Dell starts selling Vista PCs ahead of launch date

by Angus Kidman

Saturday, 27 January 2007

The official launch date for Windows Vista may be January 30, but Dell will start selling machines loaded with the new operating system this weekend.

Because Dell works on a build-on-demand model, it can take orders for PCs loaded with Vista ahead of the launch date, knowing they won't actually ship prior to the release date. In Australia, the company quotes an official delivery time of 7-10 days. In other global locations closer to Dell's factories, shipping times are likely to be shorter.

Only a handful of machines will initially be offered with Vista, with additional models released following Tuesday's launch events. Like many other OEMs, Dell has participated in Microsoft's Express Upgrade program, which offers discounted copies of Vista to recent purchasers of XP-based systems.

Microsoft's official position is that no retail copies of Vista can ship before 1201am on January 30. In practice, that means the first standalone copies of Vista will go on sale in New Zealand, with Australia following shortly thereafter. PCs preloaded with the operating system also can't be sold before this time.

Australia will also be the first place where one of five editions of the new operating system signed by Bill Gates will be given away in a prize draw to one of the first-time purchasers.
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