Free Windows 7 program...upgrade or full version?

I suppose most of you are aware that very early on in the Windows 7 upgrade program, the whole of Europe was destined to go without the 'upgrade' version of the Windows 7 operating system (the version that would have required you to have Vista on the destination HDD), to get around the browser/monopoly commission ruling or whatever that nonsense was about. So basically, when I and MANY others registered our tags at that time, we were expecting the full version of the new OS. Since then, however, things have changed....and upgrade versions of Win 7 are already being sold. So I take it this means we're all now likely to get an inferior upgrade version from Dell? If so, I'm incredibly cheesed off about that. Firstly as I don't count it as being "free" at all. When I bought my Dell desktop in June, I paid for an operating system...period. Whether that came in the form of using Vista for a small few months before going onto Windows 7 or not, I've paid for it. Let alone the fact they're also threatening to charge everyone shipping, handling and possibly even tax on our "free upgrade". Further, due to this same ruling on the browser monopoly, at that very time the big retailers were offering ridiculously cheap subsidised pre-orders of retail versions of Win 7 for the price you'd usually pay for an upgrade. At the time I scoffed that I too would be getting a full version of the OS from Dell, and as such had no interest in these offers. Knowing what I know now, i.e. that Dell are hardly likely to send out full Win 7 discs when they can get away with sending out cheaper upgrade discs, and that it might[?] mean that every time I have to re-install Windows 7 I would have to first install my Dell Vista disc, I'm beating myself up for not just paying the lousy £45 my friend put down for his Windows 7 pre-order. Not only did he get the full version for that pittance, but he already has it on his PC...it arrived yesterday, with most retailers sending them out early to avoid the post strikes.

Does anyone reckon Dell will have a heart for once and give us all a full (obviously OEM licenced) version? Or will they be unable to resist the money saved by sending out upgrade discs across the board? Or does anyone have any inside news....what version can I expect, and if any ideas are forthcoming of when we can expect them, that too would be great.

Many thanks.