Windows 7 Prices, ParkSquare

Posted on March 2nd, 2010. Written by Rico.

With my copy of Windows 7 RC expiring today, I spent last Saturday canvassing around ParkSquare for the lowest Windows 7 prices. Here’s what I found.

Edition	Shop	Price (in PHP)
Starter	Complink	2300
	Accent Micro	2500
	Silicon Valley	2600
	Octagon	2850
	Asianic	2995
Home Basic (OEM)	Compink	4400
	E-Hub Computers	4400
	Silicon Valley	4850
	Octagon	5500
Home Basic	E-Hub Computers	5000
	Complink	5500
	Asianic	5995
	Octagon	6500
	The Computer Authority	7000
	Electroworld	7500
Home Premium (OEM)	Complink	5900
	E-Hub Computers	5900
	Silicon Valley	6450
	Octagon	6800
Home Premium	Accent Micro	6500
	Compink	6500
	E-Hub Computers	6500
	Octagon	7500
	PC Corner	6500
	The Computer Authority	8500
	Electroworld	9000
Ultimate	Asianic	11995
	Electroworld	15500

The cost savings made possible by the OEM versions are welcome. But I think paying a few hundred pesos more for the “full” version, which isn’t tied to the first computer it’s activated on and comes with customer support, is a worthy expense. Despite the low cost, I would recommend that people stay clear of Windows 7 Starter. You wouldn’t want a computer that can only run 3 programs (at most) at the same time, right?

So what did I get? Home Basic was enough for my needs. Paying over a thousand pesos less meant that my Windows 7 would lack some catchy interface features, such as fade-ins, slides, and window transparency. It’s not the “true” Windows 7 experience, but it still gets the job done.

Both Complink and Hub Computers sold Windows 7 Home Basic for P4,400, the lowest found during my search. I decided to buy from Complink, because the staff there was much more accommodating. The guy from Hub Computers expressed slight disdain at my canvassing; his body-language wondered why I was asked about the price but didn’t pay immediately.

In the end I had no choice, as Complink had no more stock of Home Basic. Hub Computers gained a new customer in me, but only because they had what I needed at the time. They had the lowest prices on average, but it was unfortunate that I wasn’t able to reward a store that had friendlier employees. It’s amazing how much you can save by spending an hour or so walking around and finding the best price for what you want to buy.

Image: CgeNa.com