Vista to ship complete with all versions
Another smart move Microsoft, every version of Vista will ship complete with all the operating system versions in one image. Customers will then be able to upgrade if they wish from say, the home version to the professional version by logging onto the Microsoft website.
“No matter which edition you buy you get all the bits and a key to unlock it. Everyone will have all the bits,” said one source familiar with Microsoft’s plans. “Right now we maintain master images for each version of Windows XP and it’s a lot of work. Now there’s just one master image.”
Having a master Windows Vista operating system means customers that buy PCs preloaded with one Vista SKU, Home Basic, for example, will be able to punch their credit card into a Microsoft Web site to unlock Vista Home Premium and more speedily deploy media center features without an on-site visit or requiring a wipe and reload of the system.
The impact on the channel will be “huge” since partners will no longer have to support multiple Windows images for each customer or do reloads, sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans said this week. It will also make up-selling much easier and vastly expand channel opportunities, the sources said.
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