Pioneer Computers set to offer Vista upgrades

Despite no firm date for the release of Windows Vista, Pioneer Computers has begun to offer free upgrades to the new operating system for users of Microsoft's Media Centre Edition and XP Professional Windows versions.

Speaking to CRN, Jeff Li MD at Pioneer (pictured) said from 26 October 2006 to March 2007, all Pioneer DreamVision PCs, DreamBook notebooks and server products installed with Microsoft Windows Media Centre Edition or Windows XP Professional would be eligible for a free upgrade to Vista.

He said the white-box maker had been given the go ahead to start advertising the upgrades from Microsoft’s US head office.

“[Microsoft] head office in Redmond gave me the go ahead to start doing this. We have already done the beta testing for Vista and think it is alright,” he said.

Li said Pioneer’s SMB and enterprise resellers were "very interested in Vista” and wanted to get an early start in getting Vista offers out in the marketplace, before a scheduled release date was officially set.

Despite the lack of a firm date, Li said that if Microsoft did delay Vista's launch then Pioneer would simply delay the upgrade service. However, Li was convinced Microsoft would release the Vista suite to the local market in January 2007.

“I am 90 percent sure Microsoft will release Vista in January 2007. There is no reason it shouldn’t,” he said.

Clarifying Pioneer's initiative, Li said the company would offer free upgrades of the operating system if it was installed by resellers. A handling fee would apply to resellers wanting the upgrades done by the white-box maker.

“We will upgrade the Window XP MCE to Vista Home Premium and Windows XP Pro to Vista Business. The free upgrade Windows SKU for Vista is already available from today,” he said.