May 312013
 

Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade [Starter to Home Premium]

Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade [Starter to Home Premium]

  • Move up to Windows 7 Home Premium from Windows 7 Starter with Windows Anytime Upgrade
  • Make the things you do every day easier with improved desktop navigation
  • Start programs faster and more easily, and quickly find the documents you use most often
  • Make your web experience faster, easier and safer than ever with Internet Explorer 8
  • Watch, pause, rewind, and record TV on your PC

Windows 7 Home Premium offers a rich, dynamic entertainment experience on your PC, making it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. You can even watch, pause, and rewind TV or record it to watch whenever and wherever you want.

List Price: $ 79.95

Price: $ 39.82

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  3 Responses to “Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade [Starter to Home Premium]”

  1. 264 of 273 people found the following review helpful
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    Great for netbooks, but little else, December 8, 2009
    This review is from: Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade [Starter to Home Premium]

    This product is only for computers running Windows 7 Starter, so if you are hoping to upgrade from XP or Vista with this kit you are out of luck. If you bought a Windows 7 netbook, chances are you have Windows 7 Starter and have already noticed a few shortcomings of the “netbook-friendly” OS. Among those are the inability to change the background or theme without assistance of 3rd party software, no Windows Media Center, and lack of Aero enhancements such as Glass (translucent borders) and Peek (thumbnail previews of open windows). Starter also lacks a 64-bit version and caps memory at 2GB, but the Atom processors in most netbooks are 32-bit and only support up to 2GB RAM.

    Windows Anytime Upgrade is a convenient way to increase functionality without spending extra on a full upgrade kit. The case contains only a product key, no disc, so no external DVD drive is needed. Windows 7 installs all of the components for all versions regardless of which is being installed, locking features to all but their respective variant. This means that there is nothing extra to be installed and allows for the entire upgrade to finish in roughly 10 minutes.

    The biggest problem with the Anytime Upgrade is that it can only be used to go from Starter to Home Premium. With regular upgrade packs, you can move to a particular flavor of Windows 7 from Vista, XP, or a lesser version of 7. If you wanted to, you could revert to your previous Vista/XP/7 and use the upgrade on another eligible computer. For a savings of roughly $40, you lose a lot of flexibility. If you decide to transfer the upgrade license, it has to be to another computer running Windows 7 Starter. [Note: I have not tested to see if you even can transfer an AU license, but a regular upgrade can be moved]

    Bottom Line: If you missed out on the upgrade kit preorder sale, this is the cheapest way to upgrade your netbook to fully-fledged Windows 7 and take advantage of some of the new features. The fast, painless installation is perfect for netbooks preloaded with Windows 7 Starter, but useless for anything else.

    —NOTE FOR TABLET USERS: Microsoft has available for download a package for multitouch display devices that is only supported in Windows 7 Home Premium or higher. If your tablet comes preloaded with Starter, you will not be able to install that update. If your netbook falls into this category, then this Anytime Upgrade comes with a stronger recommendation as it allows far more natural interaction that is otherwise severely limited without.

    —EDIT: According to the license agreement, if you use an Anytime Upgrade (not a retail upgrade) on a computer, the license is inherited from the previous OS. If you AU an OEM build, the kind that comes preinstalled on retail computers, the AU is now an OEM product and not transferable to a new computer. HOWEVER, that does not mean that if your netbook breaks, your upgrade is lost forever. As long as the base hardware (read: motherboard) on a replacement is the same model as the original, it should work. This is based strictly on the licensing agreement; I have not tested to confirm.

    —EDIT 7-09-2010: I finally had the need to test out the transfer of an Anytime Upgrade license and I can confirm the above. Since Windows 7 Starter edition only comes with an OEM license, ANY upgrades (AU, Upgrade, or retail pack used as an AU) to it inherit that OEM license and cannot be transferred from one computer to another. Use caution when using any form of upgrade with Windows 7 Starter. That said, this is the cheapest option to upgrade Starter to a full version, so if you are going to lock in that upgrade, no sense wasting the extra money on a more expensive set that will provide the exact same results.

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  2. 92 of 102 people found the following review helpful
    3.0 out of 5 stars
    Upgraded from inferior product, July 28, 2010
    By 
    D. Vajdak “Online buyer” (Aggieland, TX) –

    Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
    This review is from: Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade [Starter to Home Premium]

    Does what it’s supposed to do. The “No discs, no delay” is deceiving. When you order from Amazon, you don’t just get the upgrade code emailed to you instantly, you actually have to wait for a package to be delivered. There is no disc, just the upgrade code. Seems like it could be done online so you don’t have to wait several days for a little card to be delivered. A waste of time and packaging. The delivery method is the reason I’m giving it a lower number of stars.

    Windows 7 Starter needs to be done away with. Just because you have a small portable laptop does not mean that you want only a few basic features. Shame on Microsoft for making this version that almost forces an experienced user to upgrade. It’s just a ploy to get more $$$.

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  3. 98 of 110 people found the following review helpful
    4.0 out of 5 stars
    Decided to forgo the upgrade, March 18, 2010
    By 

    This review is from: Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade [Starter to Home Premium]

    So far, I am very happy with the Windows 7/Starter on the eeePC. I installed the 2GB upgrade, but I have decided I don’t really need the upgrade to Home/Premium:

    Screensaver: I have read that these have little use with flat panel displays. The best approach is to turn the display off to extend the life of the back lighting. This you can do with 7/Starter.

    Desktop Background: Don’t these tend to become invisible after a while anyway?

    Aero Effects: Can I live without it? Yeaahhh.

    Themes: Again, so what?

    I use the netbook for net surfing, ebooks, forums, email and a little blogging. Bookworm Adventure runs nicely. 7/Starter does all of these things very well. The look of Starter is attractive and pleasing. I can’t see how a $77 desktop background will make these things perform any better.

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