New TechNet Package offered for less!

This week, TechNet introduced a new package, Microsoft TechNet Subscription Standard. It contains many of the features of my package (TechNet Subscription Professional), except Enterprise products aren't included, and no free support is included. Any previous discount codes still in effect will apply to purchase. The best news of all, is the price. The initial (1st year) is $199, renewals $149. What a deal!!!

With this package includes most Windows releases from XP & up (all versions of XP, all versions of Vista & all versions of 7, except Enterprise products). Remember, Office products are included, too. If you have a family, you can really come out big.

But with these packages, the sky's the limit. On my desktop & notebook, I have every dualboot combo possible, with VM's running in Linux through Virtualbox. If I had to pay for all of the software that is activated & running on my computers from Microsoft Store, I'd have spent over $4,000 easily. That's right, $4000, and that's being conservative, it's probably more. My point is, the sky's the limit!

Hopefully, some members will take advantage of this new offer, while there's a coupon still out. Nibiru posted one that's good through July, and 25% off of $199 brings it to $150+ tax. Enjoy!

Cat

Hey... where's the link big boy? A link would be nice...

Okay... here's the link: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s...s/default.aspx

The promo discount of 25% off is ONLY GOOD for TechNet PLUS subscriptions, not the Standard subscription.

When you click onto the link to buy, all three options are listed, and beneath them is a place to enter a promo key. It's there on the page that you linked above. It doesn't say that the new one is not allowed a promotion anywhere on the page.

But promotion or not, this is an outstanding deal anyway you cut it. That price is about what the full retail is for 7 Home Premium. If you're in the market for an OS or Office package, this is by far a better deal.

cat thanks for your very informative post Here is another interesting ,Microsoft sends invitations to testers for Windows 7, Server 2008 R2 SP1 this is also a great read I have a link here for anyone that wants to get in like I did TESTERS OF SP1 WANTED

thanks again cat
regards
jeffrey

Here is my feedback.

I want to turn automatic updates on, without the updates automatically rebooting my PC. I want to disable the automatic word select within Wordpad. If these two items are not included within SP1, I'm not interested. I am happy otherwise.

I doubt that will happen. Usually, on Update Tuesday I select to download the updates, and let me install them. However, sometimes an update will slide in when you're not expecting it, and a reboot will be prompted. What you can do is this, it's worked for me once (the last round of updates, which were many). Prior to doing anything on that evening (if you can remember) manually check for updates, and get them out of the way.

That's the only way that I know of to prevent the normal schedule of updates from disrupting you, w/o turning off auto updating. I don't like turning them off myself, but if I'm folding, and nearly through with one, I will.

From what I've read, SP1 wont really mean that much to Windows 7 users, but to the server OS, it will be more of an impact. As for me, I'll wait, I don't want any beta SP's.

From the original subscription page:
*Offer ends July 31, 2010 and applies to new TechNet Plus Direct subscriptions only.
Final pricing may vary due to local taxes. Offer is available in the United States only. Click here for full details.

Just wanted to post this so everyone knows up front that the full price of $199.00 for the TechNet Standard Direct applies, no discounts on this puppy!

As Cat stated: "But promotion or not, this is an outstanding deal anyway you cut it. That price is about what the full retail is for 7 Home Premium."

I do stand by that, discount or not, you can't beat that deal. You know, MS is making it more and more attractive to use their products, by making this offer. You get down to the nitty gritty, every three years (assuming a three year product release schedule) you're going to spend close to that (more for two family members & above). Why not have the total package for the family? Win 7 Pro & Office 2010 Pro Plus on every computer in the house, even the kids. That's prestige, your kid having the privilege of carrying a notebook like that to school.

If MS really gets into the ads and really pushes this deal, it'll fly, I have no doubt about that. Having a 30 second commercial twice a night in prime time on all of the major networks will guarantee it's success. This deal could easily widen that close gap that Apple claims to have in sales against MS, in fact could blow them away. As long as MS's marketing team doesn't drop the ball.

I've done my share, I printed 30 copies of the deal and posted them in prominent spots to be seen, there's a business section of the library here, plus the front lobby, and the computer section. Then I took the last 10 and posted them at the Chamber of Commerce, the city assistant manager was very impressed with the deal, and he's one who is hard to impress. Normally, he's a jerk, but he took one from me, he has three kids (teenagers), and I'm certain they have laptops.

So if everyone gets the word out, if only you make one sale, that will be plenty. That one sale will make the MS family that much larger, and one more closer to total dominance in the marketplace.

Cat

The query come up so often, with subscribers fishing for a more positive answer.

IMO, the Licence terms and eula have been worded, to leave the subject open to interpretion. Apart from technet's real purpose - to get the software out to company tech executives, for their evaluation - it also creates a smaller field of income from private users who wish to evaluate. It is the latter who need to interpret the terms. As you can imagine, a company planning to spend a large amount of cash on an unknown quantity, are obviously going to need to deploy it on more than one computer in their businesses.

Wouldn't this, for example, by interpretion, cover the family in the licence agreement:

"2. INSTALLATION AND USE RIGHTS. If you comply with this agreement, for each license you acquire, you have the rights below."
"a. General.
• Single User License. If you acquire a single user license, one user may install and use copies of the software on any of your devices."


Quote "Why not have the total package for the family? Win 7 Pro & Office 2010 Pro Plus on every computer in the house, even the kids. That's prestige, your kid having the privilege of carrying a notebook like that to school."

I think Microsoft would do everything to avoid this directly legal option - for your own subscription protection. I think it would be a matter of a few days before the kids "prestige" allowed him to offer a copy to his best friend, including the key, thus creating an even wider spread of pirated copies and.more important, seriously jeopardising the owners licence. No preventative methods would work - it is the nature of things. Apart from the above, it could not fit into the principal of the Technet offer:

"Evaluation Software. One user may install and use copies of the evaluation software listed in the COMPONENTS.TXT file, even if you obtained a server license. You may use the evaluation software only to evaluate it. You may not use it in a live operating, in a staging environment or with data that has not been sufficiently backed up"

(I notice that, so far, throughout this thread, the evaluation clase has not been mentioned.)

FWIW, I copied this from the Technet forums, posted by an MVP in reponse to the obvious question.
"The licensing terms are vague and according to Microsoft directly, as long as you aren't running, supporting, operating a business with the TechNet software, you are within your legal rights to use and evaluate the software however you see fit "

I emphasise, again, that this is definitely IMO. I would read between the lines of the MVP's response. Don't force Microsoft's hand on this. They may have to start writing rules into the licence agreement, which could well be to the detriment of all users. I.E Don't rock the boat, we may all get wet.