Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade (WAU) and Family Pack Price Details Leak

Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU), which first introduced for Windows Vista is a sales program from Microsoft to allow customers with cheaper, lower-end and lesser-features editions of Windows 7 to upgrade to more premium edition of Windows 7. Microsoft also offers Family Pack pricing for Windows Vista Ultimate customers to purchase additional licenses of Windows Vista Home Premium at cheaper price. The family pack is likely to be offered to Windows 7 customers too.

Ed Bott of ZDnet has uncovered the prices for both the Windows 7 Family Pack and Windows Anytime Upgrade options, thanks to various retailers who have leaked the prices, accidentally or by mistake.

The world first learned of possibility of family pack been offered to Windows 7 customers when the EULA (End-User License Agreement) for retail copies of Windows 7 Home Premium (including Windows 7 E, N, K, KN Home Premium) contains a “Family Pack” clause:

If you are a “Qualified Family Pack User”, you may install one copy of the software marked as “Family Pack” on three computers in your household for use by people who reside there. Those computers are the “licensed computers” and are subject to these license terms. If you do not know whether you are a Qualified Family Pack User, visit go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Linkid=141399 or contact the Microsoft affiliate serving your country.

Thanks to a product code (part number) GFC-00236 for Windows 7 Family Pack, Windows 7 Family Pack / Home Premium Upgrade (GFC-00236) is listed with a price of $136.95 on ExperCom. Another e-commerce site, University IT Computer Sales lists the same Windows 7 Family Pack – Home Premium Upgrade product at $144.95, while CompSource has W7 Family Pack – Home Premium Upgrade product priced at $147. All product has since made unavailable or made out-of-stock though.

If it’s indeed the true Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade Version Family Pack prices, which just a little extra over full upgrade license pricing, it will be slightly cheaper than pre-order price for Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade. Anyway, it’s unclear if Microsoft will have the same condition applied in Windows Vista for the Family Pack of Windows 7, that customer must purchase a license for Windows 7 Ultimate edition to qualify for Family Pack. If so, that will greatly reduce the attractiveness of the family pack.

The search for Windows 7 Family Pack price also brings unexpected revelation about pricing of Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU) for Windows 7. So far Microsoft has revealed little about Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade, except that it will be offered directly from Microsoft, and through retail stores, but not OEM partners.

The Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade Pricing are different between various retailers. Below if the rough prices of WAU prices between different Windows 7 editions upgrade.

(UPG W7 Anytime) Windows 7 Starter to Winodws 7 Home Premium Upgrade (4WC-00040):

$81.95 (ExperCom) or $83.72 (PCNation) or $89.99 (PC Mall) or $84.95 (GreyMaple)

(UPG W7 Anytime) Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional Upgrade (7KC-00040):

$90.95 (ExperCom) or $92.55 (PCNation) or $99.99 (PC Mall) or $94.95 (GreyMaple) or $96.00 (CompSource)

(UPG W7 Anytime) Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade (39C-00040):

$137.95 (ExperCom) or $142.30 (PCNation) or $153.99 (PC Mall) or $145.95 (GreyMaple)

From the pricing details of Windows Anytime Upgrade, buying a WAU W7 or Win7 upgrade license is definitely not a good deal.

Update: Official Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade prices with details and official Windows 7 Family Pack prices.