Your Snow Leopard versus Windows 7 price comparison guide

Jonny Evans
|
August 10, 2009
|
Share

Mac OS X 10.6 ‘Snow Leopard’ already occupies two of the top three spots in Amazon’s software sales lists, but battle between Microsoft and Apple isn’t solely over technological superiority, but also over price.

Apple has already told Leopard users it will sell them Mac OS X version 10.6 Snow Leopardfor just $29, rising to just $49 for Snow Leopard Family Pack (5-User).

There’s no introductory offer, not complex licensing arrangements - the price is what you see.

Not so for Microsoft, who appears to be hoping Windows 7 will be better-received than its previous attempt at a modern OS, Vista. Industry insiders pointed to Vista’s tiered and complex pricing system as rationale for poor market reception of the software, but it looks like Microsoft plans to repeat its own mistake - once again too many prices and bundles will complicate the buying experience.

Windows 7 Home Premium edition upgrade will cost $50 on launch; while the Professional edition costs $100. However, those prices were introductory - blink twice and you missed them - order now and  the full price of the Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade is $120 while Windows 7 Professional Upgrade will be $200 as standard.

Will upgrade pricing and the widely-anticipated launch of Apple’s 10-inch tablet computer be sufficient to persuade another batch of Windows users to make a different upgrade?

Walt Mossberg offers a handy chart, below, for those about to upgrade to Windows 7.  Notice that, unless you are in one of the few green areas, you'll be starting completely over:

Comments (28)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 2:37am

Correction: the $50 + $100 intro prices for windows 7 are no longer available, that deal expired last month. now the only option for 7 is 120, 200 and 150 for a 3 pc family pack. I wish I didn't have to know this crap! Why doesn't the whole universe just use Macs???

MR. KNOW.IT.ALL (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 11:50am

CORRECTION TO YOUR CORRECTION: The Deals are still going on, (it ended in the US last month) but it al depends were you live... i believe it is one country per week until its release, but I'm not to sure about that.

dan (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 6:59pm

CORRECTION TO YOUR CORRECTION TO YOUR CORRECTION!
You spelled "all" wrong. ;)

Jensonb (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 3:05am

Windows 7's Pricing is an absolute mess.

But I do wish Apple would hurry up and announce prices for Snow Leopard in countries like the UK, where I live. We're expecting it to be £19-29 (Even though £29 is a ripoff compared to $29, it's still cheap enough that I would pay it in a heartbeat), but with no indication, I still don't know who much money to set aside for it, nor can I pre-order it.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 4:10am

$29 + 20% = $34 to British pounds = £21

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 4:42am

VAT's 15% in the UK at the moment so that should be $33.35 which gives us a nice round £20 at current exchange rates. However, products over here also tend to effectivley accrue a subtle 'welfare state tax' via the extra tax costs of employing people in the retail chain when compared to the US. Personally I'm expecting £25! Still a bargin imho though.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 9:14am

http://www.amazon.com/Mac-version-10-6-Snow-Leopard/dp/B001AMHWP8/ref=sr...

Technist (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 3:36am

That's no comparison guide at all really - as in, there's no comparison.

At those prices, no wonder MS can afford to trundle on in the same old way.

As for the Pro-upgrade game, that's just plain offensive.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 4:35am

Someone at MS must really get tight in the Dockers over complicated pricing schemes. The age of the Wintel machine is quickly passing. I really can't wait for the MS retail store. It'll be classy... like Best Buy or Comp USA. Just put it right next to the Apple store and let Apple reap the free advertising.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 4:42am

LMAO Windows its high time you went kill yourself !!

syned (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 5:14am

The right upgrade chart looks like this:
Leopard + $29 = Snow Leopard
:)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 5:40am

Looks like Micro$oft really wants you to buy that "Ultimate" version. Looks like the only thing ultimate about it is you don't lose you files when you install it.

NoComment (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 5:48am

http://tumbl.strelau.net/post/156605288/upgrading-to-os-x-snow-leopard

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 6:22am

$14.95AUD here...
http://www.apple.com/au/macosx/uptodate/

lowest anywhere!?
that will be a first...

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 7:24am

That's the Up-to-date pricing, not the retail price.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 6:31am

You are forgetting that there is a up-to-date program for Mac purchased within 3 months from Sept - you get Snow Leopard upgrade for $10 :)

Those folks have up to December 2009 to pay and upgrade.

Lewis Dorigo (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 6:33am

"If you’ve purchased a qualifying computer or Xserve on or after June 8th, 2009 that does not include Mac OS X Snow Leopard, you can upgrade to Mac OS X Snow Leopard for £7.95.*"
http://www.apple.com/uk/macosx/uptodate/

Paul (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 8:09am

Microsoft now has a Custom Install (Clean). The problem is with previous versions of Windows a "Clean" install which installed Windows without deleting files it essentially created another Windows folder and disabled the old one. This was great for backing up files on "dead" Windows machines.

The new "Clean" install wipes out the whole hard drive. This is in Vista as well. The problem is Microsoft who is notorious for asking you 15 times if you are sure you want to delete your files give no warning in either Vista or Windows 7 beta. Just a word of caution you will lose everything with a clean install so backup prior to attempting this.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 8:24am

Why not mention that unlike Windows 7, who's upgrades cover people who's PCs go back to 2001, non-Leopard users must pay $170 to upgrade to snow leopard? Or that you can only do so if you have an intel mac?

Or does that type of unbiased information have no place in your 'articles'?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 8:44am

Have you read anyting about Windows 7? Bascially if you run XP you are advised to buy a new computer. So I guess the real upgrade price to WIndows 7 is somewhere between $400-$500. That is quite the bargain MS is bestowing upon the PC Users.

Jensonb (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 5:14pm

Actually, Apple is planning to release a separate PowerPC Release of 10.6 at a later date.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 11, 2009 - 12:58am

The $170 bundle includes two software suites: iLife 09 and iWork 09 which retail for $75 each. In other world it is quite good deal.

Jocca (not verified) | August 11, 2009 - 12:59am

The $170 bundle includes two software suites: iLife 09 and iWork 09 which retail for $75 each. In other world it is quite good deal.

AlfieJr (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 9:47am

correct. as a practical matter, most XP PC's can't handle Win 7, and the upgrade process for those that can is torture. so the push is to make them buy new PC's. whereas the pricing is plainly designed to soak Vista PC owners with an expensive modest upgrade that in fact ought to be as cheap as Snow Leopard. what a rip off.

Christopher Brown (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 10:32am

It's no wonder that people don't want to upgrade on Windows. What a hassle, completely re-installing the OS and then all your files, applications, settings, preferences, plugins, etc, etc.

I'd rather buy a new computer than upgrade that way, and come to think of it, the last 3 or 4 new macs I've bought, all seamlessly ported over my files, applications, settings, preferences, plugins, etc, etc.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 10, 2009 - 12:31pm

Yes but you see when an OS actually has users, you need to provide options.

SaudiMac (not verified) | August 11, 2009 - 1:24am

Also add to that: if you want to have multiple interface languages (for example Arabic as well as English) your only legal option is to buy Ultimate! Very bad for many users

Khaled A.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | August 20, 2009 - 2:53pm

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/08/Mac_upgrade_option...

its not so simple to upgrade to snow leopard. you have to know what kind of chip you have,to decide if you need to spend $29 or $169. Me, I am at the 169, as i have a G4 12 inch powerbook. Oh well, I am sure that microsoft will figure out a way to "borrow" Apple's pricing plan, just like to do everything else.
I wish i could upgrade at the $29 level.