the U.S., at the height of the holiday shopping season.
"The Windows 7 Family Pack offer has ended," the product page says. Microsoft told CNet News.com last week that the package was selling out. As noted by CNet and Computerworld, some affiliates of Amazon.com and other sites have raised the price on their remaining Windows 7 Family Packs to as much as $279.99.
"I've got a new spelling for 'Scrooge,' " writes Joe Wilcox on BetaNews. "M-i-c-r-o-s-o-f-t."
Adds Windows author and blogger Ed Bott: "For Microsoft, this decision is stupid and short-sighted. It’s guaranteed to bring them a boatload of ill will and bad publicity in the final three weeks before Christmas. It looks greedy and decidedly not 'customer focused.' "
Paul Thurrott, who first reported the news last week, suggests that the decision might not be final.
"If you're upset that the company has strategically made this product unavailable just in time for the holidays, I recommend leaving some feedback on the Windows 7 Team Blog," he writes. "Microsoft has heavily promoted how feedback-focused they are with Windows 7, so I'm sure they'd love to hear from you."
ZDNet blogger Mary-Jo Foley also notes that it wouldn't be a surprise to see the company change its mind.
About Todd Bishop
Todd Bishop is co-founder and managing editor of TechFlash. He has covered Microsoft and the technology industry for more than five years, most recently as a daily newspaper reporter and blogger based in Seattle.
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