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MS Confirms Six Different Versions of Windows 7

darien writes "Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 7 will be offered in six different editions. In a seeming admission that the numerous versions of Vista were confusing to consumers, the company says that this time its marketing will focus on just two editions — 'Home Premium' and 'Professional.' But the reality is more complex, with different packages offering different subsets of the total range of Windows 7 features."

6 of 758 comments (clear)

  1. They are selling six versions..... by VinylRecords · · Score: 0, Troll

    ...and I will be buying none of them.

  2. But... by egcagrac0 · · Score: 0, Troll

    Which is the version that won't randomly crash?

  3. Re:Sounds like another win for Apple by DriedClexler · · Score: 0, Troll

    Not troll, just wrong. I learned the hard way that Apple doesn't quite adhere to the "all OS versions come with everything" standard. Recently, I was using my MacBook and I wanted to some quick calculations involving logarithms. So I looked in the Apps folder for Mac's calculator program. I opened it and set it to scientific. Then, thinking it would have the basic features on its bundled calculator that come with Windows, I opened the help feature and looked for the keyboard shortcuts (which I prefer using and which make a big difference when you're not using or don't have mouse availabe).

    Nothing came up.

    When I asked about that on a Mac help forum, first, they called me an idiot for claiming there are no keyboard shortcuts on Calculator. Then, after a while, I was able to convince them that there really weren't, partly because another poster confirmed that 10.4 doesn't have the Calculator shortcuts. Their solutions:

    1) You idiot, if you need to calculate logarithms, you should have a real, pocket calculator.
    2) You need to upgrade to a better OS version (10.5) ... exactly the dilemma Mac fans love to say you'll never have.

    Yes, I can understand if I want a feature that's completely new to Macs, like Time Machine, but *keyboard shortcuts on the calculator*? Something available over ten years ago on Windows? Basic functionally typically found on all programs? Considering Mac users' insistence that all Mac apps have easy keyboard shortcuts?

    --
    Information theory is life. The rest is just the KL divergence.
  4. Re:6 Versions, let me think by PrescriptionWarning · · Score: 0, Troll

    7. Windows 7 Total Shit Xtreem

    oh yes, the "Extreme" craze of the late 90's is making a comeback retro future style!

  5. Re:Obviously.... by hairyfeet · · Score: 0, Troll

    Oh, it gets worse. I don't know if TFA is the same article I read, but apparently if it wasn't confusing enough, they are now going to switch around Vista/7 when it comes to starter VS Basic. What that means is if you get something like an OEM Netbook you'll likely get starter, which is now Basic, and Basic, which will now only be sold to third world countries, will be beyond crippled with the only 3 apps at a time crap.

    Are they TRYING to commit suicide? Is that it? Because I am seriously starting to wonder. They take this giant left turn(and a bad one IMHO) with Vista and completely give business customers the finger with this HTPC wannabe OS, then instead of admitting their mistake and cutting their losses, or at least going back to having a separate OS for the businesses VS the home users, they AGAIN try to stuff business users into a multimedia OS and then add insult to injury by this giant clusterfuck of a half a dozen versions.

    Mark my words, and mark me as troll if you want, but I have said this before and I'm saying it again: Win7 is going to bomb HARD. It is going down in a giant flaming ball of poo. It is too much of a multimedia bling bling OS for the enterprise markets, the home users HATE change and will be confused with all the versions, and the SOHO and SMB markets will be screwed because they pick up their machines at places like Best Buy and Staples and will end up with Home Premium machines that won't do what they need. There is a good reason why there are so many sites out there showing how to turn Win server 2K3 and 2K8 into a desktop OS: It is because MSFT has been giving the finger to one of their biggest markets since Vista came out, which is of course the business user. They want a plain, boring, low resource using desktop that is easy to lock down with Group Policy-That is all. Instead we get this multimedia nightmare that looks like Windows and a Mac got drunk and had unprotected sex and this is the result, and a bad result at that.

    So all you Linux developers be getting your A game together. Be making sure that Linux is as easy to use and easy to manage(Does Linux have something similar to Group Policies?) as you possibly can. Because when Win7 comes out and it bombs hard there are going to be a LOT of SOHO, SMB, and Enterprise customers that are going to be seriously looking into "this Linux thing" simply because they have no choice. They can't afford to wait around until Win8 hoping that MSFT remembers they exist and they sure as hell can't afford to be server license just so they can roll their own OS. I have already started getting inquiries from my SOHO and SMB customers about "this Linux thing" because they already believe that MSFT is going to let them down again. The ones that are holding out hoping Win7 will fix all the problems they had with Vista will be in for a rude awakening when they find it is more of the same. So this is your chance, the ball is in your court, the goal line is dead ahead. Because if you can't score Linux some market share with MSFT practically slitting their own throat you never will.

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    ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  6. Re:Enter the Balaclava light regiment...... by isaac338 · · Score: 0, Troll

    And you were perfectly productive on that, too; why the change?