Summary
Many will find the pricing for Windows 7 to be acceptable. Others are convinced the product should be free and that Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) should also give them a new PC or laptop to go with the operating system.
Analysis
In establishing the pricing for Windows 7, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has taken into account market surveys, and feedback from customers and partners. They have considered the manufacturers, as well as the countries where the product is to be marketed, and any competitive products.
Many will find the pricing to be acceptable. Others are convinced the product should be free and that Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) should also give them a new PC or laptop to go with the operating system.
There are many websites that provide a forum for Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) (and non-Microsoft) users to voice their viewpoints for the various versions and pricing that have been established. With the sizeable number of participants on these forums, you will find many opinions regarding the pricing. Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT ) own TechNet Windows 7 forum provides examples: (TechNet Windows 7). Browse the “Windows 7 Miscellaneous” sub-forum (TechNet Windows 7 General Discussion) for a sampling.
Asking a user, especially a younger user, who sees no reason why they should pay for software in today’s world of free downloads and torrent sites will almost always provide the same answer: the product should be free. Users who understand what it takes to create, develop, and support such a complex piece of work, that provides the illusion of simplicity to the user under millions of lines of code that has to be written, debugged, tested and supported for multiple possible hardware combinations, and understand proprietary rights, will have to trust Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) market analysis and established pricing.
