Free Windows 7?

TechARP.com, a Malaysian Web-site, with friends in Redmond Washington, is reporting that Microsoft will provide free, or discounted anyway, Windows 7 upgrades to users who buy Vista or Windows XP PCs between June 2009 and January 2010.

This sounds like a good deal. But, then so did Vista-Capable PCs. You know, the ones, which Microsoft assured users that PCs bought before Windows Vista shipped would be able to run the operating system. The ones which turned out to be only capable of running the retarded little brother of the Vista family: Vista Basic. The ones, which are now the center of the Vista Capable lawsuit.

Now Windows 7 isn't as much of a resource hog as Windows Vista. I've been using Windows 7 both on VirtualBox and on native hardware for several months now, and it's nothing like as obnoxious as Vista. So, I'm not anticipating real trouble for Windows 7 on most PCs. netbooks are another matter. I'll go into detail why I think that's the case in an upcoming review of Windows 7 on netbooks, but suffice it to say for now that I don't see Windows 7 as a Linux netbook killer.

What I really want to know, as Microsoft continues to leak one beta after another of Windows 7, is why Microsoft doesn't do the right thing by the millions of annoyed Window Vista customers and give all of the, or at least the ones from say January 2008 until Windows 7 ships a free upgrade to Windows 7?

Texas has the right idea. That state banned its IT department from buying Vista. For many of us though we're stuck with the operating system we bought with the PC.

I can rip Vista off and put Linux on a PC in less time than it took me to write this story. But, I know most people are stuck with what's on their computer whether they like it or not. Why should they have to put up with product that Microsoft knew was third-rate when they shipped it? Microsoft is the richest company in the world, how about tossing a bone to your long, suffering customers and letting all of them upgrade to Windows 7 for free?