Windows 7 pre-orders begin, now (update: but not for Europe)

Tomorrow is today which makes it time to get your Windows 7 pre-order in. Amazon issued a big ‘ol press release telling us that it’s now offering the Home Premium Upgrade and Professional Upgrade packages for $49.99 and $99.99 though July 11th, while supplies last — nothing special there as it’s the standard pricing you’ll find at all your favorite on-line retailers. Amazon does promise, however, that you’ll “receive the product” when released to shops on October 22nd. Note a 3 per customer limit so don’t get greedy, ok? It’s not like Microsoft can just press the OS onto another disc or something.

Update: Reduce priced pre-orders for the UK won’t begin until July 15th with prices set at £49 for Windows 7 Home Premium E and £99 for Professional E, both will ship without Internet Explorer.

Update 2: For those wondering about the upgrade prices for Europe… there aren’t any. In the UK, the Home Premium “upgrade” is actually a full-version of the OS and will cost £80 (about $131), Professional “upgrade” will cost £190 (about $312), and Ultimate will cost £200 (about $328) until the end of the year — they’ll cost £150 ($246), £220 ($361), and £230 ($377), respectively, starting January 1, 2010. According to the BBC, Microsoft claims that it can’t offer the lower upgrade pricing ($120, $200, or $220 for Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate in the US) in order to comply with European competition regulations, a claim that EU regulators dismiss. As such, going from Vista to Windows 7 will require a clean install in the EU in order to remove Internet Explorer — no in-place upgrades will be possible according to Microsoft. Look EU, if you’re going to fine Microsoft billions for anti-competitive behavior then you have to expect this kind of tail-between-the-legs retribution, honest or not. You certainly can’t say that Microsoft is using its market dominance to push out the competition when Apple’s Snow Leopard is coming in September for a mere $29. Happy now?

[Thanks, Gavin]

Windows 7 pre-orders begin, now (update: but not for Europe) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N97 NAM preorders shipping in both colors

We’ve received confirmation from Nokia that preorders of the beastly N97 have now started shipping to American customers in both available colors, black and white. That puts the white model a couple days behind the black, true — but any way you slice it, this still beats the online store’s old estimate of July by a mile, so we can’t complain too hard. Anyone out there already (creepily) strategically positioned on their porch in preparation for the FedEx dude’s arrival later today?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Nokia N97 NAM preorders shipping in both colors originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N97 pre-order falls to $524.25 in the US

Yes, technology tends to fall in price as it ages, but is the still-unreleased N97 prematurely getting on in the years or something? Did we miss that memo? Nokia USA is already blowing out N97 pre-orders for $174.75 off the $699 retail price after having originally gone up for sale just earlier this week — and you still get a free BH-703 headset thrown in for good measure. Considering that this means you’re getting the most full-featured device Nokia has ever made for the same price as a NAM E75, it seems like a no-brainer; hurry up, though, because we suspect this discount is a limited-time sort of deal.

[Thanks, Trudy]

Update: With code CARTP409N, the price falls to a ridiculously low $454. Seriously, what’s up with the fire sale? Thanks, Lee!

Update 2: Sadly, the code’s no longer working, but it seems like Nokia may honor pricing for those that ordered — here’s hoping. Thanks, everyone!

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Nokia N97 pre-order falls to $524.25 in the US originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 May 2009 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beatles Rock Band pre-order is on, custom guitars are a go


If you’re like us, you’re literally counting down the days until The Beatles: Rock Band is released (127). So, the news that it’s now available for pre-order is, shall we say… exciting to us. Even more enthralling is confirmation of our wildest dreams: there will be two custom guitars available for purchase on top of the Special Edition bundle (the game itself, Höfner bass and Ludwig drums microphone and mike stand). The guitars — a Gretsch Duo-Jet and a Rickenbacker 325 — will retail for $99.00 each when the game arrives on September 9th. Until then, may we suggest you use the video after the break to work on your harmonies.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Beatles Rock Band pre-order is on, custom guitars are a go

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Beatles Rock Band pre-order is on, custom guitars are a go originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 May 2009 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus accessory up for pre-order

With June 8th barely a month away, we’re finally seeing Nintendo’s long (long!) awaited Wii MotionPlus dongle hit the pre-order stage. Right now at Amazon, eager Wiimote swingers can get in line for $19.99, or if you’re feeling frisky, you can also pre-order Wii Sports Resort and / or Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. So, who’s down for making their controller the most expensive one on the market when fully equipped?

Update: Good news, gamers. EA Sports just announced that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 and Grand Slam Tennis will now be released on June 8th alongside the Wii MotionPlus dongle.

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Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus accessory up for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 May 2009 12:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia’s flagship N97 gets its own website, pre-order link ($699)

If flash animations and S60 5th edition are your idea of a good time then you’ll want to head on over to Nokia’s new interactive N97 landing page. From there you can get as close as you’ll ever get to Nokia’s flagship slider with 3.5-inch, 640 x 360 pixel resistive touch-screen display prior to its expected June launch. So go ahead, take ‘er for a spin and then hit the newly live pre-order button after you’re convinced that this is the smartphone for you. Sure, there’s lots of potential June competition out there but take heart: the Android-powered Samsung i7500 lacks a QWERTY, there’s no guarantee that a next-gen iPhone will launch in June, and the Palm Pre might be a big fat dud. There, feel better about your choice?

Update: Tipster Chris just let us know that the N97 shows a $699 phone-only price on the “find products” tab over at Nokia USA. That’s $6 cheaper than the N96, strangely enough. See screen-grab after the break.

Update 2: Pre-order is go for the US.

[Via mivadika, thanks Nikos K.]

Continue reading Nokia’s flagship N97 gets its own website, pre-order link ($699)

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Nokia’s flagship N97 gets its own website, pre-order link ($699) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 May 2009 05:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC 1008HA up for pre-order in the UK

It shouldn’t be long now, Yanks. With ASUS’ strikingly thin Eee PC 1008HA — which we toyed with for an unhealthy amount of time at CeBIT this year — up for pre-order in the UK, we’re just certain a US launch is imminent. As of now, Britons with £379.50 ($565) can get in line for the Midnight Blue edition, which should be dispatched in around a month or two according to Amazon UK. For those feeling something a bit less vivid, the all-white version can be ordered up at LaptopsDirect for £20 more. Too pricey for an Atom-powered netbook? Let your wallet be the judge.

[Via PortableMonkey, thanks Peter]

Read – Amazon UK listing
Read – LaptopsDirect

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ASUS Eee PC 1008HA up for pre-order in the UK originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia throws up “pre-order soon” logo on US N97, drives the kids crazy

Thanks to the always revealing FCC, we knew good and well Nokia’s painfully expensive N97 had Carolina (and probably the other states, to be fair) on its mind, but now we know the moment of truth is drawing near. As of right now, Nokia’s US website has a teaser block informing us Yanks that we’ll be able to pre-order this here smartphone “soon.” Hitting the link only directs us the European legalese that we’ve digested before, but surely it’ll lead to something meaningful in due time. Patience… it’s a virtue.

[Via phoneArena]

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Nokia throws up “pre-order soon” logo on US N97, drives the kids crazy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikon’s D5000 up for pre-order at Amazon

If you can’t possibly wait one more moment to spend some money on Nikon’s latest DSLR — the D5000 — you’re in luck. The digicam is now up for pre-order at Amazon, so you can finally find a really good reason to max out your last credit card. Financial apocalypse? Please.

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Nikon’s D5000 up for pre-order at Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Expansys puts Nokia N86 up for pre-order, gives it a release date

If our trusty old, leaky friends at Expansys are to be believed, European markets can expect to see Nokia’s N86 handset on or about July 22, 2009. This would seem to be in line with the Q2 2009 estimate we’d previously heard, though the Expansys price — €659.99 (about $853) — is a lot higher than the €375 quote we’ve heard. Either way, the dual-slider boasts an 8MP camera with a Carl Zeiss Tessar lens, AutoFocus, a mechanical shutter and a dual-LED flash, and is sure to be an eye-popper for cameraphone buffs when it does appear. Expansys has the N86 up on site and available for pre-order right now, if you simply cannot wait until this summer.

[Thanks, Stephen]

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Expansys puts Nokia N86 up for pre-order, gives it a release date originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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