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No coupon for you, new Mac buyer! Snow Leopard upgrade costs $9.95
Remeber the announcement last week that Windows 7 upgrade coupon plans are falling into place? Buy a machine with Windows Vista within the specified window, and you'll get a voucher for a free, spankin' new Windows 7.What about Apple hardware currently sporting Leopard? Snow Leopard is due soon, after all. So will you get a free upgrade?
Not so much.
It'll cost you $9.95 - not a huge premium, obviously, but it's still more than free. While I'm not an Apple user and not in the market for a new notebook anyway, that offer stinks.
Leopard to Snow Leopard isn't quite the same evolutionary step as Vista is to Windows 7, but that upgrade won't cost a cent? I like the sound of that much better.
Will the fee hurt Apple sales? Likely not. Most consumers probably either won't bother with the update or won't think twice about shelling out ten bucks to get current. But can you imagine the crap storm that would ensue if Microsoft was to pull that when transitioning from one OS to another?
We'd never hear the end of it.
Comments
24
Subscribe to commentsrobotrockJun 16th 2009 4:09PM
They like to do these weird smallish fees on people - like the one to unlock 802.11n on earlier MBPs.
That said...Microsoft should give every Vista owner an upgrade for 10 bucks.
JBJun 16th 2009 6:25PM
Microsoft IS charging $10 for the upgrade... It's just most likely being subsidized by the vendor.
In the case of Snow Leopard, Apple IS the vendor... they're not going to subsidize themselves now are they?
Chris StottJun 16th 2009 4:20PM
This probably comes under the same sphere as paying for iPod touch OS upgrades vs getting them for free on the iPhone. Accountancy rules.
It was the same thing for iLife too.
http://www.macworld.com/article/131991/2008/02/ipodtouch.html
playstation_1987Jun 16th 2009 4:30PM
If it was accounting rules why does Microsoft give away Windows 7 Coupons to those who buy Windows Vista laptops after July? I'm not even a Mac fanboi but there is no reason they have to charge for Snow Leopard upgrades if you buy a brand new notebook right now. What accounting rule specifically states you have to make people pay for upgrades? iPhone users get free upgrades but iPod touch users don't? Blu-Ray players give free firmware upgrades.
AndreasJun 16th 2009 4:35PM
Sarcasm? :s.
"Leopard to Snow Leopard isn't quite the same evolutionary step as Vista is to Windows 7"
I admit i haven't kept myself entirely up to date with all the new features in Win 7 but exactly which features are you referring too, to me Win 7 looks like a polished version of Vista?
I admit $10 is kinda an unnecessary fee but as I've understood you get upgrade DVD's for that and not just some install file?
Not to mention the initial cost of actually buying Vista which is roughly $210 in Sweden atm, almost 2x the initial cost of buying leopard?
discoJun 16th 2009 4:47PM
I think one of the reasons that M$ is giving away Windows 7 is cause Vista is a disaster and they want to move away from it as quickly as possible. And you are right, it would be a crap storm because Vista was a dud. I think if Vista rocked the show, Windows 7 wouldn't be. Perhaps it would come as a service pack or something along those lines.
./disco
QuikboyJun 16th 2009 11:49PM
I would agree that Windows Vista when launched, was not quite up to par, but with SP1 and now SP2, Windows Vista is running and operating fine as many users have noticed.
No need for the ridiculous '$'!
discoJun 17th 2009 12:37PM
Consider this, M$ released XP in 2001
Vista, the successor to XP was released to Retail Customers in Jan, 2007.
Windows 7 is to be released in approx Sept, 2009.
Don't you think its odd that XP lasted about 5 - 6 years and Vista barely makes it to 3 years? M$ realized they need to dump this albatross and move on, Windows 7 is what Vista should have been. Cheers,
disco
devildog820Jun 16th 2009 4:38PM
Actually, when I got my free Vista upgrade from Dell a couple of years ago, I had to pay $20 in shipping and handling to get my free upgrade. So, really, Apple undercut MS on this too...
LicottoJun 16th 2009 5:47PM
I'm confused...isn't the Snow Leopard upgrade $29, not $9.95??? Even on the link above (Apple announces price and date for Mac OS X Snow Leopard) states it as $29...
Did I miss something?
Lee MathewsJun 16th 2009 5:48PM
This is on new hardware purchase during an "upgrade window." IE systems that are in stores, but have Leopard installed on them.
ArturoJun 16th 2009 6:09PM
dude, 10 bucks is NOT the end of the world. If anyone is going to be affected by this, itd be Apple, if customers are at all swayed for the PC choice because of the upgrade fee on the mac....
Lee MathewsJun 16th 2009 7:04PM
Whoa, wasn't aware I equated it to 'the end of the world'
ArturoJun 16th 2009 7:11PM
you know what I mean... were it more money, I think it be a valid point. Didnt mean to sound harsh, it was just a hyperbole...:p
SlappyJun 16th 2009 7:08PM
Ummm...the upgrade is free, there's a shipping and handling charge.
"Those who have recently purchased Macs won't have to continue cursing at themselves for not putting it off until after Snow Leopard is released later this year. Apple has published info on its Snow Leopard Up-to-Date program, which details how qualifying Mac owners can get a copy of Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) for free—plus $9.95 shipping and handling, of course."
Lee MathewsJun 16th 2009 7:16PM
Not what it says on the Apple site:
"...can upgrade to Snow Leopard for US$9.95 plus tax"
Shipping is included in the cost, which makes sense. What's shipping on a sleeved DVD? $1?
kevinnJun 16th 2009 9:48PM
Anyone who bought a Mac within the cutoff date (June 8th) are qualified to the upgrade program. The $10 bucks is just for S&H of the DVD to you when Snow Leopard ships.
For older Mac Leopard users, its $30 for upgrading to the same thing.
jonathan.riggallJun 17th 2009 7:36AM
But you wouldn't lose out continuing with Leopard, which is still great, and $10 is a very moderate price for an upgrade.
Microsoft may well have got more stick for something like this, but their products aren't as smooth, and so don't generate that warm happy feeling that Apple's do. I'm AMAZED I only have to pay $30 to upgrade to Snow Leopard.
Especially as I know that from day one it will work without problems.
FromamacJun 17th 2009 8:32AM
Thats because most Mac fans don't care how much it cost to buy second-tier hardware...so why care if your buying a Service Pack??? LuLz
JeffreyJun 18th 2009 4:07PM
I don't see the problem. If I buy a new Mac *right now*, I can get Snow Leopard for just $9.95 once it's released later this year, rather than the $29 full price for everyone else. Otherwise, I can wait to buy the Mac once it's released and get it for free. It's not complicated and it's not a trick.
It's a different way of doing business than the M$ status quo, with its tiered versions of Windows, all exorbitantly priced. Besides, whether from buying a new computer where it's subsidized by the manufacturer, snagging an OEM version at a computer swap meet, copying from a friend or a bootleg copy online, how many Windows users actually pay full price?