Express Update? Not so Fast!

Dell’s latest official word is that they will begin shipping “Express” updates in late February: "We expect to begin shipping upgrade kits to customers within the next couple of weeks." But it is rumored that Dell is processing orders on a first-come first-served basis, and that some users are being told to expect a 6-8 week wait for their discs. When I went through the process myself, I saw no such indication of delay—but that it would indeed not ship sooner than late February (but possibly later).

Dell blames these added delays on continued testing of driver compatibility. They report that they are still validating some drivers for high-end graphics cards and gaming peripherals, and still testing compatibility with some gaming software.

You need not have selected Vista as you OS during the purchase process—you need only be eligible based on the following conditions:

* You must have purchased an eligible Windows Vista Capable or Windows Vista Premium Ready system with a licensed copy of Windows XP Home, Windows XP Home – Media Center Edition or Windows XP Professional no earlier than October 26, 2006 and no later than March 15, 2007.

* You must redeem your upgrade online no later than March 31, 2007.

So if you purchased a Dell system after October 26 or before Vista launched on that system, should go to https://www.dellvistaupgrade.com, before March 31, 2007 to redeem their upgrade.

The process (so far) was much easier than I had anticipated:

I entered my seven-digit service tag, and the site knew the model and when I purchased it. I did have to enter the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) serial number found on the Microsoft Windows Sticker (the one with the product key). In fact, both the service tag and the COA were on two separate stickers easily read from the top of my PC.

I entered my shipping and billing address, phone number, email and even credit card information without knowing how much I would be billed. I checked the FAQ and determined that I should only have to pay shipping and handling, and that was the case. However, I never like providing payment information before I know what I’ll be billed (at the very least the form should state that it will be disclosed later in the process with an opportunity to cancel the process).

My receipt:

Product Description: Windows Vista Home Premium-English

Product Price: $0.00
*Estimated Sales Tax, if applicable: $0.50
Shipping & Handling: $10.00
Order Total: $10.50

In addition to the Vista upgrade disc, all customers will receive the Dell Windows Vista Upgrade Assistant DVD. Dell designed this tool to walk you through the upgrade process, assisting in the removal of incompatible applications and the installation of Dell-provided drivers.
I’ll let you know how their Upgrade Assistant works out as well as when I get my “Express” upgrade (perhaps not so express).

Are you dealing with another vendor waiting for your Express Upgrade? Please share here or in the forums your experience. It will be very interesting to see which vendors are more responsive and which truly are ready and not just being the first to shoot the CDs out to unsuspecting users.