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The Macalope —
Walt Mossberg asked Microsoft for a Windows 7 upgrade matrix and here’s what they sent him.
Windows 7 Upgrades Chart Makes Brain Hurt; We Offer the Mac Equivalent
Cult of Mac —
... 10:45 am, August 5th, 2009, Craig Grannell Walt Mossberg yesterday revealed Microsoft’s official chart that explains how you can upgrade your version of Windows. And we use the word ‘explains’ in its loosest possible sense, since Microsoft’s chart looks like this: win-upgrade-1 Clearly, this is a great example of how extra choice doesn’t always benefit the consumer. And for what it’s worth, all those blue boxes are boxes of doom—in-place upgrades (green) mean the install will keep your files, settings and programs intact, but the more common custom install (blue) means a ...
Official Windows 7 Upgrade Chart is Officially Confusing [Windows 7]
Gizmodo —
... 64 to anything for example) but to simplify things a bit, if your upgrade path falls in a green box, congratulations—your upgrade process will be easier and will preserve your current files, settings and programs. If you fall in the sea of blue there, that means you will have to perform a "Custom Install" which falls somewhere in between an upgrade and a fresh install. If you are still confused, head on over to ZDNet and check out a simplifed version of the chart. [Mossblog via ZDNet]
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The Macalope Weekly: Ball of confusion
Macworld —
... to make lame “Jesus tablet” jokes (maybe they’re funnier in French) and give us a history lesson about the Newton and how he started Be. It’s not all about you, Jean-Louis! The Macalope realizes that, for better or worse, this is the beat he was born to cover, but forgive him if he sometimes looks wistfully at his rejected application to astronaut training school. You can’t always get what you want The Wall Street Journal ’s Walt Mossberg asked Microsoft for a matrix that would show the definitive list of combinations for upgrading to Windows 7. ...
Official Windows 7 upgrade chart is ridiculous
Engadget —
... This is seriously Microsoft's Windows 7 upgrade chart, and it's ridiculous. It manages to highlight the insanity of shipping multiple OS versions while totally minimizing the good news: most Vista users will be able to upgrade in place to the corresponding 32- or ...
Windows 7 Upgrades: Are they going to be too much trouble or just about right?
Betanews —
... Is Microsoft asking too much of consumers and small businesses planning to upgrade existing Windows XP or Vista PCs to Windows 7? That's the question I asked several analysts after reviewing a chart Microsoft provided to veteran technology reviewer Walt Mossberg. ...
Criticism Mounts Over Windows 7 Upgrades
ChannelWeb Complete Feed —
... . Microsoft has also insisted that Vista-to-Windows 7 upgrades will be simple and straightforward because the two share much of the same underlying code. However, in a post earlier this week to the D: All Things Digital blog, the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg published ...
Windows 7 upgrade chart Released
D' Technology Weblog —
... Microsoft porvided an “Official Windows 7 Upgrade chart” to Walt Mossberg, which provides at a glance view of, which existing Windows version can be upgraded to which version of Windows 7. The green box says ‘In-place Upgrade’ will upgrade keeping all your files, settings, programs as it’s been in the current Windows version. While the blue box ‘Custom Install’ (clean Install) gives you the option to either completely replace your current OS or install Windows 7 on specific drive ...
Official Windows 7 Upgrade Chart
Maximum PC all RSS Feed —
... Looking to make life easier for everyone planning on upgrading to Windows 7, Microsoft this week published a chart detailing which OSes are eligible for an "In-Place Upgrade," and which ones require a "Custom Install." ...
Official Windows 7 upgrade chart now available from Microsoft
Gadgetell —
... to start over. Then In-Place Upgrade is referring to what many people would like to do, just upgrade their current installation.
Wow, all that just to explain which route you will need to go, sadly if this looks confusing for the geeks out there, I can already hear the phone ringing and the emails being sent from family member and friends needing help choosing the correct option. With that, I will end with a nice (read: sarcastic) Thanks, Microsoft.
Read [Mossblog] ...
CHART OF THE DAY: Microsoft's Windows 7 Upgrade Mess
Silicon Alley Insider —
... As this chart illustrates, it's a mess: Only a few upgrade paths qualify for an "in-place upgrade," which means you can keep "files, settings, and programs intact from your current Windows version." Most will require a "custom install," which WSJ gadget guru Walt Mossberg describes as "a tedious, painful process" for "most average, nontechie consumers whose PCs have a single hard disk." ...
Weekend Update 8.08.09–The Lolcats Edition
Digital Daily —
... answering emails about buying a new no-frills laptop, switching ISPs and moving contacts emails without too much pain, and discerning the minimum system requirements for Windows 7. He went into a little more detail about Windows 7 on the MossBlog. Unfortunately, Walt discovered that more detail does not equal more clarity when it comes to a Windows 7 upgrade. At his request, Microsoft sent along a handy chart meant to simplify all aspects of the matter for readers. It is an astoundingly, comically complicated document. The company has promised to send a newer, simpler one. Stay ...
Apple Snow Leopard easier to install, costs less than Microsoft Vista service pack, er, ‘Windows 7’
MacDailyNews —
... upgrade path and cost vs. Microsoft’s Vista service pack, er, "Windows 7." "Owners of any Mac with an Intel processor—about 80% of all Macs in use, including yours—will be able to do simple, direct in-place upgrades to the new Snow Leopard edition of the Mac operating system, due out soon," Mossberg explains. "This method will preserve all programs, files and settings without requiring any of the hard-disk wiping, temporary offloading of files and re-installing of programs that Microsoft is requiring to move to Windows 7 from its most popular current version, Windows XP . ...
7 Good Reasons to Switch to Windows 7
Wired: Gadget Lab —
... Also, the Windows 7 upgrade chart may appear intimidating and confusing, but prior to release Microsoft plans to release a compatibility checker that will automatically scan your system to tell you which version of Windows 7 is for you. ...
The Macalope Weekly: Lies, damned lies, and statistics
Macworld —
... that most people are still using (XP), or the supposedly decent release that hasn’t come out yet (Windows 7)? Maybe the Windows 7 brand is too strong to go up against and that Apple realizes this and is changing tactics. Or maybe it’s just the brand that most people don’t even know about yet. Apple didn’t start really attacking Vista until it was at least available on the shelves. The Macalope himself gave Windows 7 some credit above, but it still forces a lot of users to make some uncomfortable choices . If you need any help writing those ads, Apple, just give the pointy one ...
The Macalope Weekly: You should see the other guy
Macworld —
... when he thought that, despite good reviews for Windows 7, Apple might still be able to make some hay with it. As he said in August, "The Macalope himself gave Windows 7 some credit above, but it still forces a lot of users to make some uncomfortable choices . If you need any help writing those ads, Apple, just give the pointy one a call. (They don’t need any help.)" He, uh, never did get that call. Possibly because he’s not listed. Which, unfortunately, is part and parcel of the whole “mythical beast” image. Minotaur? Unlisted. Yeti? Unlisted. Non-gay single male in the ...
7 Things You Should Know About Upgrading to Windows 7
Wired: Gadget Lab —
... Disregard the awful, intimidating Windows 7 upgrade chart when you’re picking a version to buy. Choosing the right version really isn’t as complicated as Microsoft has made it sound in the past. Consumers: The vast majority of you should go with Windows 7 Home Premium. Business users: Most of you will want to go with Windows 7 Professional. (There’s a Windows 7 Ultimate edition, but that’s aimed at a very niche audience of ultra geeks who want to do everything they could possibly imagine doing with their computers.) Again, if you want to be safe, use the ...
