Shocker: Windows 7 to sell in UK for half the US price!

By Nate Lanxon on 18 August 2009, 11:55am

We've been doing some investigating, friends -- making phone calls, demanding answers. And it was worth it. We can confirm something very few people get to confirm: British shoppers aren't going to be totally shafted over software pricing for once. Full versions of Windows 7 Home Premium are going to cost us half as much as they cost Americans.

In the UK, full versions of Windows 7 Home Premium -- not an upgrade edition -- are going to cost around £65. That's less than the price the Yanks have to pay just for an upgrade version -- $120 (£72) -- and half what they'll have to cough up for a full version -- $200 (£122).

Amazon.co.uk is already selling the full version of Home Premium for £65, and Play.com is selling it for a little more at £75, but with free delivery. Incidentally, this is the version that includes Internet Explorer 8 -- the Windows 7 E editions have now been scrapped (see our previous coverage for info).

An Amazon.co.uk spokesperson told us to treat this pricing as "indefinite". We asked Microsoft for comment on the pricing disparity, but it's yet to get back to us. Our best guess is that it's honouring its pricing for Windows 7 E, which was cheaper because an upgrade wasn't possible.

Anyway: good news, everyone! For once, we can sit back and watch Americans shafting Americans, instead of us. Over pricing, that is. Is this the end of rip-off Britain, or a glorious one-off? Sadly, we suspect the latter, but let us know what you think in the comments.

We've already tested the final RTM version of Windows 7 in detail. Check it out here.