Whether W7 IS or is NOT Vista SP3, I, like many people was an early adoptor of Vista because W7 is what I Expected Vista to be.I had no real issues with Vista, but the draw backs are well documented, & it still reboots itself on a regular but random basis & drops network connections.I think Vista to W7 upgrades (like version for like) should be free.A free upgrade would "buy" a lot of customer loyalty, demonstarting that Micosoft, as an organisation can be relied up in the long term. If it gets it wrong at any stage, (Whatever the public line, Micosoft cleary had problems with early versions of Vista.)it can be relied upon to sort it out, without penalising it customers.Any lost revenue will provide a far better pay back that $m of advertising.The adverts may attract casual users but a lot like me are just as likely to feel upset with Microsoft if it abandons Vista, and have the technical ability to move to Linux. Which is not what I want to do, because nearly every recent version of Windows has far better usability, but then I think s*?x Microsoft, and goodbye!

gbc16,i think this would be a great idea. not only to demystify novice and intermediate users that are less likely to upgrade to windows 7, but to regain long time users that are tired of chasing "white elephants".sign me up for a free windows 7 "comparable" upgrade and i'll be sure to give it an honest chance.sincerely,a legitimate vista ultimate customer

My last beta test project before retiring was Windows Vista. Then as now, I thought Vista was a great OS. All the bad hype about Vista just didn't make a non-believer out of me. Maybe I was just lucky but at one time I had an entire IT shop using Vista 64 bit. Initially the driver issue was a drag and I got into many heated discussions with hardware makers. One printer maker lost my business because they thought Vista was some kind of joke and refused to make a driver for their ink jet series. A well known sound board maker had the same attitude, calling Vista and 64 bit systems a waste of time. When I saw the Windows 7 beta I couldn't resist getting active again and giving it a test run. Now I'm running online games on Windows 7. Graphics intensive multi player games are amazing and work without a hiccup. I'll never leave Windows because it works. Windows 7 over Vista. Like getting a new pair of shoes. You need them so why not get the best.Rock on Vista (or Windows 7).

I run Vista with a few complaints. Nothing major, lots of nagging little things. Not connecting to networks on startup. Hanging on shutdown. Vista is so-so. I dual booted it with XP on a relatively new laptop. XP was marginally better.Windows 7 is clearly a better product. Microsoft needs to make Windows 7 affordable. I won't pay $200-300 for a new OS. In the current economic climate, I'm guessing a lot of people will cling to XP or make Vista work for them as I did.My solution is simple. Bring in your Vista key code and and get an equal version of Windows 7 for $99 or so. For that price it's worth it to go to the retail version of Windows 7. Whether or not it's deserved, Vista has a bad reputation in the marketplace. Giving ALL current Vista users an incentive to switch would certainly help change Microsoft's image as the big bully that rammed Vista down the consumers throat, whether the consumer wanted Vista or not.I'd pay $99 for Window 7 Home Premium. Jack the price much higher than that, and I'll be running XP or Vista for a very long time to come.