Free Windows Vista and Office 2007?! (probably not a scam)

[SirLemming]

I'm a moderator. Hear me out.

http://powertogether.com/

So this web site is... official-looking, and, judging by various news reports which I don't have the time to check right now, not a scam.

Is anything ever truly free? Of course not. They want you to look at some training videos or something and they also want you to register at this web site. But I have to say this looks like an amazing deal. And it's for the BUSINESS edition of Vista, too. Which I assume is better than the Home version... though perhaps I'm wrong and that's the catch...

More on this situation as it develops. Post your various insights, wild accusations, antitrust lawsuits, etc. here.

[Malex]

My frat brother gave me the same link and mentioned it was given to businesses as a "promotion" for Vista and Office 2007. He even mentioned that it used to offer Vista Ultimate, the media center version. It's confirmed to be legit.

[Mog]

Looks good, I'll try for the OS later. Can't do it now because it's down. If I can get the OS I'll try for office, thought I already use and like Open Office.

[Fresh V]

Aw, the Free Windows Vista is sold out.

[En Sabah Nur]

Its like this:
Computers purchased after October 26th 2006, will be given vouchers by Microsoft to many different PC distributes, so you will be able to have Windows Vista as soon as it comes out even though the PC you purchased is Windows XP. Why? So people will be buying PCs for the holidays and not waiting for Vista to come out. Microsoft didn't want to lose out on the holiday shopping so they created this plan.
Here is how you can determine what Version of Vista you can get and for how much:
There are 5 versions of Vista
Windows Vista Home Basic
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Enterprise
Windows Vista Ultimate

Here what determines what you can get and for what:
Windows® XP MCE To Windows Vista™ Home Premium for Free

Windows® XP Professional To Windows Vista™ Business for Free
Windows® XP Home Edition To Windows Vista™ Home Basic for $45
Windows® XP Home Edition To Windows Vista™ Home Basic for $75

Purchases from certain retailers qualify for free shipping and handling. For others, a shipping and handling fee of $9.95 will be charged.

Note, that these prices are for Sony Vaio customers, fur other companies like Dell, prices may vary but they will not vary by much.

So yes, if you have a Windows XP Pro, and bought a PC after October 26th 2006 (like me), you will get Windows Vista Business, absolutely free.
Windows Vista Home Basic, will not have the cool 3d stile and features of Windows Aero, but Windows Home Premium and on, will.

Another thing, Microsoft will place stickers such as "Windows Vista Capable, and Windows Vista Premium Ready" on PCs, so you will know what Windows Vista version will be compatible with your hardware.
If a PC is self made or upgraded, here are the specs to determine what version is good for you:
A Windows Vista Capable PC includes at least:
A modern processor (at least 800MHz).
512 MB of system memory.
A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.
Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs
To get an even better Windows Vista experience, including the Windows Aero user experience, ask for a Windows Vista Capable PC that is designated Premium Ready, or choose a PC that meets or exceeds the Premium Ready requirements described below. Features available in specific premium editions of Windows Vista, such as the ability to watch and record live TV, may require additional hardware.
A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC includes at least:
1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 GB of system memory.
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum), Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel.
40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space.
DVD-ROM Drive.
Audio output capability.
Internet access capability

Here are some sources:
http://www.learningcenter.sony.us/assets/itpd/promos/vaio_vista/index.html
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/capable.mspx

[SirLemming]

Did that post have to do with this or what?

In any case it's over now, so... well, that sucks.