Microsoft Puts Limits on Windows 7 Netbook Specs

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I'll just keep running openSUSE. I left the M$ bandwagon a few years ago. I have 2 GB of RAM in my net book and no limits :)
 
jerreece

jerreece

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LOL Maximum Specs?! Are we kidding ourselves? Just plain stupid. It's all about making M$ more money. I can't help but think Intel is somehow involved in this, considering not only did M$ put a limit on CPU speed, but also thermal design? Intel's Atom has the corner on the market as we know. This seems like a way for M$ to subtly keep AMD from getting into the Netbook game if you ask me, but trying to keep them out due to thermal design limitations.
 
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hemelskonijn

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This is among the top reasons why system manufactures should be forced to sell there system without operating systems.
Forget about your personal knowledge and your power to replace the crappy preloaded operating system and bloatware.
If every computer user had to buy the operating system aside from their computer they would have to make a choice between these kinds of limitations or alternative and even cheaper operating systems.

It would even be a good cure against all the bloatware !

The way computer systems are sold as a software/hardware bundle is killing progression and it will hold back more then just alternative operating systems.
 
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Hmmm, this time I think MS might be getting a bad rap.

The idea of maximum specs for netbooks sounds suspiciously like a mandate from the major notebook OEMs. The last thing Dell et al. want is for cheaper netbooks to get "powerful enough" for consumers, and putting this netbook boundary on the Win7 side lets the OEMs keep laptop sales going while pointing to MS for any fallout.
 
rodney_ws

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Who are they (Microsoft... a SOFTWARE company) to dictate what hardware we run? To me this seems like they're overstepping their bounds. I get the min/rec requirements for software, but this goes WAY beyond that. Just make the product, sell it to us and let us use it how we see fit.
 
gaevs

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Jane, my dear, you forgot to mention that the limit was for Starter Edition... and possible, Home Edition... not sure about that Home.. anyway, thanks for the info.
 
thedipper

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Toms completely missed the point here. They're putting max specs on Starter Edition because they're removing the 3-app limit.
 
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deathblooms2k1

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Not that I'm a fan of their strategy but this benefits Microsoft in multiple ways. It protects their non-starter product line. And in addition it helps them maintain an image of Windows Starter is for energy efficient "green" netbooks. Kind of like allowing non-licensed versions of Windows 7 to receive security updates. I think as a whole Microsoft is placing much more influence on how their products image will be portrayed. Vista's poor rep seems to have opened their eyes a bit.
 
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jacobdrj

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They did the same thing with Vista and 'Ultra portable'. I bought an EVEREX notebook 12.1" screen. With the standard 6 cell battery, the laptop weighed just over 4 lbs, which makes it, according to Microsoft, not an ultra portable. Therefore, the laptop also shipped with a smaller 3 cell battery, which allowed the laptop to weigh slightly under 4 lbs, and therefore, Vista could be advertised on the box as sold on an ultra portable. The problem was, the reviewers like PC World only rated the smaller battery's performance, which was poor with a Core Duo and a 3 cell battery. But it was much better with the 6, and sales were hurt because of it.

It is all semantics.

There is a great story about the rise of the Jeep in the US army. The soldiers loved their Jeeps, but they exceded the maximum weight specification set out by bureaucrats in the office... The principle of the maximum restriction was so that a set of soldiers could lift the Jeep out of the mud by hand if necessary. So a couple of strong soldiers went out to prove the bureaucrats wrong by lifting the Jeep, in spite of its slightly over maxed weight. The message was sent, and the Jeep became the staple vehicle of the Army until the introduction of the Humvee...
 
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jacobdrj

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[citation][nom]rodney_ws[/nom]Who are they (Microsoft... a SOFTWARE company) to dictate what hardware we run? To me this seems like they're overstepping their bounds. I get the min/rec requirements for software, but this goes WAY beyond that. Just make the product, sell it to us and let us use it how we see fit.[/citation]
They wanna be apple?
lol
 
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mrfisthand

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Protip Microsoft: I'm going to put your OS on whatever I want to, from my netbook to my toaster, and if you don't like it, I'll grab it off a torrent.
 
sublifer

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Well, seeing as mfg's can just call anything more powerful a laptop rather than a netbook there isn't much MS can do to enforce this... Maybe the author meant max spec's for a Win7 Basic edition installation? Even then things will get fuzzy... Can you upgrade the OS to Premium edition then upgrade the RAM? The cpu TDP is going to be meaningless soon as they specified without graphics/chipset but the near future CPUs are going to have graphics, and perhaps chipset functions, integrated into the CPU package which would nullify the TDP rating limitation since you won't be able to separate the wattage used for the different components...
 
sublifer

sublifer

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[citation][nom]hemelskonijn[/nom]This is among the top reasons why system manufactures should be forced to sell there system without operating systems.... If every computer user had to buy the operating system aside from their computer they would have to make a choice between these kinds of limitations or alternative and even cheaper operating systems.It would even be a good cure against all the bloatware!...[/citation]
I couldn't have said it better myself. +20
 
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ethaniel

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The similarities between "Microsoft restrictions" and "mobile phone provider locks" are getting a bit more scary...

Sadly, it's just another twisted manifestation of what Microsoft REALLY wants: They want to rent their software, not to sell it.
 
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porksmuggler

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no research went into this article. they're not limiting the maximum specs of the netbooks. microsoft is setting a maximum spec for the lower licensing rate, to ensure there are cheap netbooks. if OEMs want to build a higher spec netbook, go for it, but those won't be getting a discounted licensing rate.
 
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