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Posted on May 23rd, 2009 by Barry Collins
Microsoft to scrap three app limit for Windows 7 Starter?
It appears Microsoft has come to its senses and decided to remove the completely arbitrary three app limit from Windows 7 Starter edition. Word of the U-turn comes via the normally reliable Paul Thurrott, who makes the claim in the briefiest of blog posts on his SuperSite for Windows, although there’s no official word from Microsoft yet.
Why the about face? Perhaps Microsoft has recognised what we’ve been telling them publicly and privately since this ridiculous announcement was made: limiting netbook owners to three concurrent apps is hugely frustrating. Open your email, web browser and IM client, and you’ve got to shut down one of them before you can fire up Media Player to watch the video clip you’ve just clicked on.
With competitors such as the Ubuntu Netbook Remix, the Intel-backed Moblin and Google’s Android all looming large, Microsoft probably decided it couldn’t afford to give PC manufacturers any excuse to look elsewhere.
So well done Microsoft. Now if you can see your way clear to putting BitLocker To Go into the Professional edition, we can all rest easy…
Tags: Android, Microsoft, Moblin, Starter edition, Ubuntu Netbook Remix, Windows 7
Posted in: Newsdesk, Windows 7
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7 Responses to “ Microsoft to scrap three app limit for Windows 7 Starter? ”
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May 23rd, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Welcome news for netbook users. I installed and tried out the starter edition on a virtualbox machine – it wasn’t as bad as it could have been but the lack of aero and the 3 app limit made it feel very basic. Even without the 3 app limit I’d be tempted to upgrade (either to Win 7 HP or Ubuntu).
http://www.fiendishlyclever.com/2009/05/windows-7-starter-edition-really-that.html
May 23rd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
@Rob: bear in mind that Aero doesn’t work on Virtualbox installs at all as the graphic drivers are basic and virtual machines in Virtualbox don’t recognise Graphics Hardware. I’ve tested both Vista and 7 (ultimate editions for both) under Virtualbox and simply can’t enable Aero.
Saying that I don’t know whether Aero is available in the starter edition of 7: I’d assume not as it wasn’t with either Vista Starter or Home Basic but would like to be proven wrong.
With regards to teh app limit removal, it’s great news for most netbook users… probably not good news for linux though.
May 27th, 2009 at 8:22 am
I find this rumour hard to believe. Key to Microsoft’s business model is high margins on sales of copies of Windows. Cut-price Windows XP for netbooks has been cutting into those margins, which is why Starter Edition is being introduced to try to goad users into upgrading into a more expensive edition. Anything that makes Starter less unattractive reduces the effectiveness of that goad.
Yes, I’m aware that the goad might also push users into switching to something else where they don’t have to pay lots more money, like Linux.
May 27th, 2009 at 8:47 am
It doesn’t get things like Media Center, and it is only available on single core processors, sub 2Ghz, 1GB RAM and 10.1″ display, only available to major OEMs…
The average customer won’t be able to buy it standalone.
An OEM which makes a Netbook with a larger display or a faster or dual core processor etc. won’t be able to use Starter edition, they will have to go for Home Premium or Professional.
The Start edition is only there to try and stave off Linux in the netbook market. It doesn’t serve any other purpose, as far as I can see.
May 27th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Given that Vista is now at SP2 and is basically OK, why don’t MS encourage Netbook makers to pack in extra memory and dual core processors into their Netbooks so it can run Vista Home Premium. That way everyone’s happy (well apart from Linux die hards
, Netbook users get a fully fledged OS with a media player, MS get to sell W7 only on higher end stuff. Food for thought?
May 27th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Richard – because battery life is important, and more RAM and beefier CPUs aren’t battery friendly.
May 27th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Paul – yes good point, but how long will it be before things move on and we see Netbooks with Gigs of memory, dual core Atoms and 6hr+ battery life?