Attention, Would-Be Mac Shoppers: Check out these killer deals on Windows 7 PCs.

Judging from this promotion, that just showed up on Best Buy's website, this is going to be a key message from Microsoft as it launches Windows 7 tomorrow. The retailer is offering a "PC Home Makeover" bundle that includes an HP Slimline desktop, laptop and netbook, together with an LCD, a wireless router and set-up service from the Geek Squad, all for $1,199. Says Tami Reller, chief financial officer of Microsoft's Windows division, "That's less than the cost of a Mac," says .

It's all part of what sounds like a fairly massive "Seven Days of Windows 7" promotion to be announced tomorrow. Among the deals on the first day will be a 13-inch Dell Studio XPS laptop for $999 (must be a higher-end machine, since Dell's website shows the product already starting at that price), an all-in-one desktop from Acer for $899 (down from $1000-plus), and a student version of Windows 7 for $29.99 (the same price Apple charges for Snow Leopard).

Reller says Microsoft is subsidizing these "killer deals," as she puts it. She says this is the first time Microsoft has ever done this. And at least with regards to that Best Buy Home Makeover offer, the savings are substantial. Currently, the retailer lists that Slimline desktop going for $1200 all by itself. Based on current prices for these products on the Web, the overall savings to the consumer from this bundle is more than $2000.

When she made the comment about "cheaper than a Mac," I asked whether Microsoft was going to overtly go after people who might be considering a Mac so long as they have to buy a new machine. That's a phenomenon executives at Apple clearly think could work in the company's favor. But Reller says the anti-Apple theme won't be so overt. "It's just part of the overall message," she says. "Because of the choice [of different types of devices) and value we're delivering, we think Windows 7 will resonate with many different audiences--including people who might be considering a Mac."

UPDATE: I just spoke with BestBuy, who tells me my estimate of the savings on the Home Upgrade Bundle was way too high. Rather than $2,000-plus, the savings are more like $550. The difference is that the Slimline Desktop that's part of the deal is a lower-cost model created specifically for this bundle by HP. Also, BestBuy plans to keep this deal in place until the end of the year, so it's not technically part of the "Seven Days of Windows 7" promotion.

Here's the full press release from Best Buy:

Best Buy Makes Transition to Windows(r) 7 Easy

Exclusive deals on gear and Geek Squad(r) services help customers get the most from new operating system

MINNEAPOLIS, October 22, 2009 - The countdown is over. Windows 7 is available now for purchase at all Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) stores nationwide, preloaded on a broad selection of PCs for people who have waited until now to purchase new computing gear. And for those who want to convert their existing PCs to Windows 7, Best Buy is selling the new platform in-store for $89.99 to $219.99, as well as offering the convenience of Windows 7 upgrade services from Geek Squad for just $39.99 (excluding software).

Leading Best Buy's broad selection of Windows 7-ready gear is an exclusive bundle from HP that delivers in-home networking on the Windows 7 platform. Dubbed "PC Home Makeover," for only $1,199.99 customers can purchase an HP desktop, monitor, laptop, netbook, wireless router and Geek Squad setup and networking. The exclusive HP offer is available today through mid-January.

"Customers tell us they want the flexibility of multiple machines and networking, and together with HP we've created a robust solution at a very attractive price," said Jason Bonfig, vice president of computers at Best Buy. "Only Best Buy can give you all of the computer products you want plus a Geek Squad house call to make sure your new gear is setup and connected and helping you share content like movies, music and pictures."

Best Buy's Broad Windows 7-Ready Selection and Service Best Buy has converted the majority of its large assortment of PC products to Windows 7 so customers can feel free to interact with the new platform in-store before they buy. And to address diverse budget and user requirements, the selection of netbooks, laptops and desktops spans leading PC brands Acer, Asus, Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Sony and Toshiba, at prices ranging from $299.99 to $1,999.99. Best Buy Blue Shirts are ready to help customers find the right computer for them and ensure they have everything they need to get up and running.

For those customers who want to upgrade to Windows 7 without buying a new PC, Geek Squad has reduced its $129.99 operating system install service charge to just $39.99. The service allows customers to upgrade their Windows XP or Windows Vista operating system to Windows 7 without the hassle of doing it themselves. And people who have purchased their PCs from Best Buy between June 26, 2009 and October 21, 2009, will likely qualify for a free upgrade on Windows 7 software. Those customers can simply bring their PCs and sales receipts to the nearest Geek Squad Precinct and receive a free Windows 7 upgrade installed on their computers. Geek Squad Precincts are located inside every Best Buy store.

By and large, Mac upgrades to Snow Leopard seem to be going pretty smoothly, but there are a lot of reports of problems with printers and scanners. This isn't entirely surprising; drivers, the software glue that connects hardware to the operating system, generally cause the most problems after any upgrade. And Snow Leopard's handling of printer drivers is significantly different from its predecessor's.

Both Apple and Hewlett-Packard have some help to offer. If you are having printer or scanner problems after a snow Leopard Upgrade, the first place to go is the printer and scanner compatibility page on the Apple Web site. Apple also has a page to help troubleshoot Snow Leopard printer issues.

If you have an HP printer or scanner and that doesn't solve your problem, more help is on the way, but you'll have to wait about a week. From 8 am to 5 pm on Sept. 9, HP technicians will provide real-time assistance for issues posted on HP's Mac Printing & Scanning Board. After the real-time help ends, HP promises that techs will continue to monitor the board and attempt to provide timely help in resolving problems.

Since the release of Snow Leopard on Friday, there have been lots of reports of printer incompatibilities, mostly involving Hewlett-Packard and Epson printers. Both companies have responded with fairly detailed compatibility information.

HP has published a compatibility list and instructions for getting supported printers and all-in-ones working under Snow Leopard. No word yet on when drivers for models not currently support might be available.

Epson has also put up a Web page where you can check the compatibility of specific printer and scanner models.

Cisco came out swinging at Partner Summit this week against HP as the rivalry between the two tech titans heats up.

Through the first six months of 2009, Mark Hurd and other top-level HP executives have met with more than 300 customers and 100 solution providers. The reason is simple, HP executives say. The meetings work.

Channel sources said that Cisco will replace HP as the primary server provider at the upcoming VMworld conference as part of an aggressive push to show its UCS technology, but VMware said equipment lists are not finalized.

In the wake of Cisco’s claims that HP and Microsoft will go direct with unified communications, solution providers try to scrape away the rhetoric to see what’s really happening.

Cisco’s Rob Lloyd invites partners to ‘punch back,’ saying the vendor’s reticence to speak out against its rivals is now gone.

Underpinning the dynamic server, storage, networking and security infrastructure is equipment from HP, 3PAR and Cisco.

Cisco says the $180 million collaboration alliance between HP and Microsoft leaves partners out. HP disagrees.

A new survey shows that a lot of consumers who buy netbooks may be dissatisfied with their purchases. In late spring, consultant NPD surveyed 600 online consumers to gage their impressions of the popular mini-laptops called netbooks.

The survey yielded some suprizing results: Sixty percent of consumers thought that netbooks would function exactly like regular laptops. As a result, only 58% of consumers who purchased a netbook instead of a laptop were satisfied with their purchase (as a point of reference, about 70% of regular laptop buyers were satisfied with their purchases).

One of the reasons is, consumers aren't using their netbooks as intended, for light Web browsing and e-mail via Wi-Fi or 3G wireless networks outside the home. Some 60% of the netbooks purchased never leave the house, according to NPD. After making their purchase, many users realize the netbooks' chips aren't as fast and capable as those of laptops, and don't support video as well.

Clearly, PC makers and retailers need to do a better job explaining the differences in capabilities between netbooks and regular laptops to consumers. After having played with an HP Mini netbook for the past couple of months, I can attest to the fact that netbooks are great -- if used for what they were intended. I loved using mine to quickly check Hotmail or to watch a video off of YouTube. But try multitasking, such as downloading a photo or a document while streaming a video off of YouTube, and their performance falls off the cliff. Consumers need to be made aware of this before they make their purchases.

A post I wrote yesterday for sister blog Blogspotting...

Last week, BusinessWeek’s tech team got a visit from Phil McKinney, the CTO of HP’s personal systems group. As we were groping and gawking at a collection of sleek new notebooks and netbooks, McKinney said something I’ve never heard from a computer maker before: the advent of online social networking is changing the way hardware is designed.

Not too long ago, the most traveling people did with laptops was from the bed to the couch, McKinney notes. Now, they are addicted to updates on sites like Twitter and Facebook, and that’s factoring into their decision to take PCs with them to more places. That trend has led HP to make computers that are lighter and smaller, but it’s also influencing less obvious design choices, like extending battery life or arming customers with a replaceable battery for extra-long outings.

That got me thinking: What other products are being designed with rabid social networkers in mind?

Cisco Systems is rolling out new products, programs and partner deals in the area of unified communications and collaboration as it grabs for more control of what Cisco officials say is a $34 billion space. The move comes two weeks after HP and Microsoft announced a four-year, $180 million deal involving joint products, sales and marketing of UC and collaboration technology.
- Cisco Systems is pushing forward its unified communications and collaboration agenda with a spate of new appliance, collaboration and partner offerings, looking to grab hold of a market that company officials say is at $34 billion. Cisco's move comes just weeks after Hewlett-Packard and Microsof...

David Donatelli will be in charge of HP’s Enterprise Storage and Server business unit, which also includes HP’s storage and server business.