Earlier on we got to see some rather attractive (real or not) retail box shots for Windows 7, but more interesting than what the boxes look like are the mock ups for “upgrade” packages. Could Microsoft package upgrades from one Windows 7 tier to the next for retail sale?
Something like that could make sense for netbook users who find that the three-app limit of Starter Edition is too limiting. In fact, there is a specific upgrade box that’s meant specifically for users moving from Starter Edition to Home Premium – the SKU that Microsoft anticipates to be the most popular amongst all Windows 7 installs.
If the box shots hold any truth to them, Windows 7 Basic users will also be able to purchase an upgrade to Home Premium. There’s also a box to move from Home Premium to Professional, and another to go from Home Premium to Ultimate.
Such “Upgrade Passes,” as the box term them, would likely contain just an upgrade serial key rather than the physical media of the full versions. We also don’t imagine there to be many people looking to upgrade their Home Premium installations, but having a convenient package to pickup alongside a netbook to go from Starter Edition to Home Premium seems to make a lot of sense. Pictures come courtesy of CentrumXP.pl.
