Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10 in Software
• Brand: Microsoft
• Model: GFC-00235
• Released on: 2009-10-22
• Platform: Windows 7
• Format: DVD-ROM
• Original language: English

Manufacturer's Description

Microsoft Windows 7 Family Pack (PC DVD) contains a single license for Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium that can be installed on up to 3 PCs.

Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favourite photos, videos and music. You can even watch, pause, rewind and record TV. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.

32-bit or 64-bit? For your convenience, every copy of Windows 7 Home Premium includes both 32-bit and 64-bit discs.

For more information on installing Windows 7, browsing the internet with Windows 7 and more, take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions or join Microsoft help on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MicrosoftHelps.

Is Home Premium right for you? Make sure with our Windows 7 comparison chart.

More work, more play and more of everything in between. Click to enlarge.

Manage lots of open programs, documents and browser windows easily with thumbnail and full-screen previews of open windows. Click to enlarge.

With Snap you can arrange two windows side-by-side just by dragging them to opposite sides of your screen. Click to enlarge.

Open files you use regularly in just two clicks with Jump Lists on the improved taskbar.

The best entertainment experience on your PC

Easiest Windows to use ever

• Simplify your PC with new navigation features like Aero Shake, Jump Lists and Snap
• Customise Windows to look and feel the way you like by changing themes and taskbar programs
• Setting up a home network and connecting to printers and devices is easier than ever
• Windows 7 Home Premium supports the latest hardware and software

It's faster

• Designed to make your PC sleep and resume quicker
• Takes full advantage of 64-bit PC hardware and memory
• Connecting to wireless networks is fast and easy

Best PC entertainment experience

• Watch, pause, rewind and record TV with Windows Media Center
• Blu-ray read/write support for data files
• Includes integrated video and Dolby audio codecs
• Offers large screen support

Simplifies Everyday Tasks

Simple to use

Preview
Manage lots of open programs, documents and browser windows easily with thumbnail and full-screen previews of open windows.

Pin
Open files and get around your PC faster with the improved taskbar. You can easily pin programs you use often to the taskbar and launch them in just one click.

Windows 7 lets you peek behind open windows to get a quick look at your desktop. Click to enlarge.

Instantly locate and open virtually any file on your PC right from the Start menu with Windows Search. Click to enlarge.

Jump Lists
Open files you use regularly in just two clicks with Jump Lists on the improved taskbar.

Snap
Windows 7 has simple new ways to manage open windows. For example, with Snap you can arrange two windows side-by-side just by dragging them to opposite sides of your screen.

Peek and Shake
Windows 7 lets you peek behind open windows to get a quick look at your desktop.

Windows Search
Instantly locate and open virtually any file on your PC, from documents to emails to songs, right from the Start menu, with Windows Search.

Easy to connect

Setting up wireless connections is easier with consistent, one-click connections to available networks. Click to enlarge.

Windows Touch makes PCs with touch screens easier and more intuitive to use. Click to enlarge.

Turn your PC into a TV with Windows Media Center, and enjoy your favorite videos and music with Windows Media Player. Click to enlarge.

Wireless setup
With Windows 7, setting up wireless connections is easier with consistent, one-click connections to available networks, whether those networks are based on Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, dial-up or corporate VPN.

HomeGroup
Connect Windows 7 PCs on a home network in just four clicks and easily get to the photos, music and files on each one--even shared printers--with HomeGroup.

Easy to browse the web

Internet Explorer 8
Visual search helps you quickly find the information you want by adding visual cues and previews to search results from top search providers including Live Search, Wikipedia, Yahoo, Amazon, and others.

Use Web slices to conveniently keep up with changes on frequently updated websites, like eBay auctions or traffic sites, directly from the IE8 toolbar.

Easy to communicate and share

Windows Live Photo Gallery
Windows Live Photo Gallery makes share your photos to your favourite photo site easy.

Windows Live Mail
Windows Live Mail makes managing multiple email accounts easy.

Windows Live Family Safety
Keep your child safe by managing what sites they can visit and who they can send/receive emails and IM communications from.

Works The Way You Want

Faster and More Reliable

Resume from sleep
Windows 7 is designed to help PCs sleep and resume more quickly by improving the way Windows 7 manages drivers, programs and power.

Faster and more reliable
We reduced the amount of memory your PC needs for open windows and to execute commands to help it be more responsive to commands.

Fewer clicks and less interruptions

Makes New Things Possible

Media on your terms

Windows Media Center
Turn your PC into a TV with Windows Media Center.

Windows Media Center
Watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV.

DirectX 11
DirectX 11 technology delivers breathtaking game graphics so real, it's unreal.

New ways to engage

Windows Touch
Windows Touch makes PCs with touch screens easier and more intuitive to use.

Media on your terms

Windows Media Player
More and more consumer electronics, from TVs to digital photo frames, can be connected to home networks. With Play To in Windows 7, you'll be able to easily send music, photos and videos from your PC to a networked device throughout your home.

You can enjoy the photos, music and videos on your home PC when you're away from home with remote media streaming.

Work anywhere

Location Aware Printing
Windows 7 will automatically pick the right printer for you when you move from home to work networks.

Customer Reviews

Windows 7 fantastic - Family Upgrade pretty good
I tested Windows 7 thoroughly using the Release Candidates (RC1) in both 32-bit and 64-bit before buying - I bought Windows 7 Ultimate for my work machine and the family pack for home. You could say I'm biassed but one daughter has a new Mac (which is brilliant but oh so pricey) so I don't think so.

Windows 7 is brilliant!
At one level, it gets on with things and stays out of the way. Want to add a printer, it does a better job than Vista with none of the problems. Install software? Things that would not work with Vista now work with Windows 7. Aero interface (that transparent effect that gives a feeling of depth) works across both monitors instead of switching off - and on the same hardware that could only just run Vista!
At another level, it makes the operating system useful. Instead of a "Recent documents" list filled with Word documents when you want the last Excel document you looked at, the start menu shows the Recent Documents list for each application in an obvious way. You can 'pin' documents to this list, so for example I want my PDP (Professional Development Plan) where I can find it again, even though I may only use it once a week (by which time it's gone from the "recent documents" list). I pin it to the list.
Slideshows changing the screen background, just cheers up the day.
A taskbar (the menu at the bottom of the screen with start button and clock) that looks and behaves like the Apple Mac one (yes, Mac did get a lot of things right).

Why doesn't it work for some people?
1. I did a clean install instead of an upgrade - it's a new operating system, of course things need re-installing. You may have Vista fixes that aren't necessary for W7. Note Windows clean install put your data in a folder called "Windows.old" just in case you've forgotten to back up something important. It took about 14 hours to put everything back on, during most of which the computer was working hard but I was off doing something else.
2. although some of my equipment is old, I'm patient enough to search the internet for printer drivers etc and sensible enough to realise that a piece of kit that hasn't worked since Windows 98 may be beyond redemption

What's my beef with the Family Pack then?
It's overpriced. If you have two computers needing an upgrade, it's the same price to buy two individual upgrade packs as the family pack.

Conclusion:
If you're running Windows XP, then Windows 7 is just as compatible, much more friendly, and has features which will speed up your day's work
If you're running Windows Vista, then Window 7 is many times more compatible, works on old hardware that Vista found underpowered, and is more friendly. Your software will still work, AND your operating system will help you to get the most out of it.

Installed With No Problems...
Received my package and had finished the process of installing onto a laptop and a pc within 2 hours,simple automated process.
My hardware had been previously running Vista Home Premium and as well known by now ran quite slowly,but since the install of "7" quick boot-up,shut down and smooth operation all mean an enjoyable and easy experience.Cheers Microsoft.

What else do you expect from windows?
Been waiting for a while for this to be released because I had XP and I was not willing to get Vista because of obvious reasons. Works great for a gaming pc such as Windows Live because the updates are now automated rather than looking for hours on end trying to find the reason that it did not work. I also liked the performance rating system. But like all new OS's many driver's could not work with 7 especial networking. I have a Netgear Network hard drive and when I installed the ZAN drivers for this it could not make heads or tails for the thing to work. I rather liked 7 for the new taskbar is more assessable and solid compared with XP. The only reason you would buy this windows this early is if a: You hate Vista and you need a relief from the rubbish that it is or b:You need your brand new games to run smoothly without any hassle. If you are neither of the following wait for a few more months until they make more compatible drives for 7.