Microsoft have finally released the pricing for their multi-license “family pack” for Windows 7 Home Premium

The pack will allow buyers to upgrade up to three computers from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 7 Home Premium. The Windows 7 Family Pack will be priced at $149.99 USD and will retail on the 22 October in the U.S., Canada and what Microsoft calls “select markets.”

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Microsoft has now announced that it will be offering a free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate to all testers who took part in the invitation-only Technical Beta Program.

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Microsoft has now finalised Windows 7 which has been released to Manufacturing. (RTM’d). However, in the UK and Europe Microsoft is still trying to satisfy the European Union (EU) and comply with European competition law.

In May it was revealed that the EU was seeking an end to this practice of bundling software, and it wanted Microsoft to include some kind of ballot screen during a Windows installation allowing each individual user to select the web browser of their choice. The list would include IE8 but also Firefox, Chrome and Opera.

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Microsoft is rushing out two emergency “out-of-band” security patches, these include a fix for Internet Explorer rated “critical” as well as a related Visual Studio patch rated “moderate” urgency by Microsoft.

Microsoft said in a recent blog posting: “The Internet Explorer bulletin will provide defence and in depth changes to Internet Explorer to help provide additional protection for the issues addressed by the Visual Studio bulletin”.

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The Microsoft offer for cheap pre-orders of Windows 7 E versions of Home Premium and Professional started on 15 July in the UK, France and Germany, but in the UK the promotional stock has now sold out, well ahead of the promotions 9 August end date

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Microsoft spokesman Brandon LeBlanc yesterday confirmed in a post on the Windows Team Blog that Windows 7 build 7600 has been released to manufacturing (RTM’d)

“As I mentioned previously, RTM officially happens only after sign-off occurs. What happens is a build gets designated as a RTM contender after going through significant testing and meeting our quality bar for RTM. Then, it goes though all the validation checks required for RTM including having all languages of that build completed. If all the validation checks have passed – sign-off for RTM can occur. Today after all the validation checks were met, we signed off and declared build 7600 as RTM”

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Reports have circulated for several weeks that Microsoft would release a Windows 7 multi-license upgrade pack known as a “family Pack” for Windows 7 Home Premium, with at least one reseller in the US has posted the suggested list price as $149.99 USD on its Web site.

Microsoft Spokesman Brandon LeBlanc has now confirmed in a post on the Windows Team Blog that Microsoft as a result of feedback from testers and enthusiasts seeking “a better solution for homes with multiple PCs.” will sell a three-license “family pack” upgrade from earlier editions of the Operating System (OS) to Windows 7 Home Premium

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Brandon LeBlanc, has published a post on the Windows Team Blog detailing when each of us can expect to get our hands on the Windows 7 operating system after reaching RTM.

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