Microsoft reduces Vista prices

On retail standalone packages but not in the UK

29 February 2008 13:01 GMT / By Katie Scott

Microsoft has announced that it is going to reduce the price of several standalone versions of Windows Vista.

The release has been published stateside but has confirmed to Pocket-lint that there are to be no further reductions in the UK.

A spokeswoman told us: "UK pricing is not coming down any further as the prices have already been reduced in the UK and, for now, will largely remain at the promotional level set last in November 2007."

In the release, Brad Brooks, corporate vice president for Windows Consumer Product Marketing at Microsoft, explained that the reductions in the US are just going to be on standalone versions of the package sold through retailers.

He explained: "In developed markets, the price changes will most notably impact upgrade retail versions of the new editions we introduced in 2007 - Windows Vista Home Premium and Ultimate editions".

"In emerging markets, we are combining full and upgrade Home Basic and Home Premium versions into full versions of these editions and instituting price changes to meet the demand we see among first-time Windows customers who want more functionality than is available in current Windows XP editions."

He added that Microsoft is also lowering pricing on Windows Vista Ultimate in emerging markets.

The price changes will come in at the same time as the retail release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 later this year.

But Brooks adds that some markets will see reduced prices sooner as a result of promotions with the likes of Amazon.