How to Buy Windows Vista ASAP

Microsoft is doing what it can to drum up Vista arrival excitement, but don't expect there to be the kind of buying frenzy and lines on Jan. 30, the operating system's official release day, that greeted the release of Sony's PlayStation 3 last fall.

However, some retailers will be open specifically at midnight to accommodate the Vista crazed; expect these same stores to offer a variety of specials.

CompUSA

All CompUSA stores except those in Paramus and North Paramus, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico will be open at midnight, and begin selling Windows Vista at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, January 30.

The CompUSA stores will also offer sales on hardware complementary to Windows Vista, such as LCD screens, video cards, memory cards and hard drives.

The chain will also offer unlimited Vista tech support for one month for $29.99, and a trade-up program in which you can sell back your old notebook to CompUSA, and apply that cost toward buying a new PC.

Best Buy

Best Buy will keep open approximately 15 of its stores to sell Windows Vista at 12:01 on January 30th as well, and says it has trained 60,000 employees to help customers use the new operating system. You'll have to call your local store to see if they are one of the select few.

Starting Jan. 30, Best Buy will offer demos and sales, as well as free Windows Vista personalization services by a "Geek Squad agent," which will include adding gadgets, setting the background picture, and configuring Windows Vista for better performance.

For $100, the Geek Squad agent will set up your new PC, transfer data from the old PC to the new, and do a security check.

Other Specials

Expect there to be plenty of other specials keyed to Vista. For example, Microsoft has joined T-Mobile in a promotion in which you can get three months of free access at T-Mobile hot spots. Go to a T-Mobile hot spot with your Vista laptop after January 30, log in, and you'll get details.

Thanks to contributor Preston Gralla for the details.

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