Forty-four Harvey Norman stores across Australia will open for the release at 11pm on January 29.

From midnight, the first 100 customers to buy any version of Vista or Office 2007 in each of these stores will receive a Microsoft VX-1000 webcam, worth $59.95; while the first 50 customers to do so will also receive a C653 Kodak digital camera, valued at $199.

Each store will also offer 10 percent off all computer hardware for two hours starting from 11pm on January 29.

If you're in Sydney, Harvey Norman chairman Gerry Harvey will sell the first copy of the new Windows Vista operating system at the company's Alexandria store, which will be signed by Microsoft chief Bill Gates.

The first official copy will go on sale in Alexandria at 11.59pm on January 29, one minute before the official release date of January 30.

But it won't be a case of lining up to buy the first copy. All customers intending to buy Vista will be given a raffle ticket and the winner will be able to purchase it from Harvey.

www.harveynorman.com .au
www.microsoft.com.au