Windows 7 Starter Edition - Is It Really That Bad?

[Detson]

There's nothing mandating an OEM can't put home premium in their netbooks; they'll just cost a little more. It's all about capturing the different segments of the market. We should withhold judgment until we have some idea about pricing.

 

[Guest]

That would be awesome , I wish they could evoke a one app limit. that one app would use the full resources available. That one app would not be bogged down by twenty little apps that magically appeared in your sys tray.
That one app would operate smoothly and not run into other programs and freeze up. that one app would take less time to load and and when you shut it down it would actually go away. Imagine if a Disk Operating System could do that.

 

[curnel_D]

This will take about 15 mins to find a workaround for. This limitation is targeted at the average consumer, not the tech savvy users that generally frequent this site.

 

[dmuir]

The limitation will probably be useless in the long run, as people will soon figure out how to write your apps so that they don't count towards the 3 app limit.

 

[ira176]

I guess as long as the netbook makers provide for an option for another version of Windows 7, I would be okay with Microsoft putting out a starter edition. This would give the greatest option for the consumer. Also, netbooks will invariably get more powerful, and a more feature oriented version of Windows 7 will become viable on a netbook.

 

[nerdherd]

The fact that they are trying to package something that no one wants with netbooks just to try to get us to buy the "better" one is majorly lame to me. I won't buy a netbook that has Windows 7 Starter Edition on it, that's for sure...

 

[elbert]

If XPM isn't on Home versions it will equally suck. I wouldn't expect Microsoft to give a free XP license. The option to enter a old XP serial key in home versions should be a feature.
XP had a long run and with so many programs wrote for XP I think no user can do without this option. Microsoft if you like limit us by networking, CPU socket, and PCIX16 slot but do not limit what programs I can run.

 

[Repelsteeltje]

It limits how many programs you can run and hence what you can do with your own computer hardware. I think conceptually that's evil. I'm happy we have operating systems such as Linux to back us up in case companies keep on moving towards these artificial caps and limits... Perhaps we ought to start our own "open-source" networks too.

The real question is how long it will take for someone to develop a program that will run any other program in a window spawned from its own "PID".

 

[starryman]

Internally the dbags at Redmond call this version Win 7 for Dumbasses. Only to realize they of all people are dumbassess for splinter an OS into multiple products.

 

[starryman]

Attention: New Win7 product from dbags at Redmond. The new revolutionary Win7 Super Dumbass. With the perfect 100% guaranteed upgrade. ZERO errors. No compatibility issues. What do you get? A nice shiny sticker that looks like the Superman "S" logo but instead "M" with a the #7 super scripted next to the M. Then you take this sophisticated sticker and put it right on your forehead or middle of your screen. Now you will always know you have Win7 Super Dumbass.

As a bonus companion, you get a security code which you must register for the sticker and pay a small fee of $29.99. You will then be sent a WMV file that has BG playing Guitar Hero like a dbag.

 

[annymmo]

Man this is really crap.

If I get a netbook, I'll just use Linux on it.
Ubuntu netbook edition will run way better than windows 7 on those things.
No three application limit there.

Netbooks can't do much anyway, they are not very good computers.

 

[mdillenbeck]

Okay, I guess if they sell starter edition for $25 to $50 bucks, it is fair to have a 3 app limit - but anything much more and I will see it only as a way to justify the overpricing of higher level tiers.

 

[mforce2]

I like it a lot. As long as it's cheap I don't care if it only allows one open program. Just so that I can get the hardware and then I'll just hack it, install Linux or just some form of Windows I can find on a torrent site.
Yeah, I know , MS is lucky not all users are like me.

 

[Twoboxer]

Geez, I can't believe the comments here lol.

Yes, the Starter Edition as defined above (3 real apps) is a perfect entry level for Netbooks . . . and for many other machines. You can build a servicable PC box for $200+, but if you have to put Windows on it for grandpa you are closer to $400. If grandpa should ever need a fourth app, he can shut off the &%$* music for a minute lol.

PROVIDED two things . . . an entry price of around $25 OEM, and an easy upgrade path for those ADDers who actually think they are using 16 apps simultaneously.

 

[unclesmonkey]

Netbooks, schmetbooks.
How about if Windows determined whether or not to open an additional app based on available system resources? That might actually be a useful feature.
Ram full? Swap file full? Windows doesn't open Office.
Plenty of available ram? Windows opens Office.

That's better than just locking up.

 

[scryer_360]

My thoughts are: why develop a starter edition at all? You can bet the "Starter" edition wasn't the original version to come out of the MS programming offices. Really, how much did Microsoft spend in design and development to make the three app limit and cut out other program functionality? Wouldn't it just of been easier and cheaper to let the "Basic" version, which isn't app limited, run on netbooks instead?

 

[randomizer]

[citation][nom]joeman42[/nom]Here's a sneaky idea: run stater edition inside a virtualbox, or similar, on starter edition (XPM won't be supported according to MS). Depending on how apps are counted you can get at least 9 apps going to potentially unlimited if it allows multiple invocations of a single program. Just a thought...[/citation]
Yea, virtualisation on a netbook. Good luck with that.

 

[crymsonpheonix]

[citation][nom]zingam[/nom]If they put 1 application limit they might just call it DOS![/citation]

No, that's a $59.99 upgrade.

 

[nukemaster]

Well, to be honest, I would bet that at least 80% of computer users do NOT use more then 3 apps at a time anyway. Many already find it hard to keep track of having a few windows explorer windows open and office + a web browser open. For most Toms readers its bad, but for the majority of other users it will not be a problem.

 

[Regulas]

Let me see, 3 programs at once, I'm impressed the great Microbloat allows us users such privilege to use their great OS, NOT!
Then you need a AV suite because it's Winholes OS software. No thank you, I will stick with Linux. It's all I run save my Gaming rig that usually stays of the network anyway.

 

[B-Unit]

For any decent sized business, all you have to do is utilize Citrix, and wala, 3 app limit defeated. If their arn't more limitations, I would think that smart IT admins would want Starter edition.

 

[ossie]

Hmmm... m$ exploder isn't included in the limit, but third party browsers would surely qualify - smells like the next antitrust lawsuit...

 

[bin1127]

i think it's more to keep the computer requirements in check then to scam more money from customers. if they advertise a fully functional win7 but this person uses a pentium 133 and opens 10 programs, MS would be down the legal crap chute again. if they say it's 3 and it works on 3 then all's good.

 

[andyviant]

This won't stand - they will be a victim of their own success in making Win7 better on system resources. Here's the problem - I'm running Win7 RC (Ultimate!) on an acer aspire one w/ the older atom and 1gb ram -- things are GREAT. I can run whatever I want, i haven't REALLY pushed it, but I counted 4 ie8 tabs, skype, paint shop pro 7 (old, but great image editing for netbooks), wmp(music playing), and Open Office Spreadsheet, and was still able to quickly call up file windows and small games. The new netbook processors/ram are getting better, and if i can do all this on an older model in a FULL ULTIMATE install, they're severely artifically limiting furture users. I will be putting at LEAST home premium on my netbook when I buy it for my desktop, assuming they stick with the one laptop & one desktop model (did they do that for vista?!).

 

[kraken18]

They're just doing this to force you to use microsoft apps.