How hard could it be?

Walt Mossberg asked Microsoft for a Windows 7 upgrade matrix and here’s what they sent him.

Yow. That’s a lot more custom installs than even the Macalope envisioned.

Comments
  • Kit:

    That’s a heckuva lot of blue.

    This is going to be a disaster.

  • Nate:

    It’s like BINGO!

    Caller: And here we go…Windows 7 Professional 64bit from Windows Vista Home Basic 64bit.

    That’s Windows 7 Professional 64bit, upgrading from Windows Vista Home Basic 64bit.

    Elderly Man (in retirement home): Rats, ANOTHER Custom Install!?

    …Hours later…

    Caller: Ok and the last one for tonight folks…Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit from Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit

    Elderly woman (sitting next to elderly man): BING! *shows the caller her card*

    Caller: Mam, I see you’ve cut and pasted some of the In-Place Upgrade spaces around…

    Elderly Man: *triumphant; stands* I KNEW IT! This game is RIGED. And you can KEEP your newfangled Windows 7 too, sonny.

  • Matt:

    Someone needs to make an OS upgrade matrix.

  • Sigivald:

    Looks fine to me.

    If it’s a “normal” version of Vista and you’re upgrading to the same bit-depth of the equivalent Win7 or Win7 Ultimate, it’s in-place.

    Everything else is custom.

    It looks complex, but I described it in two sentences and it makes sense.

  • dannyo:

    @SIGIVALD

    It’s not the complexity, it’s the number of combinations where software reinstallations are required.

    XP users being the bulk of the Windows world right now mean the bulk of the users will have to do some serious work to upgrade.

    General comments:

    While they’re represented, 64 bit to 32 bit upgrades are highly unlikely. Are 32 bit to 64 bit likely? And can one just “use the install disks” to effect reinstall when there’s a bit-depth change?

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