The momentum for Windows 7 continues to build, and it seems so far that Microsoft is doing a  good job at redeeming the Windows name after Vista.  Windows 7 is fast, seemingly very stable, application compatibility seems good, and the reaction from the tech community and media is far more favorable than it has been in the past couple of years.

So the technical side of Windows 7 is going pretty well, and we haven’t seen much out of marketing yet, but there have been many discussions online about how much Windows 7 will actually cost consumers.  Some have suggested it should be free, which is quite ridiculous, and others speculate it will be similar to what Windows Vista was.

One of my biggest displeasures with Windows Vista wasn’t so much on the technical side, as it was with the actual price and the lack of license bundles.  With some Vista licenses averaging out around $200, it just wasn’t economically feasible to outfit my entire house with copies of Vista, which I would have liked to have done.  I have roughly 5 PC’s in my house, so give or a take a bit, it could have easily cost over $1000 to get my home setup with Vista. 

Now I certainly don’t expect Windows 7 to be free, but I’m now wondering how Microsoft will set the pricing for new and upgrade purchases.  I really hope it reasonably priced, because going too high will have a real negative impact in my opinion.  I would like to see a simple upgrade from either Vista or XP for $99, with a 3-license family pack for $150.  I think that would be very competitive, and get even more people to upgrade.

What do you think?