Upgrade to Vista ultimate

So, I bought the HDX16t and love this laptop, but conveniently my work's network doesn't support Home Premium (personally i just think the IT guy doesn't know what the hell he is doing). Anyways, they will only support Business or Ultimate. So now I have to make the decision of whether I should buy Vista Ultimate (if I do, I would looke for the OEM version) OR just buying the Anytime Upgrade.

What do you guys think? I found the Anytime upgrade on Amazon for $150 and that won't have tax or shipping, but should I try to buy the OEM version of Ultimate? (if it is even available?)

 

I think what the IT guy was referring to was the fact that Windows Vista Home Premium does not have support for domains, thereby not being able to join the company's domain and therefore not being able to directly access files from your work's network. Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate do have support for domains however.

As for Windows Vista Ultimate, there are OEM versions available at both Newegg and Amazon (Newegg links below), but they are a bit more expensive (about US $180) than the Anytime Upgrade route.

32-bit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116213

64-bit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116493

BTW, are you currently a college student? The main reason I ask is because if you are, Microsoft and Digital River offer Windows Vista Ultimate retail upgrade (32-bit and/or 64-bit) for $64.95 through their Ultimate Steal promotion.

Link: http://www.theultimatesteal.com/

 

I am not, but my friend is. Perhaps he can order it for me.

What's the difference between the Vista Upgrade and the Anytime upgrade?

 

The Windows Vista Ultimate license that is provided with the Ultimate Steal is a retail upgrade license. This means that you'll need to have a prior version of Windows or a lower edition of Windows Vista already installed. However, you do have the choice of doing either an in-place upgrade or a clean installation.

Anytime Upgrade is basically the same, although I cannot confirm if there are any differences since I have never used Windows Anytime Upgrade before. However, Microsoft has specifically stated the following about using Windows Vista Anytime Upgrade and prior versions of Windows:

This doesn't really pertain to you since you are just moving from one edition of Vista to another, but I posted it just so that you are aware that upgrade license eligibility is different.

More information is available at the Windows Vista website. These are really the reliable places where you can find any differences between a retail and Anytime Upgrade.

Upgrade to another edition of Windows Vista - http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-us/help/3af7e05f-4d2a-4af7-a168-9242f9093bb81033.mspx
Anytime Upgrade FAQ - http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/get/anytime-upgrade-faq.aspx

Just to clarify, you do not have to own a license for a prior version of Windows if you possess an OEM license. With these licenses, a complete clean installation is possible without the presence of a previous version, BUT an in-place upgrade IS NOT possible.

For more insight as to how retail upgrades work, and how you can make a similarly clean installation through a Windows Vista Ultimate retail upgrade - http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

All in all, I continue to recommend you try obtaining Windows Vista Ultimate through Microsoft's Ultimate Steal promotion. This upgrade option is perfectly valid, and it will save you some money.