Fatal Windows 7 Flaw Will Bolster Linux Netbooks
First, let me point out that I think Microsoft has done a reasonably good job developing Windows 7. Most early buzz about the operating system was positive. But when it comes to running Windows 7 on netbooks, Microsoft has made a fatal design decision that will open the door for more Linux netbooks. Skeptical? Consider the evidence.
Microsoft’s Windows 7 Starter edition — which will target netbooks — can only run three applications simultaneously. Did somebody suddenly rewind the clock 15 years? Has Microsoft lost its mind? Even novice users run far more than three applications during one sitting.
Here’s the irony: Windows 7 was supposed to solve Microsoft’s major headache on netbooks, where Linux-based systems have been pressuring Microsoft’s profit margins. But just when Microsoft was about to push Linux off more netbooks, the software giant comes up with one of its worst design and marketing decisions since Microsoft Bob surfaced more than a decade ago.
Here’s how I expect the story to play out:
- Educated customers will reject Windows 7 Starter because of the three application limit. Instead, they’ll opt for higher-end Windows 7 notebooks or jump to Linux netbooks.
- Unsuspecting customers will eagerly purchase low-cost netbooks with Windows 7 Starter, only to learn about the three-application limit. They’ll return the systems, causing a PR and financial nightmare for Microsoft and its OEMs.
- Ultimately, Microsoft will be forced to (A) discontinue Windows 7 Starter or (B) eliminate its three-user (UPDATE/CORRECTION: three application) limit.
A side note: As I predicted, the Windows 7 launch would force the mainstream media (The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek, in particular) to mention Linux as a viable alternative to Windows.
Now, thanks to Microsoft’s flawed logic with Windows 7 Starter, The Wall Street Journal is writing about the Windows vs. Linux showdown on netbooks. Clearly, Microsoft has hurt Windows 7’s chances on netbooks even before the operating ships.
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I run four apps just to start… pidgin for chat, gizmo for voip, a media player for music or a movie, and a browser. These stay open all the time, then I run other apps as needed. It is nothing for me to have 10 apps open at once on my netbook.
I predict that somebody will find a way hack the 3 app limit within 15 minutes of Vista 2 (aka Windows 7) going gold.
Fail: Win7 Starter will only be available for 3rd world countries, and realy realy low end machines. (Lower powered than the Atom based netbooks.)
” CruelAngel Said:
Fail: Win7 Starter will only be available for 3rd world countries, and realy realy low end machines. (Lower powered than the Atom based netbooks.)”
I’m not sure that’s true, CruelAngel. The descriptions of the SKU for W7 (that I have seen) are ambiguous – they say “Windows 7 Starter” will be targeted at “developing markets” (not “developing countries”).
It will be interesting to see what actually happen. I too find it hard to believe that MS would try to give netbook users crippleware.
The Win7 reviews so far have been quite good – but MS betas do have a bit of a history of morphing into resource hogs on release.
If the Linux netbook UI improves and boot times continue to decline, I think Linux will maintain a good share of the netbook market.
I’m afraid CruelAngel is right. Starter edition, just like with the previous Windows, is made to shamelessly exploit third-world conuntries.
In your netbooks you’ll likely see something like Home Basic or whatever marketing name they choose.
Does anybody else see the irony here: Bill Gates is using his money and foundation to try and help third-world countries. But Microsoft is crippling those same people with software that includes artificial limitations…
My theory is that MS does not really want to promote the netbook market but rather just exert control over it. Hence their (3 applications) Win 7 starter edition that is crippled and will cause consumers to eventually desire a percieved upgrade to a more beefy notebook. This is how MS and it’s partner have allways controlled the channel by forcing prices upward. They and others like Sony clearly are fearful of cheap netbook popularity which to them is a “race to the bottom”.
Iancest: Your theory caught my attention. I generally don’t pay attention to Microsoft conspiracy theories. But in this case I think you’re right: Microsoft wants to do “just enough” to keep Linux under control while directing customers to higher end systems and more costly versions of Windows 7.
Its all about the money, If you read the post from the Wall Street Journal. It talks about how owners of the Starter program can go to a web site and BUY an upgrade that will unlock the true power of Win 7. So if you want to pay 300 or 400 dollars for a computer and get it home only to have to pay more money just to be able to use it like you would like. GO GET ONE.
For Me I will stick with Linux…………..
Didn’t Linux already lost the netbook market to XP? With minimal out-of-pocket expense for MS? My prediction that Linux will fail yet again to gain any market share in desktop market. It does not seem that Linux is serious enough. Nobody cares to promote it except for the vocal fanboy community (which is more harmful than helpful).
Another thing: the cheapness of Linux PCs is not attributed to Linux. It is attributed to low spec / cheap components. And therefore is (and should be) looked at as a second/third rate product. As a consumer, I never take a serious look at the bottom end products.
in your article you mention a 3 apps-limit, however, in your bulleted list it say 3-user-limit. i can see them pushing a 3-user limit more than a 3-application limit, as windows itself is comprised of more than three applications, there’s no real way to regulate if a program is allowed to run based on what the OS says.
3-user sounds more realistic, and much easier for the general public to swallow (especially on a computer that gets carried with one person everywhere)
so is it 3-app or 3-user?
Andrew: I goofed. Three app
Everyone opt for Windows 7 Home Basic or Premium!
Both Windows Vista and XP Starter had this three-app limit as well, but it doesn’t count Explorer windows, Help or apps in the system tray.
Windows 7 Home Basic equivalent is not supposed to be available in this country or the developing world, only Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate SKUs, according to the articles I have read. They are going to try to force the micro notebooks to have at least enough power to run Win7 Home Premium. The lower 3 SKUs are supposed to be only available in ‘developing country markets.’ Not developing markets only, developing COUNTRY markets. The lower 3 SKUs are just going to be out there to keep India, China, et al. from pirating the h#(& out of Win7.
Or at least that is the way I read it.
The reason there is a 3 app limit is so they can make it less expensive, therefore allowing people in developing nations to be able to actually purchase it rather than pirate it.
Mike: I understand Microsoft’s reasoning. But it’s an artificial limit. And that’s pathetic. It doesn’t “cost” Microsoft more money to remove the limit in terms of R&D costs.
@Johan – not quite. Microsoft had to almost give away XP to the OEMs to get them to put it on the netbooks – OEM prices are $5 down to $0 a copy. Microsoft in fact blames this for their bad financial results in January: in the netbook market, they actually have to compete with Linux, and they have to give their OS away just to maintain market share. Even then it’s still 30% Linux.
The three-application limit for Windows 7 on netbooks is jawdroppingly stupid. It would take a while to start up, and use a lot of power, but Windows 7 would actually be quite usable in 512MB or 1GB memory.
So people are going to get a broken Windows 7, decide Windows 7 sucks and go back to XP. Or maybe Linux.
I realise this is the closest Microsoft has to a market differentiator, to avoid selling the real Windows 7 at $0-$5 an OEM copy … but what OEM is going to go for this, and what will the users say when they get it? This is how to turn Windows 7 into Vista in public perceptions.
In all honesty I think Microsoft would rather see the netbook market die off. It’s not a place where they can earn profits. It’s not a place where their OS is at it’s “best”.
The three application limit is an incredibly stupid move. But guess what? You can remove that limit by going to a web site and paying for an upgrade that “unlocks” the three application limit.
Does everybody remember Microsofts recent attempt to patent a sales strategy where you’d buy a PC and pay a different tariff every time you used it depending on how much of the PCs capabilities you wanted to leverage? So you might pay $5 for e-mail and $30 to play a game.
This three applications limit sounds like a very similar deal.
Has anyone considered whether antivirus counts as an application? Because then you’re down to two programs…God forbid you want to listen to music too.
>As a consumer, I never take a serious look at the >bottom end products.
Ah yes, the Mac fanboi is in da house!
> as a second/third rate product.
Of course, anything that isnt your precious is third rate but the Acer One I bought for 279$ which is now running both Puppy and Mandriva is doing everything I need to do when Im out on soccer practice duty with the kids.
Ive modified pictures, worked on spreadsheets, recorded and edited some audio on top of the usual browsing, skype, im, email, music and video watching…
If that’s a third rate product AND its cheap, then they should all be so cheap.
I dont think its a fatal flaw but one of many things that will converge on Redmond at the same time.
You call this limit a “design error”. This isn’t a design error. A design error would be WGA messing up all the time. A design error would be a “security” system that asks the user for permission to do every single little thing to the system, causing them to blindly click “accept” or turn the system off.
This is a marketing error. It is an anti-feature, not a defect. These are the reasons GNU/Linux will eventually prevail: freedom.
Max: You got me. This is definitely a marketing error. But I still consider it a “defect” in Microsoft’s thinking as a company.
I love Windows 7 Starter, it’s such an easy target…
An intentional 3-app limit allows microsoft to have windows on low-end machines without needing to improve its code. Take that limit off, and these machines could not handle the load.
Doesn’t this make perfect sense though, from a marketing standpoint?
If Microsoft had to include the full price of 7 into the price of a netbook, which were sitting beside one with Linux installed, which one do you think the retailer is going to pick? The one that is 25% cheaper (just a number here, I know it’s not precise. estimate)
This way, the cost of 7 is hidden from the consumer. They buy the one with windows, not realising that they have to spend more money to get the computer working.
Marketing blunder? Not quite. This is likely their only chance to not be destroyed in the netbook market.
Just an analysis from someone who’s simply guessing he knows what he’s talking about whatsoever. I’m in fact no market analyst.
So that’s how they are going to shoehorn Windows 7 into netbooks!
Windows XP Starter Edition had a 3 window limit. A three WINDOW limit. If you are incredulous about the Vista/7 SE three application limit, try using XP SE
One of the big problems with their strategy is that they are doing an install of the full version. The user can then “unlock” functionality by purchasing an upgrade license for a higher version of Windows 7. This means even the Starter Addition will eat up several GB’s of drive space.
My hope is that MS eliminates their hardware restrictions on netbooks. That way we all have the option to buy one that has more than a 160 GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM. Of course, OEM’s could produce these now if they would commit to Linux, but they are reluctant to anger the Redmond Giant.
I am a long time Linux user (for over 12 years), and I’ve recently phased out Windows completely for my own personal business as well as personal use at home. After reading about the 3-application limit of Windows 7 Starter, I am not surprised at all. Why? Because Windows Vista and Windows 7 are BLOATED. It’s no wonder this 3-application limit must be done as it’s probably the only way that Microsoft can keep performance on these netbooks up to par with Linux. Linux is very flexible and modular, so it can easily be scaled down and is VERY efficient. That’s why Linux runs on all kinds of hardware, even down to the simplest of devices such as phones, routers, etc. How often do you see Windows running on these smaller devices? Hardly at all. The only example is Windows Mobile for phones, but that is just not sophisticated enough for netbooks. Linux is the way to go, on servers and desktops. Enough of the vendor lock-in game of Microsoft, and paying money hand over fist for licensing fees and everything else.
Хм,несогласен с предыдущими блоггерами
)
Хм,несогласен с предыдущими высказываниями
) Bye
Вот так,согласен с предыдущими блоггерами
Споки Bye
Отлично,несогласен с предыдущими ораторами
)
I am using Windows 7 Starter and I do not understand why people complain so much about the limit of applications. The “Netbook” name say it all “NET + BOOK” Internet basic reading a few basic applications. It never was designed to substitute the “LAPTOP or NoteBook”.
With Windows 7 Starter I am retouching documents, checking spelling in English and Spanish, printing wireless at the same time that streaming Video from Hulu and/or Google Youtube and Netflix, listening to the Net Radio and Music download to the hard drive synchronized from my SANSA at the same time in my Break or when I do not have nothing to do. I will call it the “lazy helper”.
I do not say about “tomorrow” but now at this moment “I love it”
And … I will like to say thank you to the Creators of Microsoft for endorse technology to the higher levels.