The release date is still three months
away, but Microsoft Corp.'s much-awaited Windows 98 took a step
closer to market after an Internet-based reseller started taking
orders for the new version of the operating system.
Official pricing for the software has yet to be announced
by Microsoft, but at Chumbo — a reseller located on the World
Wide Web at www.chumbo.com — customers could "pre-order"
Windows 98 for expected delivery on June 25, 1998. The price:
$94.99 for the upgrade version and $179.99 for the full version.
Microsoft had said Windows 98 would be available at prices
similar to those for Windows 95, which is currently available at
about $90 to $95 per copy in the upgrade version.
For customers who pre-order, the software will not be
available any quicker. Chumbo founder and Chief Executive David
Prais said the company would ship copies of the software the
night before the official release date for delivery on whatever
morning retail outlets are due to offer copies.
Customers who opt to pre-order online will not be charged
until the product is shipped, he said Friday.
A Microsoft spokesman was not immediately available to
comment on the pricing levels or confirm whether the company had
begun issuing firm dates and prices to resellers.
