The high price of Windows 7 could be hurdle in Windows 7 adoption – reckons Dell marketing executive. The Dell's director of product management, Darrel Ward feels that Microsoft is pricing its next-generation operating system beyond the reach of some users.

Microsoft hasn’t yet revealed the price details of Windows 7, but Ward says that Microsoft has priced Windows 7 more that Vista.   

Ward says, "If there's one thing that may influence adoption, make things slower or cause customers to pause, it's that generally the ASPs (Average Selling Price) of the operating systems are higher than they were for Vista and XP.”

"In tough economic times, I think it's naive to believe that you can increase your prices on average and then still see a strong swell than if you held prices flat or even lowered them. I can tell you that the licensing tiers at retail are more expensive than they were for Vista."

Ward reckons that some organizations will have to think twice before adopting Windows 7, despite its many advantages over Vista. He says, “Schools and government agencies may not be able to afford (the additional cost). Some of the smaller businesses may not be able to enjoy the software as soon as they'd like."