Sinobytes

Why should Mrs Zhou work for one month to buy Windows 7?

Oct 24, 2009 20:42

Microsoft proudly launched Windows 7 the other day, hoping this would fix the damage done by the unpopular and troublesome Vista, and also praying this would finally persuade the vast majority of its users to upgrade from the decade-old XP.

In China, the upgrade won't come cheap, with the top version of Windows 7--dubbed "Ultimate"--costing the equivalent of a month's salary for the average Chinese office worker (the average Mrs Zhou, so to speak) at a low- to medium-level desk job (that's about 2,500 yuan; US$366).

With so many Windows users in China already running the pirated version of "Ultimate" XP, these users--if they do move up to "7" at all--will either go on to purchase a pirated copy of Windows 7 (any version) for just 20 yuan (that's US$2.90), or opt for the cheaper 699 yuan (that's US$102) genuine Windows 7 Home Premium.

Let's be realistic, Microsoft. Few people in the "developing world" actually want the gimped "Starter Edition" or "Home Basic" that is being aimed at countries such as China, India, Mexico, Brazil, etc. The Home Basic version, in China, is now selling for 399 yuan (US$58), but with its lack of key features--no Media Center or Player, no file encryption, no multitouch support, etc., etc.--it is very unappealing as a "gateway drug" to legitimate software.

Lower prices
In fairness to Microsoft, it has been dropping prices in China and a few other markets where it sees the need to be flexible and encouraging, to get users to pay for its software, perhaps for the first time; a sort of carrot-and-stick to convert the pirating masses. Here are the four main versions of "7" for the Chinese market:

Home Basic--399 yuan
Home Premium--699 yuan
Professional--1,399 yuan
Ultimate--2,460 yuan

It'll be a tough task for Microsoft, though. To get a genuine copy of Windows 7, you'll need to hunt it down at one of dozens of multi-floor gadget malls, and pay 699 yuan for the cheapest decent version of "7". A pirated copy, meanwhile, can be found at any of the hundreds of "DVD shops" in every city, which sell nothing but pirated DVDs, CDs, computer games, and software. I spotted Windows 7 for 20 yuan just yesterday evening as I walked home from work.

Most machines I see in China running pirated XP have Professional or Ultimate installed. The genuine "Ultimate", costing a month's salary for the average urbanite--to say nothing of rural computer users--will probably lie on shelves gathering dust.

Resources: Get Chinese version of Windows 7 (Microsoft); and "Windows 7: The first wave" (CNET Crave blog)

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