Smooth Move Ex-Lax: Microsoft Ends Windows 7 Family Pack

Microsoft, facing stiff competition from Apple on its launch of Windows 7, let its Windows 7 Family Pack offer expire just when it would be to its advantage to continue the offer.

From the outset, the Family Pack was offered as a limited time discount allowing a household to upgrade 3 PC’s to Windows 7 for only $150.  Each PC would regularly cost $129-200 each without the discount.

Apple markets an upgrade to its OS X for only $29 and many analysts suggested that Microsoft follow suit with lower pricing to attack Apple’s competitive position, especially since the Vista OS was such a disappointment in the PC market.