I just noticed this purchase option at the Microsoft Store:
Do you see the error? The packaging correctly notes that this is an upgrade from Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium. There is no such thing as a “Home Starter” edition, which is noted on the order page at the Microsoft Store.
I find this particularly amusing when some Microsoft bloggers are lecturing the Windows community about being “hacks” who don’t understand this stuff.
Glass houses. Stones. Etc.
In the grand scheme of things, this isn’t that big a deal, of course, and this post is mostly tongue-in-cheek. But given the constant complaints that Windows has too many versions, it really would be wise of the webmaster who hit the Publish button on this store to make sure that they don’t actually create a brand-new (nonexistent) edition and confuse customers even more.
Ed Bott (@ wordpress.com) 
MY “old” system is compatible with me. Win 7, I don’t know.
You’ve got a keen eye, Ed Bott. BTW, does offering instructions on how to get around certain EULAs make one a hacker? I know that providing instructions on how to build a bomb doesn’t make one a terrorist by definition. At worst, one might be an abettor.
Now I’m a bit confused on the Anytime Upgrades. It appears that you can go from HomePre to Pro or HomePre to Ult. The HomePre to Pro was not a pathway in Vista. Likewise, I don’t see a Pro to Ult pathway. Does the pathway fork at Home Premium?
I heard the Windows xp Home I have on my netbook isn’t upgradable to Win 7 Home Premium. Is this the case?
Thanks
Mark
Not true. ANY version of XP or Vista qualifies for an upgrade to ANY version of Windows 7. You cannot do an in-place upgrade, but you can use the upgrade media to do a custom install.
I read MS’ ‘j’accuse’ post, and dismissed it. I think it was arrogant to treat some writers in such a shabby way when MS a:) depends on some of those very writers to help promote and clear up confusion caused by MS, and b.) restricts legitimate users from certain upgrade scenarios in the name of fighting piracy.
Besides, such arrogance arising out of a company that gave us Clippy… well…
Microsoft would have done themselves a world of good by making only one copy of Home and dropping Ultimate. I know only Home Pemium is available in most countries, but the name implies that there is still a Home Basic. As for Ultimate, now that the versions are back to being supersets (unlike Vista), they should have just made Pro the version with all the features. Keeping Ultimate (aka Enterprise) just seems like a sleazy money grab. If they simply has Starter, Home, and Pro; it would have been so much better from a marketing standpoint.
Using Windows 7’s built-in Windows Anytime Upgrade feature, one can directly upgrade from Windows 7 Home Premium to either Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate.
If one purchases a conventional Windows 7 Professional Upgrade edition, then you cannot perform a direct upgrade from Windows 7 Home Premium using the Windows 7 Professional Upgrade edition DVD. Setup will prompt you to perform a Custom (advanced) installation for a “clean install”.
However, a conventional Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade edition DVD can perform a direct upgrade form Windows 7 Home Premium.
I can’t agree more that Microsoft should only offer one version of Windows 7 for home. I don’t know anyone who disagrees. I know that they do this only to be able to charge more for “higher” versions. Making money is good, but doing under false pretenses is flat out wrong and quite frankly stupid in today’s market.
“All of my postings are provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confer no rights” + “post w/ strident tone” + “Thank you and have a wonderful day”
= MS Employee with broken attitude
I just ran MS Update, installed IE patch (KB976749), and restarted. Upon running MS Update again, it asks me to authorize an ActiveX control. The control does not install and IE hangs. Great job, boys!