The Deals

Get Windows 7 Home Premium for $172.95 (save 23%)

Get Windows 7 professional for $291.95 (save 11%)

Get Windows 7 Ultimate for $320.95 (save 8%)

The Details

These are for the full versions of the product, not upgrade editions. Each version includes both a downloadable copy, as well as a disc version as a backup.

Click here for the Microsoft store

The Deal

Microsoft Office Home & Student 2010 for $119 (save 25% off)

My Take

These programs tend to be very expensive, so any discount you can get is great. For people not currently in school (where you can get a copy free) this is a good deal to pick up a copy.

Click here for the Microsoft Canada store

Studio MekTek, in association with Smith and Tinker, INC., Virtual World Entertainment, LLC, Catalyst Game Labs, and Microsoft Games, is happy to announce the release of Mechwarrior4 Free.

Getting started is easy. Just download and install MTX, MekTek’s free content delivery and updating system. Once installed, simply click the Games Available tab, select Mechwarrior4: Mercenaries and click install. The game will download and install, all within MTX, and as updates become available, MTX will help you keep your game up to date.

Download Mechwarrior4: Mercenaries Free Release (1.7 GB) via MTX today!

Links:

• Technical Reference Manual
• Corrine’s Strategy, Map and Variant Guides
• MekMatch

The file size is 1.7 GB, so it is a fairly large download. You can view full details of the release and game, as well as download the game at Mektek. This is a free PC game download and should run on all modern machines as well as machines that are now a bit dated.

Looking to purchase a copy of Microsoft Office, but worried about the new version release on the horizon? Well Microsoft is offering a free upgrade to Microsoft Office 2010 between March 5, 2010 and September 30th 2010 for those who purchase a qualifying copy of Microsoft Office 2007.

So if you need Office today, you can get a copy without worrying about the new version.

Simply follow the 3-steps outlined by Microsoft:

Your work computer. Your home laptop. Your Mac. Your mobile phone. Devices live in multiple places. But the files you need—and the programs that open them—often don’t. Live Mesh changes all that.

Live Mesh allows you to synchronize all your files across all your devices, so that you  always have the latest and up to date version. You can even share and allow others to manipulate these files and receive notifications upon any changes. It allows you to seamlessly work across all your devices and not have to worry about transferring files from one location to another.

It also allows you to connect to your other computer and access its desktop as if you were sitting right in front of it. Don’t have the right version of Microsoft Windows that supports remote desktop? Don’t feel like paying a third party for such a solution? No problem, Live Mesh has you covered.

All you need to do is sign up for a Windows Live ID. If you already have one, you can sign in and get started right now. The service is fully functional, but is still considered a beta, so more functionality is likely still to be added.

Link: Windows Live Mesh

Microsoft is offering a free download of it’s new Office product, Microsoft Office 2010 Beta Professional. It’s completely free to use and should be valid (once you’ve installed it) until late next year. Remember this is a beta version only, so it may have a few issues, but it’s still a free high quality office suite, which includes a word processor, spreadsheet program, email, PowerPoint and more.

System Requirements:

• 500 MHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor or higher
• 256 MB of system memory or more
• 3.5 GB of available disk space
• 1024×768 or higher resolution monitor
• DVD-R/W Drive

• Windows XP with Service Pack (SP) 3 (32-bit)
• Windows Vista with SP1 (32-bit or 64-bit)
• Windows Server 2003 R2 (32-bit or 64-bit)
• Windows Server 2008 with SP2 (32-bit or 64-bit)
• Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit)

Download: Office 2010 Beta

For all Windows 7, Vista and XP users, there are some great free software downloads available to you.

The first, is the Windows Live Essentials Suite.

It contains the new Windows Live Mail and Instant Messenger programs, as well as Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Parental Controls and Writer (for blogging).

This software is now separate from the operating system (it would have likely come with Windows 7) due to anti-trust issues. If you are looking for the built in instant messenger or mail program for Windows 7, you won’t find one and will have to download Windows Live Essentials to get the latest Windows versions of these products.

If you don’t have Windows 7, no problem, as t is worth a look by users of all three operating systems.

Head over to http://www.download.live.com/ to grab a copy. Don’t forget, you can pick and choose which items you wish to install.

The next piece of software worth a look is Microsoft Security Essentials. A free virus, malware and spyware solution from Microsoft. If you are tired of paying a yearly subscription for anti-virus, or are just plain dissasitisfied with your current provider, it’s worth a look.

Microsoft Security Essentials can be downloaded from: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

Lastly, if you are looking for a little extra protection to defend against spyware, look no further than to Microsoft Windows Defender. Microsoft’s free solution to combat spyware. This product will work with your existing anti-virus solution and provide you with that extra bit of additional protection you may just need. It generally works well with other security solutions, but if you do already have built-in spyware protection, you may want to test the compatibility of Windows Defender. You need to remember, running two spyware products, much like running any security software of the same type, at the same time, can cause issues.

Note: Windows 7 comes with Windows Defender already installed.

Microsoft Windows Defender can be downloaded from: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx

Looking to save money on a full fledged version of Windows 7? Why not try an OEM version.

OEM or “original equipment manufacturer “  software is designed for system builders who intend to resell the computer that the software is installed on. Thus, the software is discounted.

The software does  not come  in a nice box, or contain anything other than a disc and the serial number.

Newegg.ca has some great deals on these versions:

Windows 7 Home Premium: $116.99

Windows 7 Professional: $154.99

Windows 7 Ultimate: $205.99

There is nothing stopping anyone from picking up an OEM copy and they are exactly the same as the non-OEM versions. Of course, you’ll be re-selling the computer you installed it on…

Please pay attention to the disclaimer.

*Disclaimer: Use of this OEM System Builder Channel software is subject to the terms of the Microsoft OEM System Builder License. This software is intended for pre-installation on a new personal computer for resale. This OEM System Builder Channel software requires the assembler to provide end user support for the Windows*

Here is a great opportunity to get any questions you have about Windows 7 and your current  computing situation answered by the experts for free. Just head over to the Microsoft or HP forum’s tomorrow, November the 5th.

Note: if you can’t make it tomorrow, the offer is also available again on November the 19th and December the 1st.

From HP Canada Support:

You have questions on Windows 7?

We have answers.

On Thursday, November 5^th from 12:01 am to 11:59 pm eastern time (November 5th from 5:01 am to November 6th 4:59 am GMT time), experts will participate in special boards called “Windows 7 and Printing“, “Windows 7 and Notebooks,”and “Windows 7 and Desktops” to answer questions and give you suggestions on how to get the most out of Microsoft’s latest OS and your HP products.

You’ll have access to more than 73  experts on Windows 7. Talk with the best and brightest minds at HP, Microsoft, and Symantec. Highly knowledgeable members from this Forum as well as Microsoft’s Forum will also answer questions and share their insights.

This day will be especially helpful for those interested in:

• An introduction to Windows 7;

• Upgrading existing systems to Windows 7;

• Connecting your wireless printer to a Windows 7PC;

• And much more.

The conversations will be hosted on new boards that will be created specifically for this day. They will be found in the “Welcome to the Forum” section next to this Announcement board and the “Tips and Tricks” board.

Hope to seeyou on the 5th!

*In case you are not available on November 5^th, we will be repeating this opportunity on November 19^th and December 1^st. *

HP Forums: http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/

Microsoft Forums: http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/category/windows7

Looking to make the jump to Windows 7, but have no idea which version is the right one for you? Well look no further, for a quick and simple breakdown to help you make that choice without any of the extra fuss.

Step 1: Deciding what features you really need.  This is really the most important step, as it will largely determine which product  you ultimately select.

For the vast majority of regular users, you can forget the following versions altogether:

• Windows 7 Basic (for budget/third world country PC solutions)
• Windows 7 Starter (for budget computers, contains a stripped down version with limited features)
• Windows 7 Ultimate (for power users that need encryption and more language supprot)
• Windows 7 Enterprise (for businesses).

Your real choices are: Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional. The big difference between the two, boils down to parental controls and “XP mode”. For whatever reason Windows 7 Professional does not support parental controls, if you need them and the features of the Professional version, you’ll have to get Windows 7 Ultimate and pay extra.

The big advantage Professional has over Home Premium is that of XP mode. The ability to run older Windows XP based applications/programs in a special “mode” that essentially emulates (replicates) a Windows XP  environment. This is great if you have a  number of programs from Windows XP you still want to use and you are worried about them working on Windows 7.

However, Windows 7 is pretty good in terms of compatibility and moreover, there is a catch (surprise, surprise). Your computer’s processor/CPU must support “hardware-assisted virtualization”. What exactly this is, isn’t important, but knowing whether your computer supports this, is essential.

The easiest way to find out, is to run GRC’s Securable. It will tell you in an instant if you meet that requirement.

Step 2: Do I get a 64-bit version or a 32-bit version. The simple answer is:  get the 64-bit version. Virtually all new computers have had support for this for some time now and there is no reason not to make the change, as this is the way things are heading. Not to mention if you plan to upgrade your computers memory down the line, or even have 4 GB or more of memory right now, you wont’ be able to use all that memory without a 64-bit version. If you are unsure if your computer’s processor/CPU will support a 64-bit version of Windows, look no further than to GRC’s Securable again.

Step 3: Should I get an upgrade or full version? The two big differences between an upgrade version and a full version boil down to price and how you’ll end up installing Windows. The upgrade version is considerably cheaper than the full version, so if you own a computer with Windows XP or Vista already on it, the upgrade version is likely the way you’ll want to go.

Installation can be tricky, depending on what you want to do. With an upgrade version, you have two options: a clean install (start from scratch) or an upgrade.

For the clean install, you are still required to have an existing version of Windows (either XP or Vista) installed to work. You cannot simply provide the disc during installation. This has been a major inconvenience brought upon since Windows Vista. There is, however, a workaround to this (more on this in a future post).

When it comes to upgrading, you can only run a true upgrade  (keeping all your files and settings)  from Windows Vista. This must be the corresponding version though, so Windows Vista Home Premium can only upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium for example.

For the full version, you can install however you please. All previous options apply, as well as a clean install option that you can use without the need for any prior version of Windows needing to be installed. If you do get a full version, look for OEM (original equipment manufacturer) discounted copies. These are really designed for “mom and pop” computer building operations, but often you can find and order these deals as an individual (and of course you are building computers in your basement).

Step 4: How many copies do I need? The last things to consider, is the number of copies you’d like to purchase. If you need more than one copy, look for discounts by purchasing “Family Packs”. These provide  3 licenses (or more) in one package, so you can install Windows 7 on multiple computers.

At the end of the day, remember, if you do choose the wrong version by mistake, you can always use the Microsoft Windows anytime upgrade feature. Just launch it from within Windows 7 and upgrade to a better version for the difference in cost.

If you are a currently enrolled College or University student (full or part-time) you can grab an amazing deal for two great Microsoft products.

Windows 7 Professional Upgrade- $39.99 (+ $13 for a shipped copy)

Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007- $64 (+$13 for a shipped copy)

Link: http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-ca/default.aspx

*Important information*

You must be a currently enrolled college or university student with a valid school email address. If you do not have such an address, other proof of enrollment can be supplied.

Thanks so much to Laura who has written in with the following:

Hi there,

I noticed you were an administrator on the Dealcetera.com forum, and wanted to pass along some information about a great Canadian deal Microsoft is offering University Students that might be right up your alley. With the back-to-school season quickly creeping up on us, I thought your university-aged readers might be interested in learning about an amazing deal Microsoft is offering university students on Office Ultimate 2007. Microsoft is making the suite available to students for only $64, which is a 91% savings over its usual retail price of $889! Ok, it may not be  the sexiest product out there, but it will definitely come in handy for students pulling together their English term papers and statistics spreadsheets. And at this price students won’t have to dip into their food budget to make it happen…

The only requirements you need to meet to be eligible for the deal are that you must be a university or college student at an educational institution located in Canada and that you have a valid university or college email address. Also, eligible students need to purchase the software at this link: www.theultimatesteal.ca/studentdeal

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks,

Laura

For those who may have any questions, please comment below or e-mail me at mindseye.dc [at] gmail [dot] com and I’ll pass them along. 

Time to chance it, again! Capture your luck with Microsoft Canada’s Windows ‘Mobile Moments’ contest.

Allison at High Road Communications has written in to share the launch of Windows Mobile, “Mobile Moments’ contest:

Hi There,

I thought you and your readers might be interested to learn that Windows Mobile just launched a “Mobile Moments” contest, offering the chance to win $10,000.

Two easy steps:

1. Visit www.microsoft.ca/moments to upload up to three photos of your best Mobile Moments before June 13th, 2009
2. Include a short description of each Moment and how your mobile device made a difference in your life

A panel of judges will choose a winner from the 25 Mobile Moments with the most votes by June 15th, 2009 and will announced on June 30th, 2009. Also, you can win one of three Samsung OMNIA devices just for voting on the site!

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks!

Allison

Click here for more great Canadian contests that have been provided by our wonderful members on Dealcetera’s forum.