I received the following announcement via e-mail today!

I’ll certainly be pre-ordering the Home Premium version of Windows 7 to save a few pounds; prior to 22nd October, it’s going to cost £79.99 rather than £99.99 afterwards. Windows 7 Professional is available for £189.99 as pre-order. Be aware that you cannot upgrade your current system to Windows 7, you have to carry out a full install; but Microsoft claim they’re selling the new OS in Europe at upgrade prices!

Pre-order Windows 7 Home Premium & save £20

Having bought the Ultimate version of Vista, I’m certainly not wasting money on any version above Home Premium. Ultimate was just a complete waste of money, with barely any of the promised “extras” ever materialising. With broken promises & waiting for ages for things to happen, I just can’t wait to get rid of Vista!!

It’s an interesting (unintended I’m sure) marketing ploy of making your current software so bad, that people rush to buy the new one. Not something that you would imagine working in any other field, but Microsoft can get away with it whilst rival OS’s are still not able to put together a big enough challenge. But what happens with the next version of Windows, if Google Chrome OS takes off?!!!! They’ll certainly have to improve their game then!!

Anyhow, here’s the official Microsoft announcement:

It’s almost here! We’re very happy to tell you that we’ve hit the last big milestone on the way to Windows 7: Release to Manufacturing. We’re packaging copies and manufacturers are putting it on new PCs. On October 22, you’ll be able to get the final shipping product. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done; you helped make this an operating system we’re all going to enjoy.

Don’t miss the good stuff. With the final release rapidly approaching, make sure you learn about special offers and other news including details about launch events in your area. A great way to keep up with what’s going on is to sign up for one of our free newsletters. Not only will you get the scoop on the Windows 7 launch, you’ll get useful news throughout the year.

If you’re interested in general Windows topics, Exploring Windows is the best choice.

Want technical guidance and resources? Sign up to be a Springboard Series Insider.

Developer? Get MSDN Flash.

Meanwhile, RC’s downloads are still available. You can get the release candidate download until August 20, 2009. After that, you won’t be able to get the download, but if you have the software, you can still install the RC and get a key if you need one. (Keys will be available till March 2010. To get a key, just go to the Downloads page and follow the instructions.)

We’re listening. Tell us what you think. If you’re using Windows 7 Release Candidate, please go http://input.microsoft.com and tell us what you think. You’ll be able to give feedback on various aspects of the operating system.

Got the RC and need help? Experts on the Windows 7 Forum can help answer your questions. The forum also gives you a way to share what you’ve learned with other people.

Essential resources

The Installation Instructions give you the info you need to get started.

To get more information about Windows 7, such as feature descriptions, visit the Windows 7 website.

Looking for technical help or information? Here are a few sources:

The Windows 7 online forums are a great place to start.

You can keep up to date on news about Windows 7 on the team blog.

Find essential “getting ready” info at Microsoft Answers.

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