| Mail |
You might also like: WoW Insider, Massively, and more
PS3
XBOX
Wii
3DS
PSP
PC
Mobile
Move
Kinect

Reader Comments (63)

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:05PM Haggard said

  • 3 hearts
  • Report
Not including features in a low-end product is fine, but actually restricting things?

I don't fancy buying a product that aims to piss me off so much I want to buy the full thing, no matter how much I may save.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:15PM Duke said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Versions:

Windows 7 Starter (limited to three apps concurrently)
Windows 7 Home Basic (for emerging markets)
Windows 7 Home Premium (adds Aero, Touch, Media Center)
Windows 7 Professional (Remote Desktop host, Mobility Center, Presentation mode)
Windows 7 Enterprise (volume license only, boot from virtual drive, BitLocker)
Windows 7 Ultimate (limited availability, includes everything)

http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/windows-7-skus-announced-yes-your-worst-nightmare-has-come-to/

So I think it starts with a limit to 3 apps at a time.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:25PM Professor Lario said

  • 2.5 hearts
  • Report
The crack will take a week - no, just days...
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:49PM jefwif said

  • 1 heart
  • Report
god im sick of this "lots of versions is soo confusing" crap.

the only ones an average consumer will ever see is either:

Windows Home Premium
or
Windows Professional

chill out. netbooks are used for typing up quick docs and emailing them anyway.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:29PM aughscreennames said

  • 2.5 hearts
  • Report
Not a problem, Joystiq left out the fact that you will only be able to buy the full versions. The ones with restrictions arent for sale to the public.

Youll only be able to buy Premium and Professional.
Reply

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 12:06AM Tiptup300 said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Why not

Windows 7
Windows 7 Pro

omg, you don't even need descriptions.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:06PM Ignatius said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
And then here come the viruses designed to purposely make it impossible for you to open up your anti-virus just because of this retarded program limit.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 8:33PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
AV is left out of the 3 app limit.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:12PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
LOL Wow they PLANTS? Um I think you meant to put plans.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:14PM EJ A said

  • 2.5 hearts
  • Report
MS needs some new blood in their leadership. Ballmer's ideas of nickel and dime'ing the consumer are driving their Windows business to the ground. People are being scared away to the shiny (OSX), the free (Linux or piracy), and the old (XP).

The only reason that he's still on top is that he was Bill Gates' roommate way back when. Please, MS investors, vote this guy out!
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:35PM Haggard said

  • 3 hearts
  • Report
Developers, developers, developers, developers
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 8:45PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Thing is Gates was a Geek, Ballmer is a business man.
Gates got Vista out the door then left.
Ballmer's debut OS is Windows 7, which currently looks like it should be a very good OS.
Sure he's a bit OTT, but hes a much better businessman than Gates and in a recession a businessman is better than a coder.
Reply

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 2:55AM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
I don't personally think Gates has been anything special since 2002 or so, time passed him by. Much like time is beginning to pass Steve Jobs, which everyone said would never happen.

But even so, any moron can see Ballmer is doing a gosh awful job with microsoft. They needed a complete renovation. All new board of directors and CEO. It sounds ridiculous but when I see statistics saying the "new generation coders" ect. (the 22-35 year olds) are skewing towards Apple and/or Google in massive numbers, and then see MS almost at the bottom of the list, I know something is wrong. They just lost touch with consumers, its only going to get worse when the "new generation" continues to purchase Apple over MS for products and keeps moving more and more to internet based software. You have to have guys who are in touch with a younger generation and they still think its 2001. Its sad, such a great American company seemingly ruined. (with exception to the xbox divison)
Reply

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 3:00AM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Just to add one thing, I do like Ballmer trying to move and make Windows 7 an easier transition especially when businesses are such a vital part of their industry. And they still dominate that aspect of the industry minus the entertainment business (Apple's had that for what? Like 20 years)

But they are losing the general consumer market, and thats where the REAL money is made. Apple total market share may only be about 7 or 8% but in the family consumer and student consumer markets its closer to 20%, and in some places 35%. They keep ignoring that market assuming they will always control it, BIG mistake.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:15PM Synnyr said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
And we 'love' Microsoft why?
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:21PM Kif said

  • 3 hearts
  • Report
Nobody "loves" corporations.

People here appreciate Microsoft's contributions to gaming. Like it or not, Apple and their other competitors just can't compare to what Microsoft has done in terms of gaming.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:18PM Deck said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Being a netbook owner, this is odd. In one way I don't like it because I don't like the thought of someone restricting what I can have open. On the other hand, netbooks aren't that powerful so running multiple programs as it is, is already a strain. So normally anymore than 3 would potentially bog down the netbook anyway that you wouldn't do it.

Be interesting what it turns out to be. Either way, I use Linux on my netbook so oh well :-p Though, I windows netbook would mean I could stream Netflix on it.. and that would be nice.
Reply

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 2:14PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Ha barely, I got a reasonably decent Acer Aspire One and it easily runs plenty off apps, ie Anti Virus /& Firewall, Downloaders, WMP, Firefox, a basic game, & Office 07 ( admittedly at a stretch in running alonside lots of others)

Theres no way I would "upgrade" to the basic version of W7 (i mean netbook or wateva) since XP does its job perfectly for netbooks atm. Yes I admit some of the features look quite nice, heres hoping the premium/standard version don't need as much as default/running RAM etc. as Vista.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:19PM JoshMilewski said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
"By offering a low-end version of Windows 7 for netbooks, Microsoft hopes that many users will opt to upgrade to a more powerful version of the operating system. The catch is that Microsoft plans to 'encourage' users to upgrade by limiting the functionality of the stripped down version. One example of this given by Ballmer: Restricting the number of programs that can be opened simultaneously."

It's actually 3 programs.

And fuck Microsoft.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:24PM Da Largest said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Actually restricting the amount of apps? That's balls crazy, and totally lame. Does anyone out there actually think that's acceptable?

Man, substitute 'Microsoft' for 'Sony' here and we'd already have fifty comments (most by a certain Sprinkes) denouncing this shit.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:24PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Ballmer thinks that the way to get more people using Windows 7 is by giving them a shittier version of it on net books? That's probably the dumbest thing I have heard all day. It will probably turn new users away from Windows all together. Vista has done a good job of that already but it will get worse if they follow through with this initiative.
Reply

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 3:59AM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Cause there aren't 50 netbook optimized versions of linux?

you people are stupid, they are making a netbook version of windows. I challenge you to open 4 programs on your netbook and see how it runs.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:29PM (Unverified) said

  • 2.5 hearts
  • Report
Restricting content? I don't possibly see how that could backfire!
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:32PM RunnyRiver said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Only run 3 programs concurrently? Expect continued downloading of XP. For a low cost laptop, XP will out live windows 7.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:40PM Istari Spartan said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
That settles it.

My next computer will definitely be a Mac.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:07PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
x2
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:11PM rsmith4321 said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
As long as you have twice as much to spend for the same hardware that's great. There is no such thing as an Apple netbook.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 9:42PM robotoid said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Took you too long. welcome :)
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:44PM HunterGathers said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
iPhone = 1 app at a time DIE APPLE
My Palm = 2 FTW!
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:53PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Man, why can't MS just make one version of the OS? Geeze. Vista sucks, but paying to upgrade the OS will make things run better, so it may be worth it.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:07PM NutMan said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Vista post-SP1 is great. At least for me it is.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:09PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Update your fucking windows!
Reply

Posted: Feb 26th 2009 4:20PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
My windows is upgraded and it still sucks. Upgrade you mind, moron.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:56PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Jeez the second i think yay Vista troubles are over
3 Apps at a time...god...
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:15PM NutMan said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
If you're getting Windows 7 BASIC then you deserve to only have 3 apps open at a time.

Also, Vista is great post-SP1. Do you actually have Vista or are you just regurgitating what other people say?
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:18PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
I shelled out the cash to get the decent vista and it worked most of the time. Its just little things like the toolbar messing up:S. And for some reason it would crash at the most inopportune times. Didn't mean to offend just saying..:P
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:23PM NutMan said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Sorry. My post sounded worse than it should have...

Sometimes the extreme and unfair vista hate on the interwebs gets on my nerves.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 6:56PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
That picture is not him eating a hoagie, but rather how we will have been taking it with vista and how we will take it in order to upgrade out of vista. The upgrade version will probably cost more than the regular full version just to screw us a tad more...
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:06PM NutMan said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
They don't need any new cost cuts so it's a real shame to see their stock plunge like this. See, what a lot of people don't remember is that Microsoft didn't actually lose money. Their profit went down SLIGHTLY. So they cut 5000 employees as a preemptive measure I guess.

Im glad they didn't lay anymore people off...
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:11PM petepete said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
annnddd what exactly does this have to do with the 360? *especially* that ever-so-important update???
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:15PM RKN said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
I believe Windows 7 Starter is limited to emerging markets and we will never see that version. I believe there was also a version of XP for emerging markets that could also only run 3 apps at once or some major limitation we couldn't live with.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:17PM Jonman said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
I'm now considering investing in Microsoft stock. It's like there's a sale on! Thanks Steve!
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:23PM NutMan said

  • 2.5 hearts
  • Report
This actually isn't a bad time to invest in a company that you trust will bounce back when this recession ends.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:31PM FredFredrickson said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Windows 7 Starter is for netbooks, guys. And that's only if people decide to buy a netbook that uses it - I think most who want a Windows netbook will purchase one with the full Windows 7 on it, since it's been tested and runs fine on current netbooks.

But let me digress for a moment - why is this posted under Xbox? Surely everything Windows doesn't have anything to do with Xbox, right?
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 7:34PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
I will seriously consider moving to a Mac and I hate macs because I have to use them 10 hours a day at work. Also tried linux and dislike it also but no way I'm spending that for an OS that works for windows.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 8:16PM vvtopkar said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
You guys obviously don't read much engadget do you? Let me sum it up for you:

Yes there are that many features, but those are NOT the ones that will be available for you. That starter version that can only run 3 apps is ment for MIDs (not retail). Home basic is NOT for retail (emerging markets only). Enterprise is NOT for retail (volume licensing for large companies), and Ultimate will NOT be advertised much, it will just be there for computer nerds that want it. So what does that leave???

Home Premium - For Regular Consumer
Professional - For Prosumer

Make sense? There isn't a gazillion, and besides, when you buy a computer, it will probably come with Home Premium anyways.

Stop freaking out, sheesh...
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 8:27PM Viakenny said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
and here in Brazil (one of the "emerging markets"), Home Basic, Home Premium and Professional (and Ultimate, but as you said it won't be heavily promoted) will retail.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 8:18PM (Unverified) said

  • 1 heart
  • Report
Good job, Microsoft. Confusing consumers, one SKU at a time.

It should be two SKU's at MOST. Stop restricting and cutting out features for users that don't have enough money to buy a couple hundred dollar OS.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 8:19PM (Unverified) said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
Nevermind this post. Just read the post above me.
Reply

Posted: Feb 25th 2009 8:48PM fnc said

  • 2 hearts
  • Report
It'll be like the shareware version of Windows.
Reply
Sorry, you must be logged in to leave a comment.

Featured Stories

Rhythm Heaven Fever review: Crazy into you

Posted on Feb 9th 2012 12:00PM

Remedy not done with Alan Wake

Posted on Feb 9th 2012 10:30AM

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW