Eye on Microsoft
About this Blog:
This is Shane O'Neill's blog about Microsoft's corporate strategy and its various software and services — the good, the bad and the ugly.
Take My Windows 7 Please: A Resale Tale
An effort to sell an extra copy of Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade version ran into a slight problem: Nobody wanted it.
Though Windows 7 is building a reputation as a messiah that will revive the PC industry, when I found myself trying to peddle an extra copy of the new OS, I couldn't give the damn thing away.
There have been stories about how Windows 7 is in high demand. According to one study, adoption of Windows 7 just 10 days after its launch is where Vista adoption was four months into its launch in '07. Microsoft is reporting that Windows 7 is doing well. Big shocker there.
Slideshow: Windows 7 in Pictures: The Coolest New Hardware
There's lots of noise, but thankfully there are industry analysts to be the voice of reason. In a recent BusinessWeek story, Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa put it best: "People won't buy new PCs for Windows 7. They'll only buy them if they need them."
Well, my own struggle to sell an extra copy of Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade version confirms that notion. It seems people don't really want Windows 7, even at a rather large discount.
[ For complete coverage on Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system -- including hands-on reviews, video tutorials and advice on enterprise rollouts -- see CIO.com's Windows 7 Bible. ]
How did I end up with an extra copy of Windows 7 Home Premium? Well, I snagged it off Amazon back in late June for $50 as part of Microsoft's pre-order deal. Fast-forward to Oct. 22 in New York City where I was attending the Windows 7 launch event. What did I find in my goodie bag other than a skin-tight Windows 7 t-shirt, a puzzle, a poster and deck of cards? My oh my, it's a free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate signed by Steve Ballmer!
When I got home to Boston, a box containing the Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade version I ordered back in June was waiting for me. But I didn't need it anymore. So I tossed it aside and upgraded my personal Vista latop with my free copy of Ultimate (upgrade was pretty smooth by the way), figuring I could sell Home Premium and make a little pocket money. It'll be a no-brainer, I thought.
Windows 7 Home Premium retail price is currently $120. So I sent out an e-mail to most everyone in my editorial group who work in the office (about 40 people), offering it for $80. I assumed I would sell it in two minutes. But not only were there no offers, no one even responded. I guess I deserved it. The people I work with are really smart, and many like to use Macs.
Eventually, a colleague said he'd take it for $50. But it turns out this person wanted it for his Mac, which was running Windows 7 release candidate version in a virtual environment, and you can't upgrade from a Win 7 RC with Home Premium. Deal off.
Next I tried CraigsList at the same price: $80. Bigger audience, I figured. But it was the same reaction. Exactly one response came in — someone saying he or she would pay $60, who then never got back to me when I responded.
It was dawning on me: It's going to be difficult to sell this thing at all.
I was considering throwing it in a drawer, or maybe just handing to one of the toll collectors on the Mass Pike. But I decided to give my co-workers another try, this time offering it for what I originally paid: $50.
Bingo!
One response (Again, just one) came in from
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