Microsoft Windows Vista Anytime Upgrade Pack with SP1
- Mobility-based operating system meets all your computing needs whether you’re working from home, working on the road, or searching for entertainment options
- Combines all the features of a business-focused operating system, all the efficiency features of a mobility-focused operating system, and all of the digital entertainment features of a consumer-focused operating system
- Remotely connect to business networks; Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption provides improved levels of protection against theft for your important business data whether you are at home, on the road, or in the office
- Delivers all of the entertainment features available in Windows Vista Home Premium; includes everything you need to enjoy the latest in digital photography, music, movies, analog TV, or even HDTV
- Ideal for both business and home entertainment use
Product Description
Item #: Q80522. The Windows Vista SP1 is an update to Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers. In addition to previously released updates, SP1 will contain changes focused on addressing specific reliability and performance issues, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards. SP1 also addresses some management, deployment, and support challenges. Product Description: Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate w/SP1 – pro… More >>
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Microsoft Windows Vista Anytime Upgrade Pack with SP1

I’ve been using Vista with SP1 for a couple weeks now on two different computers, my MacBook Pro and my iMac, both running on Bootcamp partitions and I have to say I’m pretty darned impressed.
I have lots of ram, ram to spare in both my machines, as I’m a Photoshop girl and both my machines are the latest and greatest Apple has to off, so I was good to go as far as hardware was concerned. I had no problems running the Aero eye candy and though it’s no Leopard, it’s quite nice. I liked the transparent window frames and I liked the minimizing and restoring effects, but again, I’m used to the Mac, so for me they were no great shakes.
I like the search box in the start menu, but I like spotlight better. Still it’s very handy. The Widgets are a copy of Mac’s Dashboard and Flip 3D is a copy of Expose, but then again Microsoft has been copying Apple for years.
I had to go online and download the printer driver again for my Brother printer, but that was no big deal and a couple of my Photoshop plugins had to be updated, but then I hadn’t used them for awhile. I was just checking everything because of the new Vista install.
In conclusion I guess I’d say if you’ve got the hardware and are not a Mac person, this is a pretty good operating system and it seems stable. I know, I know, you’ve probably read all the same stuff I have about how Vista crashes and crashes and crashes and I’ve experienced plenty of crashes myself, but those problems seem to have been solved with the SP1 upgrade.
The Home Premium version I have on my MacBook hasn’t crashed yet and Vista Ultimate on my iMac has only brought down my machine one time. Granted, it’s early days yet, but as for now I’ll say it again, I’m pretty impressed.
However there is one thing I just cannot seem to wrap my mind around. Why oh why are there so many versions of Vista. Well that bothered me with XP as well. Do you really need:
Vista Home Basic with SP1
Vista Home Premium with SP1
Vista Business with SP1
Ultimate with SP1
Vista Home Basic Upgrade with SP1
Vista Home Premium Upgrade with SP1
Vista Business Upgrade with SP1
Ultimate Upgrade with SP1
That’s an awful lot of Vistas. Then there’s:
Vista Anytime Upgrade Pack with SP1 [Home Basic to Home Premium]
Vista Anytime Upgrade Pack with SP1 [Business to Ultimate]
Vista Anytime Upgrade Pack with SP1 [Home Premium to Ultimate]
Vista Anytime Upgrade Pack with SP1 [Home Basic to Ultimate]
Come on, Microsoft, how about a one size fits all operating system like they do over in the Mac world. And this business about your copy protection, lighten up. Maybe some people do rip off Mr. Jobs’ Leopard, you know buy it and put it on more than one machine, but how many computers can they use at a time. Yes, yes, maybe a husband and wife could be on at the same time, or one of the kiddies, but sheesh, give us a break.
I know you have to protect yourself from the hordes who want free software, but Apple’s making a pretty penny with Leopard even while they trust their users, you could too.
Still, I guess I have to give all your Vistas with SP1 five stars, grudgingly, because of the way I think you do business, but I’ve got Vista working fine on two different computers, plus my husband has it on a couple others and we’re not having major problems, so there you go, five stars.
Reviewed by Sara Hackett
Rating: 5 / 5
I bought this product as a digital download from Amazon. A few months later my disk crashed. Amazon had no record of my code and no longer had the link to download the program available. NEVER buy a digital download from Amazon. You may get treated as badly as I have. I am trying again to give them one last chance to make me whole, and will update this post if they ever decide to be helpful. But right now, Microsoft says “go to Amazon” and Amazon says “go to Microsoft”.
I beginning to think that the best way to solve this terrible customemr support problem is to do business with Newegg for hardware, support the Free Software Foundation and do business with Apple or use Ubuntu.
Customer support in regards to this purchase has been HORRIBLE.
Rating: 1 / 5