Microsoft's "nervous population" prepares for Vista

Microsoft launched Windows Vista today as IT analysts warned home users to think carefully before comitting to an upgrade.

Of the versions available, three are likely to attract users - Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate, with upgrade costs ranging from £99 to £250. Full boxed versions costs between £155 and £329.

But while manufacturers, Microsoft and retailers believe there is a place for the low end Vista Basic, all expect Home Premium's more advanced features to make it the most popular package.

Robin Daunter, research and development manager at PC maker Evesham, said he expects Home Premium to take "the lion's share" of sales, estimating a 70-30 per cent split between Premium and Basic. But Simon Lowe, head of channel and marketing at Microsoft, said the company expects a split closer to 80-20 per cent for Premium and Basic, with the £329 Ultimate edition accounting for about five per cent of total sales.

Microsoft expects Vista Ultimate to sell well in the first two months, taking 10-15 per cent of overall sales, since early adopters tend to buy the most advanced versions. But overtime, sales will switch to the other versions.

At the PC World Vista launch this morning on Tottenham Court Road in London, a Microsoft executive described the UK's middle-ground as a "nervous population". Lowe later clarified: "We need early adopters to have a good Vista experience and then the middle-ground will follow."

Microsoft has listed 100 reasons to upgrade to Windows Vista on its website. Clive Longbottom, service director at IT analysts Quocirca suggested: "For those that have a relatively new and powerful PC, then it would be in their interest to install Vista to take advantage of its new features."

He said businesses thinking of switching to Vista "should go out there and have a look at it, but don't install it yet".

He added: "It really makes more sense to wait for Vista on the desktop when you upgrade to Office 2007." Lowe said this was a good idea due to optimisations present in Office 2007.

Drivers caused a lot of headaches at the XP launch and a similar story is being painted by early adopters. "A lot of device drivers won't be available, you need to be careful," said Longbottom.

For users who are worried about compatibility, Microsoft's Vista Upgrade Advisor is a free download with dedicated sections to check whether your computer has enough power, whether devices have Vista drivers available and whether installed programs will work under Vista.

See also:
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Microsoft's "nervous population" prepares for Vista
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Video: Bill Gates' Vista launch speech in London
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