XP Starter Edition Examined

de la mettrie writes "C-Net reports that analysts do not recommend using Microsoft's new 'Windows XP Starter Edition', a low-cost XP version aimed at the Asian market (and previously covered on Slashdot). The report notes that numerous networking features are removed, and the Starter Edition allows only three applications to be run concurrently. According to Microsoft, this limitation 'helps [users] stay organized and reduces confusion.'"

Comments

Yes, it's Newspeak, but...

[JessLeah]

Yes, MS is engaging in Orwellian doublespeak by saying that the task limitation will help people... however, they may very well be right.

I've noticed just two "WinIdiot" patterns of task handling:

1) Start Word. Type some stuff. Realize you want to view a Web page. QUIT WORD. Run IE. Do what you wanna do. Maybe copy and paste, if you're that Clueful. QUIT IE. Run Word. Realize you want to check your email. QUIT WORD. Run Outlook. Read email. Catch virus. QUIT OUTLOOK. Run Word...

1) Start Word. Type some stuff. Realize you want to view a Web page. SAVE WORK. RUN IE. Do what you wanna do. Maybe copy and paste, if you're that Clueful. KEEP IE OPEN. RUN WORD AGAIN. Type some more. Realize you want to check your mail. KEEP WORD OPEN. RUN OUTLOOK. Check mail. Want to type more in Word. RUN WORD AGAIN...

Eventually, you have a bajillion copies of Word running at once...

Or, in other words, (1)-type people don't realize a computer CAN multitask (don't even get me started on how they don't realize stuff in the taskbar constitutes multitasking.), and (2)-type people don't realize that every time you run something, it eats up more RAM... so they end up with 12 copies of Word running at once...

* (WinIdiot: computer-illiterate person, who runs Windows, and who doesn't even WANT to learn how to be better computer users-- sometimes, they've been using computers for 20 years, but they're still just as clueless as the day they started)

Re:I'm going to be laughing at this one for days

[darth_linux]

I'm reminded of their slogan: "Where do you want to go today? (Where ever we tell you)"

Re:I'm going to be laughing at this one for days

[hey]

You can make a program keep running but not show in the task bar by hiding the main window. ie:

ShowWindow(ghwndMain, SW_HIDE);

Programs can hide other programs (security hole but that's another issue). So maybe somebody will write an application that show you all your running apps and give you an easy way to toggle if they are showing or now.

Re:Wow

[alptraum]

the most significant reason is that because they tend to be more expensive, and not as affordable to people without higher education. The same could apply here: people with miniscule budgets are going to be, on average, less intelligent than those with bigger ones

Honestly anybody that would take that "study" seriously would have to be a complete quack.

The linked "study" results state that metrics such as vocabulary, spelling, and sentence length were used to judge "intelligence". Problem is the sciences, mathematics, engineering, etc do not stress language skills and therefore those individuals according to this test would rate as of low intelligence. I'm in graduate engineering school, I know my english skills are pretty poor, do I care? No, I'm an engineer. Nonetheless I can obviously carry on a good paper since I scored 5.5/6 on the essay portion of the GRE.

In addition, presumable most scientists and engineers use PC's due to the availability of software packages for PC and *nix platforms, plus English is not their first language. The number of other flaws in this are endless.

I figure that you really didn't take this study serious, but in short, the "study" is flagrantly biased and conducted in a very unscientific manner, individuals that don't know how to properly conduct experimental design shouldn't even pretend, especially these days with everybody releasing utter crap to the public before it gets peer-reviewed.

Re:Games ?

[KingKu]

Unfortunately, according to the Ars Technica article earlier this week, Starter Edition won't run at a resolution higher than 800 by 600 pixels, won't support Microsoft Networking, and might not even support Direct X 9.0, rendering it pretty weak for playing games.

Of course, on the other hand, I guess it's better than nothing if you're Asia and you want to stay legal.

Re:I'm going to be laughing at this one for days

[Aaden42]

Done... It's called HideIt http://www.expocenter.com/hideit/.

Note that if you search Google, you don't want what's presently at the top. Different product.

Colours are stupid, anyhow

[Dogtanian]

What the hell do you mean by "Asian" anyway? Where I come from, it often (misleadingly) refers to racial groups from the Indian subcontinent, which is pretty silly (Chinese aren't Asian??!).

Anyway, I have news for you. "Brown" is one of the few colours where you could genuinely find a human being that *was* that colour.

"Yellow" people don't really look yellow.
"Black" people don't look black (no, not even very dark-skinned people from Central Africa), and "White" people don't look white.

And I know some smartass out there is thinking of Albinos. Well, let's get some bleached copier paper and an albino and do the comparison...

Re:Price Discrimination and Piracy

[R2.0]

Price discrimination is only illegal when connected with other forms of discrimination - racial, gender, etc. If I am selling something, I can charge anyone anything I wish (assuming non monopoly status). However, if the buyer is part of a protected class, more rules apply, and I cannot charge different prices based on certain criteria - again, race, gender, etc. But charging a different price based solely on other traits is wholly legal.