Micro$oft Windows 7 Starter

[brad]

This is probably dangerously close to politics or religion...

<rant>

Micro$oft has found another way to make money...

Windows 7 Starter, available only on Netbooks, is - in essence - crippleware.

Among the things you cannot do with Windows 7 Starter:

-- Personalize your desktop.. no background changes, no sound changes (including disabling them), no mouse pointers, nothin

-- Charge your laptop while Windows 7 Starter is running. Yes, that's right, if you plug it in and have the machine on -- it will not charge

For $80, you can upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium... and for that you can gain back features you've had on the basic version of every windows product since 1991.


</rant>

Thank you, now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by brad

This is probably dangerously close to politics or religion...

<rant>

Micro$oft has found another way to make money...

Windows 7 Starter, available only on Netbooks, is - in essence - crippleware.

Among the things you cannot do with Windows 7 Starter:

-- Personalize your desktop.. no background changes, no sound changes (including disabling them), no mouse pointers, nothin

-- Charge your laptop while Windows 7 Starter is running. Yes, that's right, if you plug it in and have the machine on -- it will not charge

For $80, you can upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium... and for that you can gain back features you've had on the basic version of every windows product since 1991.


</rant>

Thank you, now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Why is this a problem? Netbooks are stripped down laptops for minimum use like surfing the web and watching movies. Do you really want a bunch of services running in the background draining your battery? NO!

[brad]

Heh, except they aren't services.. they are static things.

And honestly, these netbooks are far more powerful than you would think. By themselves, they make good browsers and devices for writers.. watching movies (with no DVD, you have to download them)...

... but hook up a real monitor to them and they function as well (or better) as the laptops of 12-18 months ago...

[brad]

And its not like the background, pointers, sounds aren't there... they are, you just aren't allowed to change them. It would be no additional strain on resources to allow you to change them.. they just saw it as a way to make money.

Hell, for the background, they let you change it... but they actually have another gadget running that covers it up with a blue screen and their logo in the middle of it --- in other words, it takes MORE resources.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by brad

It would be no additional strain on resources to allow you to change them.. they just saw it as a way to make money.

Still don't see a problem. If the consumer doesn't like it, buy a Mac.

[LuckyDucker]

switch to http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download-netbook ...

[ptrd]

Originally Posted by Sonny

Still don't see a problem. If the consumer doesn't like it, buy a Mac.

and pay 3x as much?

I would just run linux :)

[Digigeek]

It's their product, they can market it as they want. The consumer can decide not to buy it. Simple as that.

[TheFantasticG]

Looks like I can save $80 by not having a few things I don't need to have in a netbook? Hell yeah I will.

Looks to me like Microsoft is giving the customers more options. How is it a bad thing?

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by ptrd

and pay 3x as much?

I would just run linux :)

Dang, I forgot to add my sarcasm tags. Lemme fix it

I'm not a fan of Apple, except the iPhone.





<sarcasm>

Originally Posted by Sonny

Still don't see a problem. If the consumer doesn't like it, buy a Mac.

</sarcasm>

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by Digigeek

It's their product, they can market it as they want. The consumer can decide not to buy it. Simple as that.

Exactly!

[Traccer]

OR just buy your netbook with XP like i did

[jtriron]

Originally Posted by sonny

still don't see a problem. If the consumer doesn't like it, buy a mac.

+1

[brad]

Originally Posted by Sonny

Still don't see a problem. If the consumer doesn't like it, buy a Mac.

The problem I have with it is that its not advertised ahead of time that it is crippled in this way. You cannot even find any good details about what limitations "Starter" has on their website.

And a $2000 Mac is not an option for a 15 year old. She'd do without before that would happen.

Originally Posted by LuckyDucker

switch to Download Ubuntu Netbook Remix | Ubuntu ...

Yes, I'm an ubuntu fan.. but with no good support for Flash or iTunes, its not so good for the uses it is intended.

Originally Posted by Digigeek

It's their product, they can market it as they want. The consumer can decide not to buy it. Simple as that.

Originally Posted by TheFantasticG

Looks like I can save $80 by not having a few things I don't need to have in a netbook? Hell yeah I will.

Looks to me like Microsoft is giving the customers more options. How is it a bad thing?

Its only an option if you know what you're buying ahead of time. See above.. Microsoft obfuscates what's in (or not in, as the case may be) Starter. Its easy to find info about the other three flavors.

Originally Posted by Traccer

OR just buy your netbook with XP like i did

Good luck with that... I bought two netbooks 3 months ago with XP on them, but was unable to locate any (with decent features - like a real hard drive) this month.

[Traccer]

Originally Posted by brad

The problem I have with it is that its not advertised ahead of time that it is crippled in this way. You cannot even find any good details about what limitations "Starter" has on their website.

And a $2000 Mac is not an option for a 15 year old. She'd do without before that would happen.



Yes, I'm an ubuntu fan.. but with no good support for Flash or iTunes, its not so good for the uses it is intended.





Its only an option if you know what you're buying ahead of time. See above.. Microsoft obfuscates what's in (or not in, as the case may be) Starter. Its easy to find info about the other three flavors.



Good luck with that... I bought two netbooks 3 months ago with XP on them, but was unable to locate any (with decent features - like a real hard drive) this month.

Just ordered 2 this month with XP on them from dell.. 160gb hard drives.. latest cpu.. etc etc etc...