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Another Nail in the Coffin - Windows 7 'Starter'

VinDSL

VinDSL

Diamond Member
Microsoft Gambles on Windows 7 'Starter'

SOURCE: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124018108488732939.html (Wall Street Journal article)

Microsoft Corp. is taking an unusual approach with its new Windows 7 operating system: Customers buying many of the least-expensive laptops with the software are likely to be limited to running three applications at a time and miss out on other key features, or pay for an upgrade.

The strategy is one of the ways the software giant is responding to inexpensive portable computers called netbooks, a bright spot in the gloomy personal-computer business that is causing many companies to modify their business plans...

Microsoft managed to grab the lion's share of netbook sales last year, but at a heavy cost. It was forced to offer Windows XP -- a version of the operating system it had largely phased out -- at bargain prices to counter Linux versions.

A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to discuss prices it offers PC makers, but people familiar with the matter say the company takes in less than $15 per netbook for Windows XP once marketing rebates are taken into account -- far less than the estimated $50 to $60 it receives for PCs running Windows Vista, a newer operating system that runs on standard desktop and laptop PCs...

Brad Brooks, corporate vice president for Windows product marketing at Microsoft, said... Even with its limits... Starter is an easier and more reliable operating system than Windows XP. [emphasis added]
Click to expand...

So there you have it...

MS is laying FUD on themselves now, saying a severely limited netbook version of 7 is better than XP Pro!

LoL! :laugh:

Good luck, my XP brethren!
 
Originally posted by: VinDSL
Microsoft Gambles on Windows 7 'Starter

SOURCE: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124018108488732939.html (Wall Street Journal article)

Microsoft Corp. is taking an unusual approach with its new Windows 7 operating system: Customers buying many of the least-expensive laptops with the software are likely to be limited to running three applications at a time and miss out on other key features, or pay for an upgrade.

The strategy is one of the ways the software giant is responding to inexpensive portable computers called netbooks, a bright spot in the gloomy personal-computer business that is causing many companies to modify their business plans...

Microsoft managed to grab the lion's share of netbook sales last year, but at a heavy cost. It was forced to offer Windows XP -- a version of the operating system it had largely phased out -- at bargain prices to counter Linux versions.

A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to discuss prices it offers PC makers, but people familiar with the matter say the company takes in less than $15 per netbook for Windows XP once marketing rebates are taken into account -- far less than the estimated $50 to $60 it receives for PCs running Windows Vista, a newer operating system that runs on standard desktop and laptop PCs...

Brad Brooks, corporate vice president for Windows product marketing at Microsoft, said... Even with its limits... Starter is an easier and more reliable operating system than Windows XP. [emphasis added]
Click to expand...

So there you have it...

MS is laying FUD on themselves now, saying a severely limited netbook version of 7 is better than XP Pro!

LoL! :laugh:

Good luck, my XP brethren!
Click to expand...

Bastards gave me XP Home with my netbook.
 
I wonder how sure they are that this is a netbook centric build vs something to keep the EU at bay. Either way I don't open more than 3 apps at once on my netbook... although I guess it depends on their definition of an "application"
 
There have been "Starter" editions of Windows since XP (Microsoft Windows XP Starter Edition Fact Sheet). They are only sold in emerging markets, generally where piracy of full versions of Windows runs rampant. They are feature limited, but they are designed to be offered along with very inexpensive hardware to markets that cannot afford a full-blown PC or laptop.

This is the first I've heard of a Starter edition being offered in the US.
 
This will be good fodder for the Mac-PC advertising wars. The Mac guy starts calling PCs a "starter computer" :laugh:
 
I wonder how they are going to tell what an "application" is.
Click to expand...
I guess a program with a visible window that's not a part of OS. Surely not something more generic because drivers could be too much. 😀

Anyway - sucks. But I don't cry, it's not for me anyway. 🙂
 
My guess would be anything listed under "Applications" in Task Manager. Hopefully modified so 3 Firefox windows show up as 1 application.
 
Originally posted by: ObscureCaucasian
My guess would be anything listed under "Applications" in Task Manager. Hopefully modified so 3 Firefox windows show up as 1 application.
Click to expand...

Its a very loose definition. Multiple windows dont count against it, explorer windows, control panel, antivirus etc. It shouldnt be a problem if youre using your netbook as a "net"-book. If youre using it as a desktop replacement, and trying to use using word, excel, powerpoint and IE at the same time, youll have some trouble.
 
Originally posted by: magreen
This will be good fodder for the Mac-PC advertising wars. The Mac guy starts calling PCs a "starter computer" :laugh:
Click to expand...
They could add some training wheels to it or something, LOL. :laugh:

I honestly couldn't imagine MS trying to push this on US customers, though. I mean they may try, but I don't think the public will stand for it. Even if most people rarely run more than 3 apps at the same time on a netbook, consumers just hate the idea of their computing experience being limited in any way. MS will have a tough time trying to sell this idea to netbook users I think.
 
Originally posted by: Sylvanas
What a stupid idea, no way I'd buy a netbook with these limitations on it over Linux.
Click to expand...
I hear ya...

In keeping with the stupid "Jerry Seinfeld convinces Bill Gates to try and connect with everyday people" Theme...

Microsoft should have called it "Windows 7 For Dummies"! :laugh:

Truthfully...

I'm going to buy a Netbook one of these days. I just haven't found 'the one' yet.

It's kinda like The Story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This one is too big, this one is too small - but I'm still looking for 'just right'...

And, a 'Starter' Netbook ain't doing it for me! We're ALL beyond that sh!t, no?

LoL!

This sooo much reminds me of My Brute! MS is like a Level 40 Brute with 'Three Bears' throwing a volley of Starter (Ninja) Stars at the public...

Personally, I *think* MS is doing this on purpose - to dissuade the public from buying Netbooks. Netbooks are a THREAT to the MS business model!

Nobody will spend $100-$200 for an OS on a $200-$300 computer... and MS knows it!


Originally posted by: frostedflakes
I don't think the public will stand for it...

[C]onsumers just hate the idea of their computing experience being limited in any way.
Click to expand...

I almost didn't buy my Toshiba A215 (2 years ago) because it came with Vista HP - I would have preferred a lappy with XP (and I'm a XP hater). But, as fate would have it, Vista HP turned out to be just fine. I can't envision 'Starter' being the same experience. It's definitely a 'non-Starter' for me!

Having said that, I'm with you, Sylvanas & frostedflakes - there is no way I would buy a Netbook with a 'crippled' OS - no ^%$# way!!!

Sooo... I guess I better get my act together and find 'the one' before MS murders XP. Then, I'll dual boot it with a Linux distro, designed for Netbooks!

I think that's the winning combination... 😉
 
Update...

SOURCE: http://blogs.computerworld.com...9_the_four_big_changes (Computer World Article)

Ideally, what Microsoft will want you to do is to buy your low-cost Windows 7 netbook with Starter Edition, get disgusted with it, and upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium.

Sources tell me that most Starter implementations will include and instant Home Premium upgrade feature. This will work by paying an additional license fee to Microsoft over the Web. In return, you'll a new license number that will unlock the Home Premium features. [emphasis added]
Click to expand...

MS will be offering turd-world countries "Windows 7 Home Basic", not 'Windows For Dummies' aka "Windows 7 Starter", so this is a complete reversal of their former marketing practices...

There will be a version, however, of Windows 7 that won't be offered in first world countries. It's Windows 7 Home Basic, not Starter Edition.
Click to expand...

The upshot...

The one to avoid will be the low-end Windows 7 Starter Edition netbooks. You won't get enough bang for your buck. Then, there will be higher-end, but more costly netbooks with Windows 7 Home Premium.
Click to expand...
 
I dont see what the problem is, or what nail is in what coffin?

People want cheap netbooks.

They can buy linux netbooks, which should be cheapest since the OS is essentially free. They can buy the cheaper windows 7 netbooks, with starter edition. If that doesnt suit their needs, they can upgrade it on the fly. Or they could pay more up front and buy a netbook with a higher version of Win 7. Or theyll find with one XP, of which there will be a great many floating around for quite some time.

If people have a problem with win 7 starter and start returning them, then the netbook makers will offer alternatives, as they have before. Theyll sell what people want, because people will only buy what they want.

I'd personally rather use Win 7 starter than XP. I've tried it, and it's not nearly as limited as it sounds.

It sounds to me like you've just got your panties in a bunch because a super cheap version of windows is a legitimate threat to the adoption of your beloved linux.
 
Originally posted by: BD2003
I dont see what the problem is, or what nail is in what coffin?

People want cheap netbooks.

They can buy linux netbooks, which should be cheapest since the OS is essentially free. They can buy the cheaper windows 7 netbooks, with starter edition. If that doesnt suit their needs, they can upgrade it on the fly. Or they could pay more up front and buy a netbook with a higher version of Win 7. Or theyll find with one XP, of which there will be a great many floating around for quite some time.

If people have a problem with win 7 starter and start returning them, then the netbook makers will offer alternatives, as they have before. Theyll sell what people want, because people will only buy what they want.

I'd personally rather use Win 7 starter than XP. I've tried it, and it's not nearly as limited as it sounds.

It sounds to me like you've just got your panties in a bunch because a super cheap version of windows is a legitimate threat to the adoption of your beloved linux.
Click to expand...

I'm willing to bet an overwhelming majority of consumers would prefer"Windows 7 Starter" over any Linux distro out there right now.
 
Originally posted by: ObscureCaucasian
Originally posted by: BD2003
I dont see what the problem is, or what nail is in what coffin?

People want cheap netbooks.

They can buy linux netbooks, which should be cheapest since the OS is essentially free. They can buy the cheaper windows 7 netbooks, with starter edition. If that doesnt suit their needs, they can upgrade it on the fly. Or they could pay more up front and buy a netbook with a higher version of Win 7. Or theyll find with one XP, of which there will be a great many floating around for quite some time.

If people have a problem with win 7 starter and start returning them, then the netbook makers will offer alternatives, as they have before. Theyll sell what people want, because people will only buy what they want.

I'd personally rather use Win 7 starter than XP. I've tried it, and it's not nearly as limited as it sounds.

It sounds to me like you've just got your panties in a bunch because a super cheap version of windows is a legitimate threat to the adoption of your beloved linux.
Click to expand...

I'm willing to bet an overwhelming majority of consumers would prefer"Windows 7 Starter" over any Linux distro out there right now.
Click to expand...

Because the avergae joe who walks into a store and buys a Netbook is not going to know what Linux is, but if you say Windows they'd have heard of that. Lets see. I'd buy a netbook for common tasks like browsing the web, making a few documents and perhaps using some other 3rd party programs like Skype. Now why the hell would I pay a premium of the Win7 starter when I can do all the above on a Linux netbook (probably better aswell e.g. Firefox> IE) with no restrictions and likely run faster than Win7 with some of the more lightweight distros. It makes no sense paying more for nothing.
 
Originally posted by: Sylvanas
Now why the hell would I pay a premium for Win7 starter when I can do all the above on Linux?
Click to expand...
Heh!

Sound s like a John Wayne poster, in the making! 😀

Originally posted by: BD2003
I dont see what the problem is, or what nail is in what coffin?

It sounds to me like you've just got your panties in a bunch because a super cheap version of windows is a legitimate threat to the adoption of your beloved linux.
Click to expand...

Look... I know I sound like a 'Linux Hippy' at times, because I'm a 'distro-hopper', but I'm really not a Linux nut sacker, by any means!

Most of the machines on my LAN are running Windows. Actually, I only have 4 machines that are Linux only - all the rest are Win only, or multi-booted!

Fact! MS wants to kill XP - which has been relegated to serving ppl with weak/old PCs (the old enemy), and Netbooks (the new enemy)... to keep Linux at bay!

Fact! MS is going to offer 1st World countries 'Starter' which is being billed as "easier and more dependable" than XP. Turd world countries are going to be offered 'Windows 7 Home'. Same reason as above!

Sooo... what do you make of this? White guilt from Redmond, maybe? I dunno... but I doubt it. You could spend a year in Redmond without seeing a black person...

And, personally, I don't care... since I'm a 'Linux Hippy', by your definition! 🙂

But, I pity dah foos that get Netbooks loaded with ANY crippled software - thinking it's better than XP...

EDIT: BTW, truth-in-advertising...

I'm running PCLinuxOS on this machine, right now - been running it for 3 days - mostly because installing Apache was so easy. LAMP is usually a PITA to setup, but it was a push-button affair with PCLinuxOS. Otherwise, I can't really stand this distro.

Before PCLinuxOS, I gave Fedora 10 (appropriately named) 10 minutes of my time - hated it!

Sooo, you see, I'm not as much a Linux fanboi as you might think!

LoL! Just saying... 😛


-------------------------------------------------------
Your discrimination/racist attitude in multiple posts within this thread has earned you a week.

Senior Anandtech Moderator
Common Courtesy
 
I lost faith in the idea of any "basic" OS being released by Microsoft when they began the eclipse 300MB on the install. If they spent more time shrinking the code base rather than abstracting it there is no reason it could not have stayed small. But they muddy the waters of what an OS is doing in order to squeeze out software competitors. It is nice to have some basic tools like notepad, wordpad, regedit, etc. The basic tools take up a few megabytes. Today the average windows starts off with a gig of patches, half a gig of basic versions of microsoft crapwares, and another gig of completely useless oem cripplewares. Patches should be just that, patches, and new releases of their OS should have the problems worked out be default. There should be an option to install without anything more than the basic tools, leaving the machine completely devoid of .net and all that other bloat without having to move back to windows 98 or 2k.
 
Of course MS wants to kill XP. It's a relic from last century. I dont understand why people are so fond of it.

I'm not sure what in the world it has to do with race either?

Anyways, unfortunately, windows is not free. I wish people made it in their free time out of the kindness of their own hearts, and even sent install discs right to my door for free. But thats not reality. I hear starter edition is being sold for very, very little, but netbook makers are by no means obligated to use it instead of home.

I still just dont see what the problem is here.
 
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