Windows 8 Beta Could Launch September 2011
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 22nd Feb 2011 23:26 UTC
Windows Ever since the successful development and launch of Windows 7, Microsoft has become ever tighter-lipped about Windows development. Sure, it dropped the bomb about releasing Windows 8 for ARM, but that's it. Nothing on features or timetables (other than 'three years after Windows 7'). Well, the usually well-connected (inside Microsoft, that is) Mary-Jo Foley now claims to have a legit development roadmap - and it seems everything is on track for a Windows 8 beta in September 2011.
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RE[3]: The Microsoft Tax?
by n4cer on Wed 23rd Feb 2011 20:27 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: The Microsoft Tax?"
n4cer
Member since:
2005-07-06

Actually what he said is true. Microsoft did dictate that companies who were receiving Windows for basically free for the netbooks had to limit the specs of the netbook. There were limits on drive size, ram, and screen size. And the only way to be profitable was to sell Windows. So the OEM's were kind of in a bind as it cost too much to have separate hardware lines for Linux and Windows. There is no technological reason why you couldn't have 4 gigs of ram in a netbook, Microsoft just didn't want it eating into their sales.


Those limits were only applied to netbooks shipping with Windows Starter. It wasn't a limit on what hardware the OEM could ship. It was what Windows OS SKU they could ship for a given hardware configuration.

The OEMs were free to sell a higher-speced netbook with Windows preloaded as long as they loaded Home or higher. If the netbook wasn't running Windows, the OEM could configure it however they wanted. In most cases, Windows actually upped the base spec of the netbooks, because the Linux-based ones shipped with smaller, flash drives (and possibly slower CPUs and less memory) prior to the availability of Windows in that market.

Reply Parent Score: 3

RE[4]: The Microsoft Tax?
by shotsman on Wed 23rd Feb 2011 21:07 in reply to "RE[3]: The Microsoft Tax?"
shotsman Member since:
2005-07-22

Putting anything but started on a Netbook was a joke.
why?
The extra dosh for the higher rated version of the O/S made the difference between the cost of the netbook and even a mid range laptop so small that most people would bypass the netbooks in an instant.
So MS says, here Mr OEM, you can have XP starter for £5.00 provided you limit the H/W config.
(MS Bod passes over the list detailing the max specs allowed under the deal)

Fast forward to September.
Same MS Bod visits the same OEM's.
"Mr OEM, as you know we are releasing a new version of Windows. We understand that your ARM CPU based devices currently run this thing called Linux (this includes Android). We jolly well can't have that can we?"
He reached into his briefcase and produces a list.
"Like before. Windows 8 Home Basic (aka severely knackered version) for £5.00. Here are the specifications you will sell. Oh, this is for 100% of your production including Slates"

OEM bangs head against Brick wall and gives up.

I would be very pleasantly surprised if this didn't happen.
We can dream can't we?

Reply Parent Score: 4

RE[4]: The Microsoft Tax?
by vodoomoth on Thu 24th Feb 2011 12:37 in reply to "RE[3]: The Microsoft Tax?"
vodoomoth Member since:
2010-03-30

Those limits were only applied to netbooks shipping with Windows Starter.

You are aware that the vast majority of netbooks sold with a Microsoft OS have had XP instead of 7, right?

Reply Parent Score: 3