PriceSCAN Blog: Vista Achieves Touted "Wow" Effect, Albeit Through Massive Price Drop

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Vista Achieves Touted "Wow" Effect, Albeit Through Massive Price Drop

Computers | Feb 26, 07

The top of the line version of Microsoft's new operating system is starting off life with a fall in price best described as "rock-like". While sooner or later this decline should abate, it's an open question whether this species of Vista has yet found even a temporary bottom.

The OS in question is the "full" DVD version of Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, currently the most popular operating system on PriceSCAN.com. Just following the Vista launch five weeks ago it was going for at least $425, and now may be had for just shy of $340, a decline of some 20% from the introductory price (see graph below).

Time Period: 1/15/2007 through 2/19/2007
Each tick mark represents one week
Red = High Price, Blue = Average Price, Green = Low Price

Interestingly, the price of the full DVD version of Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium has shown no such sharp decline, with the lowest vendor price on PriceSCAN falling only about 2% over the last month.
In any event, if you need Vista's business applications but also want the media center capabilities of Home Premium, the Ultimate version will get you there. And, as a reward for waiting the past few weeks to make your purchase, you can now do so at a substantial discount to the intro price. Just goes to show that when it comes to new products, it sometimes pays to wait, even for a very short period of time.