Win 7 Anytime Upgrade prices announced, EU & UK ripped off

Microsoft today unveiled pricing for Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU) and the Windows 7 Family Pack.

Windows Anytime Uprade

WAU allows users who purchase machines with Home Premium or Starter to move up to a higher edition of Windows 7. After Windows 7 is released to market on October 22nd, you will be able to buy a retail package that contains an upgrade key from retail outlets. The pricing structure will be (US, EU, GBP):

• Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium: $79.99 · €74.99 · £69.99
• Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Professional: $114.99 · €184.99 · £119.99
• Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Ultimate: $164.99 · €204.99 · £139.99
• Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional: $89.99 · €179.99 · £119.99
• Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Ultimate: $139.99 · €189.99 · £124.99
• Windows 7 Professional to Windows 7 Ultimate: $129.99 · €134.99 · £84.99

Updated: The upgrade pricing for UK customers appears to be a rip off where Brits and Europeans will be charged almost double in some cases for Windows 7 Anytime Upgrades. According to a Microsoft spokesperson "WAU pricing is dependent upon several factors, including the edition being upgraded and the desired edition, but in general pricing is comparable or lower than Windows Vista WAU pricing. In terms of regional pricing, it's determined by a host of factors including local market conditions, partner margins, taxation, exchange rate and more."

Microsoft will also be offering WAU online upgrades in 13 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK or the US.

For more information on how Anytime Upgrade works checkout our guide.

Windows 7 Family Pack

Microsoft also announced that the Windows 7 Family Pack will be available on October 22 and priced at $149.99 in the US and $199.99 in Canada for three Windows 7 Home Premium licenses. Consumers will save $200 in the US by purchasing the Family Pack over individual copies. Microsoft did not supply pricing for markets other than the US and Canada.