One of the biggest problems with Windows Vista was its rather convoluted and complicated SKU scheme, where there were far too many different versions of Vista to figure out. To make matters worse, the Home Basic version left out several defining parts of the operating system leaving customers with a sense of being lured in by certain features that in the end turned out not to be there. With Windows 7, the company will still offer a myriad of different versions, but according to Microsoft Senior Vice President Bill Veghte, it will be a lot less problematic than with Vista.
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2005-08-29
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2005-06-29
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indeed. It always p***ed me off when the version of windows that came with my computer couldn't join domains. I'd have to buy a second copy in order to do that.
I said f**ck it. I'll just join AD with linux. Some mangling later and tada....far cheaper and I didn't have the to suffer that irritating feeling that I had been scammed.
Member since:2006-03-23
I said f**ck it. I'll just join AD with linux. Some mangling later and tada....far cheaper and I didn't have the to suffer that irritating feeling that I had been scammed.
except ofcourse that you still purchased the crappy home edition, and on top of that, wasted your time joining a worthless Microsoft AD domain.
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I suspect that the original poster was suggesting that there was never a problem with Workstation and Server versions to begin with but that MS had to go and find a problem for the marketing solution of rebranding different levels of crippling in the same OS.
Dreaming up problems for a neat solution you can't wait to try out always goes well in a production implementation.
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2008-07-15
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You do realise that upgrading from Windows Home Premium to Ultimate has always been possible with Windows Vista? Its this wonderful thing called 'anytime upgrade' - but hey, I won't stand in your way of pulling a paddy over something that has existed in Windows for over 2 years.
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I know what he means - that there will be some sort of hack or crack out there to allow one to upgrade their version of Windows for free. Well, its been 2 years since Windows Vista has been released and I've yet to see something that works reliably and between updates which allows such a feat.
With that being said, I'm not involved with the hacking and cracking community much these days so I'm unsure as to the situation; whether there could be a work around but due to the nature of how it is spread - it hasn't bubbled up to the surface for the unwashed masses to use.
Just as a side issue; nice to see moderation abuse is alive and well on this website.
Member since:2006-01-02
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2005-07-06
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2005-11-13
By emerging markets, I assume that means places where people can't afford the full-blown product. But I'll bet that in these 'emerging markets', somebody will be selling the pirated version of Ultimate on the street corner for $2. Wonder which they're going to go for?
Member since:2005-07-06
This is going to be more subtle. Those "emerging markets" are markets where Windows has no clear dominance, partly because user base is still building, partly because, since they're "emerging" now, many governments (like India, Brazil, China and so forth) decided to invest into cheaper systems in order to provide a more widespread availability of PCs. Those "basic" versions will be sold at 2-10$ in order not to let other system to gain share.
It's getting harder to justify why MS can sold Windows and Office at bargain price in those countries, expecially in a globalized market. So I bet they will stop selling basic versions in Western countries in order to justify a cheaper Windows in those countrie, something which makes me angry too, not because those countries doesn't deserve cheaper software, but because that means Microsoft could slash its prices.
Member since:2006-02-22
Seems about right - and as MS wants to fob them off with crap (starter edition anyone?). One can almost feel sympathy for the makers of the Chinese edition.
Member since:
2006-11-19
Being unable to allow remote access on my Home Premium machine, or not having the Media Center on the Business edition I got from my college was frustrating (the only "solution" was shelling out $150 more to have both features at the same time).
This time it's fixed. But still, there is an "Ultimate" version, which should've never existed.
Member since:
2006-09-18
Now they can sell to home users, and small businesses and large businesses without much confusion. (I'm talking western market.)
The reason they went with multiple versions it to extract a price premium from businesses (and more from large ones) that want domains and bitlocker etc. They're willing to pay that. Home users would howl if they had to pay the same price that businesses are willing to pay for 1 "super" version, but didn't need that functionality. Under a certain price point the price seems "normal." It's a business decision.
Member since:
2005-06-29
There's a type in the HTML for the article, causing the embedded link to fail. The error is hef="...", rather than href="...".
The link is:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10155193-56.html?tag=newsLeadStor...
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2005-07-06
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2007-06-12
For all the 'copying' MS is accused of you'd think they would at least go for this and just release a Windows and Window Server and maybe (MAYBE) a Windows Lite/Mobile.
I can see the next Apple/I'm a PC ad making fun of Windows 7 and how they're going from 8 versions to say 6 versions or whatever it is.
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2005-07-06
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2006-01-14
The virtual hard disk support seems a bit problematic. At some point you have to load a driver that will read the virtual disk file as a drive space. Much like loopback devices on Linux. So where does the driver some from? You must have to have at least part of the OS out side the VHD. Does this mean more screwing with the MBR? Also, why are they implementing their own VHD? Vmware and several other hypervisor makers have already agreed on a standard for VHD format.
Member since:
2006-11-24
NO MS, the problem was not the confusing choice - the problem was that the lesser versions simply offered too little! All the cool stuff that makes Vista interesting in the first place isn't in there!! An unfortunately you tried to feed the castrated version to world + dog, the one nobody wants. omg, I should send them an invoice for this deep, not so deep, really obvious insight.
Member since:
2007-01-13
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Windows Netbook should be the same as Windows Desktop. People have been running the beta, which is the Ultimate edition, just fine on netbooks.
Unfortunately Microsoft, in it's infinite wisdom, may disagree. According to this article:
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/246562/windows-7-to-come-in-six-flavour...
from PC Pro magazine, the crippled Starter edition is "A lightweight version for netbook computers, that will only be capable of running three applications concurrently."
Yikes! Looks like it's Linux or death for netbooks then. Microsoft have to learn that this is not a market they can kill.
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2007-09-06
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2007-01-13
The state of New south Wales (pop. ~ 5 million) in Australia has it's own version of OLPC that will provide 197,000 laptops to school students. The budget including a very comprehensive software suite is a miniscule AUD500 (USD315) per machine. Looks like MS will be locked out.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/biztech/specs-released-for...
