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Windows XP Starter Edition Review
Digitalommm writes "Paul Thurrott has a story on the latest developments on Windows XP Starter Edition. There are some very good points that the Linux community could adopt. An example is end-user training videos such as how to use a mouse." This is an optimistic, even glowing look at the Starter Edition, which even for Thurrot was not available for unsupervised use, only demonstrated by Microsoft for him. (For using-a-mouse videos, I would suggest also Roblimo's book Point and Click Linux .)
Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
Yes, admittedly some people need to learn the most basic of skills, such as how to use a mouse. But the people at this basic level should not then be expected to know how to keep their computer completely up-to-date and patched, or even why that's important! Given how many problems have come out of MSIE recently and how most new users primarily want to use this magical 'internet' thing, this is a huge risk.
There's really nothing more reliable for support than having a friend who knows what he/she is doing anyway.
"The product can run three programs at a time. For those families, this is exactly what they want. That's a great experience for them." Right... exactly what they want. They want to run Explorer.exe, Internet Explorer, Outlook, Wor-- wait, close an application first! "One of the big criticisms about XP Starter Edition is that it can run just three applications simultaneously, so I was curious to see what it would do if you attempted to launch more than three. In this case, the system displays a notification window telling you that you can only run three applications. The notification roughly reads as, "With Windows XP Starter Edition, you can run three programs at a time. To open a new program, please save your work, close one open application, and open the new application again." Nice work! And I guess the 800x600 max resolution is also "exactly what they want". Bah.
The problem is Microsoft [like many companies in the software biz] doesn't promote many technical merits behind their software. They're more about "mind-share" than "tech-share".
But afterall, that's what a good business does. Only look short-term how to make the most amount of money.
Personally I hate windows not because I'm a l33t linux user. Or that it's cool to hate Windows. I hate Windows because it's fucking annoying. No developement tools, one desktop, totally exploited every 8 seconds, the kernel isn't that stable, you can't restart the desktop without rebooting, etc....
Rarely if ever do I have to cold-reboot my linux box. Usually restarting X will fix any problems [which also happens rarely] with the desktop.
That and I can hack the kernel if I want [which I have had todo once when cpufreqd was a bit whiny about my buggy bios having 2 PST entries]. Can't do that in Windows...
Tom
Someday, I'll have a real sig.
How many will forgo Windows XP Crippled edition and go with Windows XP Pro Sp2 Bittorrent Edition?
Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
Based on the comments so far, I don't think anyone has RTFA. I have read all of the "crippled" comments previously. If you RTFA, you see that Microsoft was headed for a particular audience with particular needs. They are aiming for people with absolutely zero computer experience. They are also aiming at "cheap" hardware so that their target audience might have a chance of actually affording it. I think that we should give Microsoft some credit on this one. They are trying to hit a new market (yes, corporations are ultimately about money); and they are doing it with their users needs in mind.
I know this is a joke, but it's a serious point. From reading slashdot it seems people don't understand why Microsoft have done this. Security, Piracy, etc, none of these things have anything to do with it.
It's all about getting new users into the Microsoft habit. They're like drug dealers, who offer the first hit free. In the west, the market is already sewn up, and your schools are educating your children that Microsoft is the only way. But out in India, Thailand, China, and so on, there are many millions of people who will get their first computer in the next 5 years. XPSE means these people will be getting their first hit free.
Microsoft don't want to sell Windows on shelves, they want to bundle Windows. Bundled Windows, taken for granted Windows, gives them Power. Power they can use to sell the things that really matter: big bucks corperate licenses, OEM deals, and so on.
With XPSE they will extend their awesome power over the 'long tail' of non-'power' users.
"Those who cast the votes decide nothing; those who count the votes decide everything." (attrib. Joseph Stalin)
Unfortunately, it comes down to this. Linux is essentially developed by geeks for geeks, and, as a generality, geeks have little time/patience with the "clueless newbie unwashed" who need their hands held.
And somehow closed source developers who have little time/patience for even their PEERS are better? What crap, the thing that support people are sick of is M$ problems, not the users Microsoft likes to blame for them. Users themselves are sick of junk that breaks so easily and being blamed for the problems. If you want real attitude problems, look to Redmond.
M$ computer "support" comes from two places, people who help their friends and $50/hr phone calls to M$. The second group is famous for being as helpful as psychic friends network, but less friendly. The first group is dumping Microsoft and all of it's problems and insults.
If Linux is ever going to conquer the desktop, it will take the effort of many dedicated people who not only have the time & the patience, but also obsess about the user experience of the aforementioned unwashed.
Where have you been? Desktop Linux is here and it's easier to use than Winblows. Distributions like Mepis install in less than 20 minutes and run great. The kernel does the hardware detection, so the user does not have to read arcane manuals, feed the computer floppies and CDs and reboot six or seven times. Printer configuration through CUPS and KDE is likewise a walk in the park. The KDE UI is both more powerful and easier to use than Winblows' pathetic, single screen ugly. 99% of what normal users want is there by default, where M$ users have to visit a store and spend hundreds of dollars and get the extra pleasures of DRM, DLL hell and other nasties. Getting specialized software is as easy as a no cost click with programs like Synaptic or Kpackage. Most importantly, free software keeps working. It stays up longer, for those who care, and it does not get eaten by automated worms, spyware, malware and other M$ born infection.
Unlike the average /. reader, the majority of people view the computer as a tool, a means to an end, not as a hobby and not as the end itself.
The average slashdot reader is well aware of that. Those that want to keep their reputation for recommending the best now recommend free software.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.