Microsoft said it has sold 100 000 copies of its Windows XP Starter Edition, the first indication of the popularity of the low-cost operating system.
Microsoft said it has sold 100 000 copies of its Windows XP Starter Edition, the first indication of the popularity of the low-cost operating system.
But that’s peanuts! Compared to number of illegal copies in countries where they try to sell the Starter Edition. Also the article doesn’t state during what period this have been taking place… I guess, months, since the very first announcement? But that was more than a month ago…
Something I’d like to know is.. How many people feel ripped off after buying it?
probably everyone who bought it….
100000*$30=$3000000
That is peanuts indeed, especially for Microsoft.
How many of that is a BOXED copy and how many are with new systems?
“a feature-restricted version of Windows that is sold in conjunction with a new PC”
So how many copies do you suppose haven’t been replaced by a pirated version?
all the ones on which the store/OEM did not get a call informing them that “the computer is broken”.
I don’t understand your question, Could you elaborate?
I don’t understand how MS could be successful with this. Let’s forget the fact that only 3 programs can run at a time, or that the resolution is capped at 800×600 or whatever else they impose. The cost of the Windows license tacked onto a large OEM computer (Dell, for example) is $20-30. Note this is the result of volume license agreements. So, how much cheaper are the Windows Starter licenses when priced for volume licensing, and how does that help people in developing countries?
Remember this is the same company that sells retail versions of its OS without Media Player for MORE money that the version that includes it.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a publicity stunt.
How is it a publicity stunt? The only reason MS are selling this is because they were forced into it.
I’m sure they have their fingers crossed that it isn’t a success.
It was never about price it was about stopping MS anti competitive practices, hence the removal of media player.
As we all know this was too little too late. The only force that might become powerful enough to topple them now is open source but that isn’t going to happen until the leadership/influence comes from someone who understands people not computers. Remember computers are sold to people not the other way around.
You are talking about a different product here. This starter edition is supposed to be a cheaper version for countries where people cannot afford the full version. The other product you are talking about is the one without media player as part of government sanctions.
I think big part of sales numbers are “forced deals” with Asian governments, with help of State Department and ambassadors (like those 2 ambassadors in Brazil and Russia who are pure lobbists of private business – members of BSA and RIAA being state bureaucreats at same time).
Also, maybe this is result of special “agreements” between MSFT and educational entities, especially in those countries, where you can “buy” some authority (thus get contract) with laughable amount of money.
Not it means that all those private users have run in software shops and really bought crippled Windows.
I live in Brazil and we have a government project named “PC Conectado” who gives tax reduction to low-price PCs. The original project would give this reduction oly for computer running linux and free softwares but M$ lobby gained the same privilege.
However, there are companies who sell this “popular” computers (with the same hardware specs) with both linux and windows XP “poor edition” (starter edition). The linux version price is US$ 100 lower but that companies are being pressioned to make marketing only for the windows version.
When I go to a computer magazine, the vendors only present the windows version. These computers are always on for demosntration and linux versions are always off or within their boxes.
M$ uses dirty tactics and much marketing to sell this trash operating system and to mantain people in ignorance.
I don’t believe it. I can’t believe 100,000 people would pay for that! It just boggles my mind. Maybe BillGhee bought the 100,000 copies.
That’s not retail sales… That’s sales from Microsoft to suppliers/retailers.
In other words, MS have sold 100,000 copies on, but all of those may be sitting on shelves or in warehouses. It doesn’t mean that anyone actually purchased a copy
heh.. a measley 100k copies..
Pretty stupid to make them remove mediaplayer from the OS. If people want another player, they will install it. Now if they buy the mediaplayerless version they have no way of playing A/V unless they get online or go to a store and buy/download one.
what a load of crap.
The starter version is the worst piece of shit I’ve ever seen come out from Redmond. No that the other proprietary junk they sell is much better, though.
Oh no, here comes the linux is better crowd
he could actually be a disgruntled windows user, have you ever thought of that ? or are you one of them retards who think everything microsoft does is just the bees knees ?
where’s the hack to “uncripple” the WinXP starter edition kernel? this could be a pretty good Live CD giving you a full Windows environment without having to use BartPE. Mind you, a Windows Live CD is best used for recovery and security purposes. I mean, why would anyone need to demo Windows?
–JM