WAU will allow users to upgrade initial copies of Windows 7 to a higher edition by purchasing an upgrade license in retail stores or over the Web. Windows 7 Family Pack will enable users to upgrade as many as three PCs to Windows 7 Home Premium at a significantly reduced price.

"In the U.S., the price for the Windows 7 Family Pack will be $149.99 for three Windows 7 Home Premium licenses," Brandon LeBlanc wrote on The Windows Blog. "That's a savings of more than $200 for three licenses."

For Evolving Needs

Beyond providing a significant discount from what it would cost to buy three individual licenses, Windows 7 Family Pack delivers extra features that will make it easier to share personal files among family members. "When you run Windows 7 on more than one PC on a home network, you can do more with features like HomeGroup, which allows people to connect to PCs on their network and share files, music and photos with the whole family," LeBlanc wrote.

Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade provides users with an easy way to upgrade at any time to a higher edition of Windows 7 when computing needs evolve over time. For example, some netbook users may realize they need a wider range of software capabilities, LeBlanc noted.

If the netbook is running Windows 7 Starter -- or Windows 7 Home Basic in select markets -- WAU makes it easy to upgrade to the next level of OS performance, LeBlanc wrote.

"Moving to Windows 7 Home Premium ($79.99) will allow that customer to take advantage of features such as Aero Peek and other enhanced functionality in the Windows Taskbar in Windows 7 such as Taskbar Previews," LeBlanc wrote. "Desktop themes are also enabled, and so is Remote Media Streaming."

Consumers who elect to upgrade to Windows 7 Professional ($89.99) will be able "to take advantage of the ability to join a domain and use Windows XP Mode to run older programs," LeBlanc wrote. And users moving to Windows 7 Ultimate ($139.99) will "get everything from the other editions plus BitLocker to keep your USB devices encrypted and secure and the ability to run your PC in any of 35 different languages via Language Packs."

Easy Upgrades

Beginning Oct. 22, consumers will be able to buy retail Windows 7 packages locally that contain the product keys for implementing any of the upgrade paths outlined above. Furthermore, they will be able to purchase Windows 7 upgrades online from directly within Windows 7 if they reside in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K., and the United States.

Here's how it will work: Upgrading consumers who purchased their Windows 7 packages locally will select the WAU option within Windows 7 and then click "enter an upgrade key" to access the screen where the key must be entered.

For users purchasing a product key online, the entry process is automated and the customer is routed directly to the "accept license terms" screen. In either case, users will be prompted to accept the license terms and then click on the "upgrade" button to launch the Windows 7 upgrade they have purchased.