Even as Microsoft’s low-cost version of Windows reaches more corners of the globe, some analysts are wondering whether it is hitting the mark. Especially the fact that this version can only open three windows at a time, amazes analysts. Elsewhere, MS has quietly released its Desktop Search APIs.
Doesn’t matter if it costs $5 is still a POS OS that i(being a big fan of windows that i am) wouldn’t recommend over Redhat or Suse linux. All microsoft has to do to dring these markets around is halve the cost of their OS’s i.e. full version XP Home $100 upgrade version $50. Those are resonable prices the OS’s should not be 20% of the cost of a computer.
Their index server and SQL search capabilities were quite good. A few years ago I programmed a web search system for word / excel documents who were stored in binary fields in the SQL server, and i did not get disappointed.
Their new desktop search api has more features than the old index server, as far as i can see in the few seconds that i rested my eyes on the article 🙂
and the command line options look nice. much better than the default search bar in windows xp (yerk).
not that i use search a lot – i just know where my stuff is. keep yer files organized in folders, it isn’t that hard.
windows xp + office 2003 is still a great desktop OS for me, although linux/kde gets better and better. for the server i always recommand *nix.
I’m not sure about this but if the talks about a Home Server version for longhorn are true and in the works, then the Home and Pro versions should see a price drop. I can’t remember the exact prices but isn’t Windows Server 2k3 web edition ( the one right under the Standard Edition) around $299 or something? With Windows XP Pro full is $200? If they add in a Home Server editon wouldn’t they smack it between these two products? Thus pushing the Home and Pro versions down in price? So maybe a Home version for $50 could happen in the future?
So maybe a Home version for $50 could happen in the future?
I doubt it prices for Windows 2000 Remained high after XP was released. I wounder if the person(s)coming up with the pricing model at Microsoft have any clue about business. I dunno when the Intel Macs come out and it proves to be a viable gaming platform i may dump Windows all together.
dunno when the Intel Macs come out and it proves to be a viable gaming platform i may dump Windows all together.
The Mac is viable now.
“The Mac is viable now.”
I agree, and have thought about getting an iBook even now with the impending switchover, because I am still impressed enough with the G4’s performance for my uses.
Theoretically the only thing I need to do is make sure that I buy dual binary software, so when (and I say when, not if) I get a Intel based Mac desktop, I don’t have to re-buy software. Because sorry, Rosetta ain’t an option.
The problem is, how long will it take for dual binary software to come out?
The Mac is viable now.
Let me put it this way when game developers provide Mac versions of their games. Last time i checked 80% of the games i play are not available on the Mac. Everquest II for Mac?
Only 3 windows…? I doubt anyone would want to use it.
Barbie,
http://computing.net/office/wwwboard/forum/4710.html & http://computing.net/office/wwwboard/forum/4699.html
I’m quite sure that a registry hack will fix the Starter Edition to become Home or even Pro. So this could end in a very attractive investment for low-budget companies…they do need cheap Windows,don’t they ? Why not legal and 100% working ?
“I wounder if the person(s)coming up with the pricing model at Microsoft have any clue about business.”
Hah. Haha. Hahahaha. Hahaha. Oh god.
Please, please, no more business advice from OSNews readers to one of the most successful businesses in the history of the world.
Please, please, no more business advice from OSNews readers to one of the most successful businesses in the history of the world.
Times have changed, prices of PC’s are sub $1000 however the price of Microsoft OS’s hasn’t changed. Where once the cost of the OS was roughly 5-10% of the total computer package, now its more like 20-30%. Coupled with added competetion in the OS arena real or percieved makes Windows very expensive. Lower the price and makeup the revenue in quantity sales. Koko the gorilla can understand this simple concept.
While what you are sayis is true Smartpatrol, but you still see MS making money off of XP…no matter what the pricing is. I dont know how things work but MS is one of the biggest “say wha” kind of company that can get away with selling an OS like XP that is full of goddamned security holes.
How can people let that go by like it’s no big deal? If I were a happy Microsoft customer I’d honestly be insulted to think that Microsoft would be selling the same software for some cut-rate price and then totally disable it!
How would you feel if some guy told you he’d side your house for half the price of the competitor, but he would come tear it down in 6 months… I know it’s not the same, but it’s similar: A shoddy product, intentionally.
Folks,
It seems to me that anything MS does is going to result in a hatefest here at OSN. Sure, I understand that we’re advocates of alternate OS’s but come on, may I please ask that apply some reasoned, mature thought to our responses?
For example, Windows is not the hideously poor OS that is generally purported. It works well, we all know that and most of us are *forced* to use it.
It is OK for MS to at least try to curtail piracy by releasing a cheaper version with limited featureset. To immediately begin speaking about hacks and tweaks to override this (whether you like the idea or not) is akin to promoting theft and is diametrically opposed to what we stand for as OSS advocates.
Not all is free and whether you like it or not, mob rules is not the way to go.
I’m not holier than thou either. I just think we need to grow up and focus our emotion rather than spew vitriol every time our idealogy of what an OS should be is threatened.
L M F A O!
Indeed, Horrible.
Microsoft has to know that this stripped down version of Windows isn’t going anywhere. People using pirated copies of Windows that aren’t crippled will continue to do that, and no self respecting Linux user would trade a good working OS for a crippled version of Windows.
It’s easy to say that MS is dumb for doing this, but it would be a mistake to come to that conclusion so early. I think this is an experiment, MS may very well increase the abilities of the operating system until they reach a point in which people would be willing to pay for it without it actually competing with their normal version of Windows.
I remember I was one of the people who suggested that MS come up with a slightly reduced version of Windows with a smaller price tag a long time ago during one of their surveys, but this isn’t what anyone had in mind.
Microsoft ‘innovation’ at work. Leading from behind (again). Of course, Apples OS X “Spotlight” feature has nothing to do with this.