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In preparation for the Windows Vista launch next week, Microsoft has released a virtual Windows Vista machine that users can play with using a Web browser. Meanwhile, savvy early adopters can already purchase an OEM copy of Vista that is priced at about 50 percent less than the retail version.
Microsofts WindowsVistaTestDrive.com offers users the chance to actually use a “virtual” Windows Vista PC, which is running on a server hosted by a Microsoft contractor.
The “Test Drive” server also has Microsofts latest version of Office installed, so users can get a sense for how they will be able to actually interact with both pieces of software.
If a user is interested in actually buying the software, however, he or she can now do so from e-tailers like Newegg.com, which have begun offering OEM versions of Windows Vista Home Premium, Home Basic, and Vista Business.