Comments on: All in the Family Pack

By: billybob

billybob — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:27:23 +0000

I think that is the problem, Microsoft do not offer anything like iLife so the only software they can include is business productivity software. Home users are not excited by being able to make spreadsheets and manage a server.

For the cost of a Windows update, you can get an OSX update and a spare USB hard-drive to use as a Time Machine which is light-years ahead of Microsoft backup. Microsoft backup needs an entire machine whirring away in the corner of your house, Apple only needs a dumb drive and works much better. People need to think about using less electricity, not more.

What Microsoft really need to offer is good software that people want. Even Joe has swallowed his pride and bought an expensive MacBook because he cannot find an equivalent of iMovie or Garage Band. Offering him Office or Windows Home Server is not going to change his mind.

Maybe one of the Windows fans can explain what is so exciting about Microsoft software in the home. To get anything decent you have to go to many 3rd parties to get your software which pushes up the hidden cost.

By: bobtran

bobtran — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:16:52 +0000

If Microsoft was smart, which I sincerely doubt, they would offer 2 family packs. Pack one would contain Windows 7 and Office 2007 standard. The second pack would contain Windows 7 and Windows Home Server with an option to add office for a reasonable cost. Home users are getting more and more sophisticated and this would be Microsoft’s way to get more people to use and appreciate Windows Home Server. In my opinion the Bare Metal Restore, unattended backup and automatic backup management as well as cleanup are worth far more than the current cost of Windows Home Server.

By: billybob

billybob — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:55:32 +0000

The ‘price’ of the family pack is purely speculation. I think it is unlikely that they will price the family pack above buying 3 copies individually.

Are you comparing the discount price of Home Premium? Their pricing is so confusing I will not bother to work it out but I thought HP sold for about $100.

Also Apple allows you to install the family pack on 5 computers instead of 3.

By: All in the Family Pack « Joe Wilcox « Family Blog

All in the Family Pack « Joe Wilcox « Family Blog — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:58:08 +0000

[...] View original here: All in the Family Pack « Joe Wilcox [...]

By: All in the Family Pack « Joe Wilcox | Mac Affinity

All in the Family Pack « Joe Wilcox | Mac Affinity — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:48:35 +0000

[...] Continued here: All in the Family Pack « Joe Wilcox [...]

By: Dave Lindhout

Dave Lindhout — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:22:57 +0000

I think you might be missing the bigger picture. From the accounts I’ve seen Microsoft is offering the family pack of Home Premium for $189. That’s good for three users. Someone else, somewhere else, not me, made the observation that you could buy three copies of Home Premium for $42 less than that. So Microsoft will actually make money on the family pack. Go figure.

Still fodder/low hanging fruit for Apple, but go figure.

By: billybob

billybob — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:47:02 +0000

I bet Microsoft are starting to wish they hadn’t done those ‘Mac Tax’ ads. I can see the Apple advertising department going to town on this.

Microsoft really do not want to compete on the price of their operating system. If they drop retail prices then OEM will have to drop too and that will spell disaster for the client revenues. Cheap XP has shown what an effect it can have.

By: Yert

Yert — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:02:00 +0000

But if the price is $150 it can combine with the MS Office Home and Student price for a $300 software package. Microsoft can even throw in Essentials, their new Antivirus, and even IE if it is in Europe for a Microsoft home family pack. With some real ambition they could include Songsmith and some other low cost consumer end software. Or the Zune software. Who knows what else.