This whole pre-order thing confuses so many people and I don't understand why.
There are some supposedly intelligent people on both this forum and others that just cannot get their heads around what Microsoft are doing and how the pricing is working.
In an attempt to try and get the point over, lets look at Home Premium as the only version here.
It will satisfy the need of the majority of users.
Now the best way to understand how the pricing works is to remember that the price of Windows 7 Home Premium in October, on release day is £150.
So - just to get the point over, Windows 7 Home Premium costs £150.
Now, prior to this release date Microsoft are offering two rounds of "pre-orders".
Now the clue here is in the name - these are pre-orders.
You make the order long before the product is released and because you're buying early you are being offered a discount.
Remember, Home Premium costs £150, so anything less is discounted.
The first round of discounts is what is happening now.
This is the first opportunity to pre-orer Windows 7 Home Premium.
This is a limited time offer - limited either until the 10th of August or until all alocated stocks are used up (whicher comes sooner).
At this moment in time there is no "physical stock" of these items.
However Microsoft will have decided just how many they are willing to release at this price.
Once this allocation has run out then you'll need to wait for this second discounted period.
The second discounted period will enable you to buy Home premium at £79.99
Once again, this is doscounted from the full price of £150.
This discounted price again will almost certainly be limited - I'm sure MS will have put a bigger allocation aside for the slightly more expensive option.
However at some point that deal will stop too - and the price will go up.
Blame who you like here, but Microsoft did make it clear each discounted stage was limited and urged people to get in fast.
Add in the posts from numerous people on different forums buying for the sake of buying (buying 3 copies when they really only need 1, buying 10 copies to make profit).
Maybe if MS had found a way of limiting it to one per person....
As I have said before, even at £150 this OS is an absolute bargain.
At £150 for a retail OS that can be used for the lifetime (3yrs+).
It works out at leass than £1 per week to use the operating system - there is not a snowballs chance in hell of you being able to defend piracy of said OS due to cost.