And it’s a doozy, too.

Let’s get straight to the goods, shall we?

According to Neowin.net, list quoted the price for Windows Vista Ultimate as $499 Canadian ($450.18 in U.S. currency), while Home Premium will be $299 ($269.71 U.S.). An upgrade to Vista Ultimate will cost $299 ($269.71 U.S.), while an upgrade to Home Premium will cost $199 ($179.51 U.S.), according to the blog.

In a statement through its public relations firm, Microsoft acknowledged Monday that it “inadvertently” posted Windows Vista Canadian retail prices on its Web site, but then removed the information. The company plans to reveal the official U.S. pricing for Vista when it makes available the first release candidate of Vista sometime before the end of September, Microsoft said.

Ouch. That essentially means that you’ll be able to buy computers from Dell, complete with OEM operating system licenses, for less than Windows Vista will cost on its own. Does that mean that PC manufacturers are planning on eating the price? Or do they have some killer deal with Microsoft to get the licenses dirt cheap? Or will the added price be passed on to the consumer? We’ll see.

But remember, Microsoft Windows XP Professional was something like $199 USD for a full license and $99 USD for an upgrade, so this is a pretty significant jump from that. I sense much piracy in Microsoft’s future, I do.

[ PC World :: Microsoft Leaks Vista Pricing Online ]