Comments on: Microsoft to scrap three app limit for Windows 7 Starter?

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:50:31 +0000

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?

By: Paul Ockenden

Paul Ockenden — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:40:06 +0000

Richard – because battery life is important, and more RAM and beefier CPUs aren’t battery friendly.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:22:44 +0000

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?

By: big_D

big_D — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:47:42 +0000

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.

By: Lawrence D'Oliveiro

Lawrence D'Oliveiro — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:22:56 +0000

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.

By: Ian

Ian — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:28:53 +0000

@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.

By: Rob Butler

Rob Butler — Sat, 23 May 2009 12:09:03 +0000

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