Buy a PC, change the world: Introducing Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED

There's now one more option to weigh when picking your next PC: Should it also be able to change a life?

Microsoft and Dell have partnered with (RED) to launch a fleet of new (RED)-themed products. Profits from Dell's new (PRODUCT) RED printer and three (PRODUCT) RED computers—each stocked with Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED—can help pay for life-saving anti-retroviral drugs for people living with AIDS in Africa. How much difference can one (PRODUCT) RED PC make? Each sale buys as much as six months of medication for someone infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

"A truly beautiful idea"

(RED) is a brand designed to harness the power of consumer choice to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. The organization develops co-branded products with the world's best-known companies. These companies then contribute as much as half the profits from the (PRODUCT) RED sales to the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. The contribution is made at no extra cost to the consumer.

So far, nine companies have joined the (PRODUCT) RED effort, resulting in more than 350 products—everything from T-shirts to watches to cell phones. Sales from these products have already generated more than $58 million to the Global Fund, which has brought much-needed medical aid to Ghana, Rwanda, and Swaziland. To learn more about (RED), go to the (PRODUCT) RED website.

Microsoft and Dell, meanwhile, have pledged to contribute $50 per (PRODUCT) RED laptop and $80 per (PRODUCT) RED desktop, and each (PRODUCT) RED printer generates a $5 contribution. To put that in context, a single day's worth of anti-retroviral medication—two pills—costs less than fifty cents in sub-Saharan Africa. Which means that each and every purchase can have a real impact on the lives of people living with AIDS in Africa.

“It’s a truly beautiful idea—that the purchase of a stylish PC can put someone on lifesaving [anti-retroviral] treatment for six months,” (RED) co-founder Bono said in a press release announcing the product launch.

Top of page

(RED) all over

And stylish the new computers are. Dell is now selling three (PRODUCT) RED models, which you can buy directly from the company or through retailer Best Buy. There are two (PRODUCT) RED–branded laptops, the XPS M1330 and XPS M1530. Dell has also created a (RED) version of its sleek XPS One desktop computer and its 948 all-in-one printer. The company is selling the computers and printer in nearly 30 countries or regions around the world. To buy one, go to the Dell and Windows‌ (PRODUCT) RED website.

The new Dell PCs are all powered by Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED. It's the same full-featured, flagship edition of Windows Vista—but with a bunch of eye-catching new (RED)-inspired customizations: six new desktop wallpapers, a new screen saver, two new Windows Sidebar gadgets, and a (RED)-themed Windows DreamScene. To learn how to access these features, see Turn on the customizations in Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED.

Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED is only available on factory-installed Dell (PRODUCT) RED PCs, which cost the same as their non-branded counterparts. For more details on Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED, go to the Windows Vista‌ (PRODUCT) RED website.

Top of page