Slashdot Mirror
Windows 7 To Come In Multiple Versions
Crazy Taco writes "Tom's Hardware reports on newly discovered screenshots that reveal Microsoft is planning to release their newest version of Windows in multiple confusing versions ... again. The information comes from the latest version of the Windows 7 beta, build 7025 (the public beta is build 7000), and shows a screen during installation that asks the user which version of the OS he or she would like to install. Who's up for guessing what the difference is between Windows 7 'Starter' and Windows 7 'Home Basic?'"
Thankfully Ubuntu comes in only Ultimate Premium Super Starter edition. Oh, and Server. 32/64 bit variations of both.
But for the price difference, I can't complain.
When people ask me what the difference between Home and Business/Ultimate edition is, I tell them: "Whatever features you should have gotten in Home, but Microsoft figured was esoteric enough to charge for it, so that if you run into a deficiency at all, it will only be later when it's too late to return. Then they hope to rape you as you pay full retail upgrade price."
Some people have learned this with the ridiculous lack of UAC in XP Home (only in pro, absense of which causes much headaches security wise up to this day), and the now coming 32/64 bit debacle as people want to upgrade RAM but won't be able to. Microsoft allows some OEM copies to be upgraded to 64bit, but custom-builders and full retail customers are screwed if they started with 32 and want to move on up. So the customer who paid more initially gets treated worse. Unless it's Vista Ultimate. Then you get both copies, as it should be. Which Ubuntu (32/64bit) provides for free.
Since Windows 7 is Vista SP2, this situation is hardly surprising. I can only hope that Microsoft's greed lasts long enough for Ubutu/Linux and Apple to make a lasting dent in marketshare. I'd hate to go back to a nothing-but-windows world.
"Considering that a Windows DVD costs maybe $0.25 to produce, I suspect that without tiered pricing people would still be able to afford it."
Hey, if you know some programmers who are willing to work for a total $0.25 on a major project that follows my agenda rather than theirs I'd like to hire them.
No you are looking at it in the wrong direction.
Ok, in plain English:
Assume X is the cost fo development
Assume P is intended profit
Now, assume C is the cost of Vista (with everything included)
Now C may be too much for some, so they sell Vista at DISCOUNTED price points A and B, with a DOWNGRADED feature set of C as a cost to the user for getting the discounts.
They may even sell it at a cheaper than C price point of D, on the condition that 100 licenses are sold to the same buyer.
As for the "cost" of disabling features, that is added to the cost of A and B.
As for the "savings of having one disc, no packaging, and multiple licenses is "passed to" D.
Finally the actual prices of A, B, C and D, is based on the sales from all items, subtracting cost to manufacture to get intended profit P.
Where marketing, competition or lack thereof, or future advantages are necessary, the equation may adjust any parameter.
Have a nice day!