Cheap upgrade to Vista?

Darius Chang | Jan 31, 2007

It has only been day two of the official launch and already some enterprising consumers are finding ways to obtain the latest Vista operating system for a song.

Not willing to shell out over S$300 (US$217.39) for the latest system? Well, you aren't the only one. It seems one can obtain an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) version of Windows XP for well under S$200 (US$144.93) and upgrade to the equivalent edition of Vista, paying only shipping and handling charges. This represents a whooping savings of about 50 percent.

The catch is the OEM Windows XP must come with a redemption coupon with a serial number. Moreover, the end user license agreement requires that your OEM software comes with the appropriate hardware as well. If you meet those requirements, just register at Microsoft's Express Upgrade to Vista Program and prepare to experience the "Wow" of the new operating system.