Although Canadians were briefly flashed a cost list last week, Microsoft has officially made public its pricing for the highly anticipated Vista, its operating system (OS) set to ship in late January, 2007. The announced prices coincide with the new availability of Release Candidate 1 (RC1), which is Microsoft's most recent Vista beta and the very closest to the much-hyped final product.

While those living north of the 49th parallel might want to check out our archives for the recent mishap involving the early release of Canadian Vista prices, the exact American numbers have been in demand for some time. Here's the list for our U.S. friends:

Windows Vista Full Retail Versions (all prices USD)

• Vista Ultimate: $399
   
• Vista Business: $299
   
• Vista Home Premium: $239
   
• Vista Home Basic: $199

Windows XP Upgrades

• Vista Ultimate: $259
   
• Vista Business: $199
   
• Vista Home Premium: $159
   
• Vista Home Basic: $99 (Source: news.com)

Thus far, RC1 has met mixed reviews.

Although many critics have been pleased with a host of additions to the already popular XP platform, there are still grumblings for Microsoft to address. Some sources are anything but happy with the Vista interface, which has changed from simple directional "Back," "Next," and "Cancel," to a mish-mash of words and graphics. In some cases "Back" has been transformed from text to a pie-like graphic while "Next" remains the same. This is sure to confuse many, making Vista a less "user-friendly" operating system than XP.

Other criticisms surround Vista's antivirus and antispyware support, which are remarkably thin considering Microsoft's new obsession with security. Expect this to be addressed as it seems particularly hypocritical of the Redmond-based company. (Source: winsupersite.com)

Vista *should* ship January 30, 2007, but suggestions in the wake of RC1 could potentially change this.