Almost exactly two years ago, I wrote about \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Microsoft\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s licensing mess.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Judging by my mailbag, nothing has changed in the meantime. Microsoft has done an exceptional job of designing Windows 7, but a terrible job of communicating how it will be sold. As Microsoft dribbles out details of the Windows 7 release schedule and product lineup, including pricing and upgrade offers, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been deluged with questions from readers about whether they qualify for a Windows 7 upgrade and, if so, what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the simplest, most cost-effective way to acquire it.<\/p>\n
Before I dive into the Q&A section, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worth taking a second to clear up the source of much of the confusion I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m encountering. In the often bewildering world of Windows licensing, the word upgrade<\/em> has two separate and distinct meanings. The first refers to the license that you purchase, which in turn allows you to run Windows on a specific PC. The second refers to a mode of setup, where you keep installed programs and personal data files while replacing the underlying operating system.<\/p>\n