Microsoft Slashes Vista Price To Encourage Upgrades

Microsoft has had a nagging issue ever since Vista hit the shelves — people have overwhelmingly chosen to stick with Windows XP as opposed to make the switch.

Hence, the company has finally decided to do some price slashing, which will take place when the new SP1 version arrives. 

The pricey Vista Ultimate full shebang will drop markedly from $399 to $319, while a mere upgrade will plummet from $259 down to $219. The Home Premium upgrade will go from $159 to $129. 

“I can’t remember a big price cut like this,” said analyst Chris Swenson, who tracks such matters for the NPD Group. “It’s very unheard of.”  

Service Pack 1, the first major update to Vista, is expected to ship later this year.