>>>>>I bought new Dell notebook that has Windows 7 Home installed. I bought it in a Staples store where Professional was not an option. They - Staples, Best Buy - sell what they call a "key" (for about $100) that - they say - will allow me to download Window 7 Professional update right on my notebook and with this "key" enable it. Has anybody tried this method of upgrading? Or is it better to spend a little more and to buy the Windows 7 Professional upgrade in a box?
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>>>>With Win7 you can upgrade online, Google [Windows Anytime Upgrade]. If Staples' product key is less expensive, you can do that. I think you can use the latter via Start button...right-click on Computer...click on "Change product key" in the Windows Activation section.
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>>>Thank you.
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>>I have one laptop that I purchased with win 7 home. I did the easy click from MS deal to upgrade to Ultimate. You have a manually created recovery set of disk type thing to manage after that with your own handmade labels on them. I would prefer a set of install disk but I needed this upgrade asap at the time. I prefer manufactures disk, I can find them more dependibly in a crisis. :)
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>I did buy this Windows Anytime Update (basically registration) for Win 7 Professional. I have not install it yet. But my concern (as you mentioned about disks) that when I need to add IIS, for example, the computer will ask for the OS DVD and I will have nothing.

My understanding is all OEM installs (pre-install environment) of Windows 7, regardless of version, are exactly the same. The product key you install simply unlocks appropriate functionality for the version you've purchased (or upgraded to). Any new functionality is already on your computer, it just gets unlocked by the new product key.

I believe Office 2010 works the same way.