Microsoft, caught by surprise by the launch of Linux-based netbooks last year, unleashed the dead-then-reborn Windows XP zombie on the market. Zombie XP killed the Linux netbooks. Now Steve Ballmer officially listed what type of computers Windows 7 Starter Edition will be for: netbooks with “a super-small screen, which means it probably has a super-small keyboard, and it has to have a certain processor and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” Yes, five blahs.
Claiming to sell XP “at cost” to netbook manufacturers, Ballmer plans to raise the price of Windows 7 Starter Edition to netbook vendors over the cost of XP. If we pay more, will we get more? Performance reviews have been mixed, but it seems Windows 7 won't be noticeably slower than XP on a netbook shipping in the fall.
You and I won't be able to buy Windows 7 Starter Edition for our existing netbooks, however. This product will only be sold to netbook manufacturers. And the price has yet to be set, so we don't yet know how much more Microsoft thinks Windows 7 Starter Edition is worth over eight year old Zombie XP.
Of course, Microsoft wants netbook vendors to upgrade to Windows 7 Home Edition, which I bet few netbook vendors will do. Screens are small, as are profit margins. Would you pay an extra $25 for a netbook to get Windows 7 Home rather than Zombie XP? I doubt it, and I certainly wouldn't pony up the extra bucks.
Now that Ballmer and Microsoft have crushed the Linux players in the netbook market, they're all upset about how pricing Zombie XP so low was such a horrible mistake. Really? You killed your competition in a new market segment by offering Zombie XP, that effectively costs you nothing, for so little it beat out the free operating systems. Reports have said Microsoft only gets $15 for Zombie XP on netbooks. I bet they would have made it $10 if the vendors didn't change from Linux for the $15 price tag. Or maybe made it $5.
Of course, Microsoft really wants us to forget netbooks and buy cheap laptops, because those vendors have to buy Windows 7 Home Edition. The cheap Windows 7 Starter Edition is only for netbooks, not laptops, so Microsoft will continue to insult netbooks whenever possible.
Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world
Brian Proffitt
Microsoft/Novell: Breaking Down the Coupon Numbers
Esther Schindler
Drupal's Dries Buytaert on Building the Next Drupal
Tom Henderson
Top Ten General Operating Systems Rants
pasmith
PS3 motion controller delayed; goes up against Project Natal
sjvn
Neolithic Windows security hole alive and well in Windows 7
claird
Perl source code comparison makes for good reading
mikelgan
Cell phones don't create stress or interrupt much
Sandra Henry-Stocker
How to: The Unix Interview
Where Google Chrome security fails: the password
I heard mention that the Chrome OS will have some sort of encryption available a la bitlocker. If it's possible to encrypt personal data using another password or key, then it may have potential for very secure data.... And Ubuntu has an 'encrypt home directory' option, perhaps google should follow suit.
- Dann
Join the conversation here
Quick, practical advice for IT pros. Made fresh daily.
- Ubuntu advances: Why Ubuntu server installations will surge in 2010
- Social media marketing: How to make friends with benefits
- More...
Want to cash in on your IT savvy? Send your tip to tips@itworld.com. If we post it, we'll send you a $25 Amazon e-gift card.
MS right to worry
Microsoft was right to be concerned about Linux/Netbook combo. In January, I bought an Asus netbook with their crappy version of Xandros Linux on it. I have replaced that with Ubuntu and Fedora. First time using Linux and now I hate it when I have to go back to my Windows desktop. Windows should worry, because the free stuff can be better than their product.