We don’t mean to crash the Apple party, but there’s some news from The Other Side.

The other side being Microsoft and its Windows 7 operating system. According to a report in Engadget, a memo from the Best Buy chain indicates that the store will offer, from June 26 to July 11, a “pre-sale” on Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade and Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $49.99 and $99.99, respectively. The software will ship in October, Microsoft has previously said.

Best Buy said Tuesday that the memo was in fact “an item that appeared on our Intranet site, part of a newsletter directed at company employees. We’re very excited about it.”

The company is also guaranteeing a free Windows 7 upgrade to all PC purchasers from June 26 to the retail software launch day in the fall.

The memo seems to take a rather subtle slap at the current Windows Vista OS. According to the memo, Windows 7 “isn’t just a “Vista that works” program – it’s a new operating system with improved productivity, functionality and creativity that uses less computer resources.”
The so-called sale, obviously an attempt to propel market share with low price points initially and create a buzz, comes at the same time Apple announces it will sell the upgrade to its new OS, Snow Leopard, for $29, starting in September, and beating Windows 7 to market by a month or more. The OS wars are fully engaged.

Source :- http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/...