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More Details on Cut-Rate Windows OS For Asia
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.
As "Torrents," the BSA Copyright Weasel sez, "even absurdly hobbled but copywritten, paid-for software is way cooler than that yucky pirate and OSS stuff, kids!"
"...all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness..." yada yada
Without crazy colors
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?
Except that you're paying for it...
This idea is sure to succeed because those horrible, evil, open source zealots would never think of this idea.
3 Concurrent programs? I don't even think you can successfully update your system on Windows without running more than 3 programs.
On a side note, laughing my ass off about why anyone would choose this sideshow over better, more robust, and free products. They'll probably lower the price down to $50, which is $50 too much.
Read the only personal Runyon page out there.
'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.
That will give new users a taste of how bad XP is, before making the choice between Linux (full res, full net, great multitasking) and XP (low res, limited net, 3 apps).
I thought Microsoft was just going to cut out programs like media player and solitare, not completely cripple the OS and make it practically useless.
Given that Windows without Media Player and Solitaire IS useless to many people that'd be the same, m'kay?
Remember the old registry hack from the NT 4 days? How much do you want to be that all you need is a kernel32.dll from a real XP install, and a suck=no entry in the HLKM\Screw\You\Microsoft key?
This is dumb on MS' part on so many levels - people will try it, see that it sucks, and go with $Localized-Government-Sponsored-Linux instead.
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
I also read on heise.de that it will be limited to a screen resolution of 800x600.
Given the fact that most modern websites are designed for 1024x768 and all the recent games require at least 1024x768 I wonder how useful an OS is that is limited so severe. Your nextdoor Linux distribution is 10 times more powerful than "XP Starter Edition". I would continue to pirate if I would be presented with that kind of joke.
"Microsoft's new software - dubbed "XP Lite" - will feature lower resolution graphics and limited options for networking computers together." So basically it's like Windows98?
...and will be hobbled to prevent more than three applications running concurrently.
:-/
Sounds like any other version of a Microsoft OS.
While parent is probably trolling, there is some truth to his statement. Windows just doesn't do so well when you load it down with programs (active or not). "Cache Thrash" is simply a way of life for Windows users; even those with gobs of memory. I've known people who have completely disabled the Windows cache because of these problems. Microsoft needs to rip out their VM and threading system, and redesign it for modern computers with 128+ megs of RAM.
The Unixes do it much better, but the programs do take slightly longer to run. I remember the first time I used a Solaris box. A puny Ultra 5, and it was absolutely kicking NT's ass on parallelism! I could have 7 or 8 "busy" programs, and my desktop would never become unresponsive! Mac OS X has made use of the same concept, expect that the window is double-buffered. The end result is that you never see an ugly unpainted window. Now if only Apple would fix the 101 ways to lock up finder.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
Microsoft isn't the first to offer a discount for certain countries. $40 or $50 over there is probably worth more than $300 here in the US. Microsoft could give it away for $10 and still make a small profit. The goal is not to make money in that respect, but to keep countries locked in to their products. If they start using linux now, they'll never get them back.
You're not going to compete with Linux by crippling your operating system, Bill.
This is the PCjr. of operating systems, destined to be a laughed-at memory.
It was a joke! When you give me that look it was a joke.
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/ ;-)
If they do manage to sell these successfully, I'll be even more scared of their Marketing division.
Hmmm, I think that Microsoft is taking a big risk in promoting a cut rate Windows XP in developing countries. First of all, the people in those countries are not any stupider than people anywhere else in the world. They will know that they are getting the dumbed down, brain damaged version of Windows XP. Even if this costs less than a pirated version (which remains to be seen), I think most will opt for the non crippled pirated version. People already knock Windows for its shortcomings as it is, does Microsoft need to add to this? Not only that, even offering this crippled Windows could be taken as an insult.
A slimmed down version of Windows without some of the extra packages would be a lot better to offer than a crippled version. I think that in the end, Microsoft is going to have to accept the fact that in today's global marketplace, Windows is overpriced. In the face of Linux and free open source software solutions, I really don't know what they can do other than lower the price of admission and add more value and true innovation. There have to be really good killer app sort of reasons that make Windows the thing you want to have. Productivity applications like Office are no longer sufficient reason to stay with Windows. Games might be, but the PC games market is losing out to the console market. So what's left?
Finally, even a crippled Windows won't be immune to piracy! As we learned from the web browser wars, it's really hard to sell something that's being given away for free! Linux is free and certainly has everything a small business might need in the way of productivity apps. So how can Windows compete with that in places where it is not the dominant player and limited resources and nationalism come into play?
To the making of books there is no end, so let's get started
But then someone let slip that GIMP was one of those hippy-freakout open source programs. They tried to call it the 'Photoshopped' version but were pummeled by Adobe. They now call it the 'Paint' version - eminently confusing but better than the 'Windows Picture and Fax Viewer' version.
I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.
I don't care if it's a Starter Edition or a Missle Defense Edition, I still say, the only safe Windows is abstinence.
This side up.
Further, I wouldn't exactly call Linux the most user friendly of environments, its geared toward people who want a lot of functionality and have the time to mess with every little detail.
This, in my humble opinion, is one the big limitation of Linux even with the current SuSE and Mandrake distributions. Configuring Linux to work for each user is definitely not a job for computer newbies.
But there is also another big limitation: Linux currently does not support the full functionality of many hardware peripherals out there, not to mention true automated configuration of any new installed hardware. Think about it: does Linux support the full functionality of the Sound Blaster Audigy card? Can you plug in a digital still camera through the USB ports and Linux will recognize the data on the memory card in the camera and "mount" the memory card with a new disk drive designation?
Hopefully, the people who maintain the Linux Standards Base will work with computer hardware companies and consumer electronics companies to settle these issues so Linux will become a truly viable alternative to Windows soon.
Perhaps the warning bells for proprietary solutions/OS began to ring for MS at least, when the Indian government made public its affection for OSS.
#1The Department of Information Technology has already devised a strategy to introduce Linux and open source software as a de-facto standard in academic institutions, especially in engineering colleges through course work that encourages use of such systems.
#2: Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation, met on Thursday with Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to discuss "the ethical issues related to the use of proprietary software," according to the Free Software Foundation of India. Stallman also met officials in the state of Kerala to discuss the use of nonproprietary software in government initiatives. Last year, Kalam spoke out in favor of open-source software following a meeting with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.
So, there is ample reason to worry. Now wonder why they'd have a strangulated version of OS as a low-cost option?
http://efil.blogspot.com/
Why do I always see articles explain Linux as a 'so called' open source software. They make it sound as though Linux isn't really open source and that is the presses gripe about it. My gripe is about the 'so called' industry journalists not know what they are 'so called' writing about.
Here's a sneak preview of the OS... Windows RG (Warning - requires flash)
Now I understand why /. has this horrible color scheme.
The "Hobbled Version has" been around for years. Here is what my use has been like. If you try to run more than 3 programs, the OS grinds to a near hault, and often crashes. If you badmouth MS at any point, the machine restarts causing you to lose anything you didn't save. The OS is so hobbled, I am always getting messages when on the internet about being insecure, so I click them all. That doesn't seem to help, so I had better click some more. Oh yeah, and the OS now decided that my '88 Chevy Cavilier is no longer compatable, so I have to buy a new Ford. It is very proprietary.
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?
How can this be a good idea? This program is crippleware? How do they expect it to compete with linux or pirated windows? 3 programs only? after a virus program that leaves two. This boggles the mind. It crippels the network services which is one of the keypoints of Linux.
I keep thinking it's like watching a Histroy Channel show on the last days of Hitler, when his military strategy just went off the deep end.
500 dollar reward for tip(s) leading to the arrest of the person(s) who stole my sig.
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
I could care less if Microsoft produced a cut-rate version of their software. I could care less if they give it away. They are a competitor and they have to respond to the market. The market now says "OSs are commodity". Microsoft will continue to capture all the revenue they can from that stream as long as they can. Remember, Microsoft initially wanted to be a computer language company. DOS was going to be the cash cow they relied on to continue their development of assembler, fortran, C, etc.
What pisses me off is that the Thai government is going to HELP Microsoft in spreading the deployment of XP Lite. I know that many Microsoft supporters will chime in about Munich's recent decision to move forward with Linux. This is different than a government making a purchasing decision for themselves and coming up with XP or Linux as the OS choice. Instead, the Thai government is helping with the deployment in non-government settings.
Nothing annoys me more than corporate welfare. The Thai government is supporting one of the richest companies in the world.
Fuck you Microsoft.
"Rocky Rococo, at your cervix!"