Best reason not to buy a Microsoft Netbook

And of course support for XP will be decreased to force you along the upgrade path..

 

You mean windows 7 starter edition which is only available in 3rd world country. Also.. there's no such thing as microsoft netbook. MS doesn't produce netbook.

 

Wrong.

Read the article if you can't understand the quoted passage - which is from of the world's most respected professional IT news sites. W hat it says is that MS will attempt to force the crippleware version of W7 on Netbooks globally.

I think most people would understand a Microsoft Netbook to be one running one of their OSes and a Linux one to be running.... Linux. I'm sorry this confused you, but I doubt anyone else will have problems.

 

[quote="pling]Wrong.

Read the article if you can't understand the quoted passage - which is from of the world's most respected professional IT news sites. W hat it says is that MS will attempt to force the crippleware version of W7 on Netbooks globally.

I was wrong about the 3rd world country part this time. According to many other "respected professional IT news site", they say that MS is planning to put the cheap Windows 7 starter editing on netbooks. That's the reason why it's limited to 3 running applications simulatneously.

 

FWIW, if the price is reduced enough, 3 program minimum would not be bad. Unless of course anti-virus software is part of that. Or Java as well. Then that would suck BIG time. It would be a complete waste of resources of distribution. And I think it would give Microcrap a pretty bad name as well as the netbook manu's that sell it.

Also, I read on the Microsoft website that XP will be supported through the distribution of W7. That sure is good news

 

Antivirus isn't part of the limit and so is Java. Almost all system processes doesn't count either. E.G. task manager.

 

I am not "anybody" off course, but let me post my own usage. I use my netbook for web development in the train. What I have open is off course a web server and a database server, but those count as system processes. But the following do not and I usually hav them open at the same time:
- editor
- browser
- database frontend
- file manager
- terminal window
- Help viewer
Sometimes I even have an image editor open as well for the graphics. Two even, as not every image editor has the same functionality. All the while, the OS I use does not have any restrictions for use or even spreading. If I could only have 3 programs open at a time, I'd buy a mobile phone, not a netbook.

 

If Windows 7 netbook was limited to 3 apps at a time, I'd sell the netbook and get along using my Blackberry and PSP instead. Makes a lot more sense than paying out of the bottom for a computer that can't multitask half as well as my BB is right now.

 

Not really a big issue..... you can ALWAYS install another OS. XP, VISTA, LINUX, MAC OS... and Even Win7 Ultimate. If you can't live with the crippled version, by all means remove it and install anything you want....

 

I do use my AA1 for website building, photo editing and CAD. But even so, if the price is low enough I think it would be a good buy. You have the easy of use with Microsoft vs. open source OS's. And for a beginner or just for a knock around I think it is a nice idea. Of course, that is all pending the price being set low enough.

 

I always have considerably more than 3 apps open (ie. msn, outlook, multiple browsers, office, photoshop, image editors etc)

I can't believe people so easily could accept this new extreme, purposeful, handicapping....amazing what some will swallow!
I won't live with this arbitrary limitation and I should not have to.

Nothing is a more damning indictment of MS's inability to release a desireable, and more importantly, value-added product to the marketplace, than their use of strong-arm and often illegal tactics perpetrated on both consumers and other companies.

 

You do not have to. It is your choice to purchase or not. I am not at all saying I like MS's tactics either. They come up with a crappy OS and then decide not to sell the perfectly fine OS that preceded it. And they did this a few times already. Hopefully W7 will be all it is claimed to be and since we are all forced to purchase another one of MS's OS's I sure hope it is. Unless they continue to support XP (even though it is not on the die anymore).

Regardless, for most people that are looking for something inexpensive and easy to use, and of course, IF the price is low enough, it will be a fine option for a beginner or someone just looking for a knock around laptop.

I agree though that what I use it for, and probably a large number of user's on this here forum, It would not work. But for my parents, or my niece or nephew, or even a college or high school student, it would be just fine. It does need to be stated by sales people that it is in fact a crippled version of the OS. And that will probably not happen which will give the netbook manu and MS a bad name. More probable the netbook manu will look like the bad guy.

 

I find it hard to imagine that Microsoft would count firewall and antivirus as part of the Chosen Three. It seems to mean "three apps with complex user interfaces".

I can't see how a meaningful price reduction would be possible, as the OEM cost of Windows is already so low and the competition is a free OS.

Yes, well. There's a difference between "supported" and "supported adequately". Saying that they won't support XP would be legal suicide.

 

Whether someone needs more than three apps depends on what they want to do, not whether they are "a beginner". A lot of people will need to open spreadsheets, text, and web docs at the same time - add in the need to open the PIM because you get a mail with an appointment and BANG! Of course you can get around this by running all those apps in the browser - but you shouldn't have to.

This looks like a desperation marketing strategy by MS to me. They're fighting a future of cheap good-enough computers whose users won't want to pay what MS expects for an OS and tech companies that fight the future never win.

More, their tactics are based on a semi-monopoly position (they're based on users past experience with Windows and perceived difficulty switching to other OSes) and seek to promote their profits at the cost of users and society. That sounds like a case for EEC legislative action to me.

 

You find it hard to believe because it's not true at all.

 

I just read on the net that MS will be charging $199 for Windows7 Basic. If that is the case, screw them. What a rip-off. I was hoping to see basic around $99 and Ultimate at max $150, both half of what they are looking to charge. Of course they are going to force people to buy Windows7 by not selling crappy Vista.

I think you guys are still missing my point though. IMHO, the greater percent of people buying a netbook, or even a PC or laptop, will not be running more then 3 programs at once. I know it will not work for most of us on this forum but we make up only a tiny portion of PC users .

Regardless, with the over priced OS called Windows7 and the end of XP, Microcrap again is forcing people to buy their crap or convert to a free OS.

 

End user prices are much higher than OEM prices. And in Europe at least you can buy at OEM prices even as a consumer upgrading a machine - with some moderate cleverness. (Hint just use ebay and search for "Windows Whatever OEM".)

[/quote]

Yes, I get that you think that, I just disagree. As I already said above. There's nothing "advanced" how about needing a spreadsheet, word processor, PIM and browser at the same time. Lots of people I know go over the Limit Of Three. If the limit wasn't likely to be a nuisance then MSoft wouldn't be bothering with it. It isn't a technical limit, it's a marketing tactic.

 

So you agree with me, but you're feeling grumpy because you know that you're going to get screwed. I can relate.

 

What I'm saying is that antivirus..etc doesn't count towards the 3 app limit.
No.. I don't really care if there's 3 app limit. I could careless even if can only run 1 app at a time because I get Windows 7 Ultimate for free anyways. In the end, the default OS will get wiped and I'll use windows 7 ultimate.

 

remember all of those birthdays of mine you missed (for the last 42 years)? I think you should send me a few free copies I have 9 computers running XP Pro right now so I am gonna need something