What You Need to Know About Windows Vista Express Upgrade

With Windows Vista finally shipping, customers who want to migrate to the new OS havechoices to make. Volume-license customers, of course, should have access to Vista Enterprise Editionby the time you read this article. New PCs with Vista preinstalled and retail-boxed versions of the OS are due by lateJanuary. For those who want to purchase a PC immediatelybut don't want to be locked out of Vista, Microsoft and itshardware partners offer an Express Upgrade that mightmeet your needs. Here's what you need to know about theWindows Vista Express Upgrade.

Migration Insurance
Microsoft created the Express Upgrade in an effort toprevent PC sales from declining during the crucial 2006holiday selling season. But because the program runsthrough March 15, 2007, it also provides individuals andsmall-business customers with a measure of insurance thatthey can migrate their new PCs to Vista without spendinga lot more.

Here's how the program works: Customers who purchase a new Windows XP PC from a participating systembuilder or PC manufacturer, such as HP or Dell, can qualifyfor a free or low-cost upgrade to a comparable Vista productedition. However, confusion can arise because Microsoftdoesn't offer the Express Upgrade directly, but in tandemwith participating PC makers. Consequently, you need toensure that the program covers the PC you buy during thequalification time period.

Qualifying Versions
The big question, of course, is which XP versions qualifyfor which Vista versions. Customers who purchase a PCthat has Windows XP Professional Edition or XP TabletPC Edition preinstalled will be able to get a free—or nearlyfree (you might have to pay a shipping and handlingcharge)—upgrade to Vista Business. PCs and workstations with XP Professional x64 Edition preinstalled qualifyfor a free or inexpensive upgrade to Vista Business 64-bitedition.

On the consumer side, PCs preinstalled with XP Media Center Edition 2005 qualify for a free or inexpensive upgrade to Vista Home Premium. Customers who purchase a PC with XP Home Edition qualify for an upgrade to Vista Home Basic or Vista Home Premium at a cost of 50 percent of the retail price of the Vista upgrade edition of the product. Thus, an upgrade to Vista Home Basic should cost about $49 in the United States, and Vista Home Premium should cost about $79. Because neither Vista Home Basic nor Vista Home Premium can participate in Active Directory (AD)–based domains, these versions aren't suitable for use in home-based or small businesses. (To learn more about these upgrade options, see “Windows Vista Express Upgrade,” http://www.itprotoday.com/article/showcase/windows-vista-express-upgrade.aspx.)

Another Upgrade Route
Microsoft also offers another upgrade path, though thecompany has yet to reveal its cost. Because every Vistaproduct edition ships with the same installation DVD (onlythe product key used during setup determines which version is installed), Microsoft can support in-place upgradesfrom certain Vista versions to others. This feature, calledWindows Anytime Upgrade, will let you, for example, electronically upgrade your copy of Vista Home Basic to VistaHome Premium or Vista Ultimate. You can also use thismethod to upgrade from Vista Home Premium or VistaBusiness to Vista Ultimate.

Technically, then, it will be possible to buy an XP HomeEdition PC in early 2007, get an Express Upgrade to VistaHome Basic, and then use Windows Anytime Upgrade toupgrade to Vista Ultimate. The result is a PC that will be ableto connect to AD-based infrastructures and access otherbusiness-oriented Vista features, such as Remote Desktop.Whether such an upgrade is financially viable remains to beseen, but what's interesting is that it's even possible.

Recommendations
Microsoft typically offers individuals a way to ensure thatnew PCs purchased shortly before the release of a new OSversion won't quickly become outdated. Express Upgradeisn't much different than previous coupon-based programs, which is really too bad: Rather than relying on PCmakers to distribute these upgrades, Microsoft should havelet customers pursue other options, including downloadingthe Vista upgrades when they become available. The otherproblem is cost: Because each participating PC maker setsits own fees for Express Upgrade, some might use the program as an excuse to add to their bottom line.

My advice for individuals and small businesses is to waitfor Vista-based PCs to appear in early 2007 and forgo ExpressUpgrade if possible. You'll get the best experience with Vistaif you don't have to upgrade from XP yourself.