Official: three-app limit on Windows 7 Starter scrapped

 

Gallery

By Barry Collins

Posted on 30 May 2009 at 12:48

Microsoft has confirmed that it's lifting the three-app limit on Windows 7 Starter, the edition of the next-generation OS that is aimed at netbooks.

Rumours started circulating last week that Microsoft had decided to scrap the limit, which would have seen netbooks restricted to running only three concurrent applications.

Now the decision has been made official on the Windows Team blog.

"We are going to enable Windows 7 Starter customers the ability to run as many applications simultaneously as they would like, instead of being constricted to the three application limit that the previous Starter editions included," the blog states.

"We believe these changes will make Windows 7 Starter an even more attractive option for customers who want a small notebook PC for very basic tasks, like browsing the web, checking email and personal productivity."

The decision is a victory for common sense, and one that PC Pro has both publicly and privately urged Microsoft to take.

The Starter edition will still lack a number of key features, however, including Media Center, Aero Glass, DVD playback and even the ability to change the desktop wallpaper.

In fact, the company is urging netbook owners to consider upgrading to superior versions. "Windows 7 Starter should not be considered 'the netbook SKU' as most machines in this category can run any edition of Windows 7," Microsoft states.

"Many of our beta users have installed Windows 7 Ultimate on their small notebook PCs and have given us very positive feedback on their experience."