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More Details on Cut-Rate Windows OS For Asia

Posted by michael on from the take-my-software,-please dept.

glawrie writes "The BBC is carrying a story that Microsoft is to launch a (very) cut down version of Windows XP to combat Linux in Asian countries. According to the story, 'Windows XP Starter Edition' will be limited to low-res graphics, limited networking, and will be hobbled to prevent more than three applications running concurrently. It remains to be seen why anyone in target countries would choose this over Linux, or the widely available pirate copies of 'full' Windows XP." We mentioned this in June.

4 of 451 comments (clear)

  1. my question by castlec · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What defines an application?? If you start something as a service, does this mean it's not an application? Surely there must be more than three services running at time.

    --
    When I tell an object to delete this, am I killing it or telling it to kill me?
  2. Other ways to get a small windows by Xhargh · · Score: 5, Interesting
    There are several ways to reduce the size of a normal version of Windows if you want to do some work yourself.

    Commersial program to remove components from Windows XP http://www.litepc.com/xplite.html

    Free programs to reduce the size of Windows XP before installation: http://nuhi.msfn.org/ and http://jdeboeck.msfnhosting.com/

    And of course, my project that reduces the size of Windows 98 to less than 5MB http://www.etek.chalmers.se/~e8gus/nano98/ ;-)

  3. 4 concurrent programs! by MS · · Score: 5, Interesting
    3 concurrent applications, results effectively in 4 concurrent programs, if one of those is internet explorer!

    You remember: MSIE is part of the OS, and as such does not count as an application!

    :-)

    But what if you have Quick-Time resident, Norton-Anti-Virus and the Zone-Labs firewall running? Will you be able to start any additional program?

    :-(

  4. Re:WTF? by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 5, Interesting

    that is exactly the point.

    If microsoft CAN put out a cheap version of windows, no matter how crippled, then at least *some* people will buy it, and instead of getting $0.00 * 0 revenue from that country, they get $small_amount * x customers.

    However, by limiting the functionality, people in the more developed (read: stupid idiots for paying so much) countries which actually are forced to buy the full sized version will not look on this and say "Hey MS why cant we get OUR windows cheap".

    This kind of cut down OS would appear to me to be perfect for OEM distributers, supply this cut down MS "product" and pay less M$ tax without losing buddy status.

    True, noone on the street who knows the difference would touch it with a bargepole, but for the computer newbie this maybe just the price point they are expecting ("ahhh look, I can save $50 by getting xp-lite").

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper