Microsoft on Wednesday announced plans to launch the cheap, easy-to-use version of Windows XP in five emerging markets. In a report published this week, Gartner analysts Dion Wiggins and Martin Gilliland noted that missing features in the Windows XP Starter Edition would frustrate users. Also, Gartner has labeled Microsoft’s upcoming version of Windows for developing countries as a product with good intent but poor execution.
Steer away from Win XP Starter Edition?
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Eugenia Loli
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You don’t need gartner to say its a bad investment. Chock Win XP Starter Edition up with Microsoft Bob….
– 800×600 max resolution
– Only 3 apps running at the same time
– No Microsoft Networking (no file/print sharing)
And other things missing too….
And you would want to use this? Good try MS but Linux still cost less and is not cripled like this….
Since it has no network capability, how is going to be useful to any government, since they require network computers for day to day functions.
SC = Super Crippled.
Starter Edition? Can it be “uncrippled” or can you upgrade to the full version later on?
Luposian
I wonder how much of this can be uncrippled by simply using regedit?
Not that it matters…Microsoft is just asking for people to continue pirating Windows XP Pro in these markets…people who need a legitimate OS on the cheap in these places are already running Linux.
I just pray that Microsoft doesn’t sell this garbage anywhere near the United States…Windows Me was enough of a tech-support nightmare.
Has somebody a list of the features missing in Win SC ?
It’d be interesting how we could add OSS software to complete the pack
This would make a cheap Win-Compatibility OS no ?
Who in the hell wants a crippled neurtered version of Windows when they people can just continue using or buying the full version for free? There is that word again, “free”. Microsoft seems to not comprehend that Linux is free and that people can get a full version(pirate) of xp for free(or cheaper then XP:SE). This is whole initiative has failed before it even started.
Um… Duh?
Yes. The procedure is to 1) download “windowsxp_pro_volume_liscence_edition.iso”, 2) burn it to a CDR, 3) pop the disc into your optical drive, and 4) reboot and follow the prompts.
Or, you could just Windows altogether and just run Linux.
yeah, honestly. people find ways to change pro into server and vice versa, i bet within a month there is a hack that will enable enhanced features.
FUCK YOU, BILL.
Windows is in the end a purely consumer product, it shouldnt be crippled in any way.
What defines an application? I’ve got about 30 exe’s going at the moment and aside from FireFox, none are what I consider “applications” that I use to accomplish a task. Will services be included in this? Of so…that’s not very good is it.
How about…while chatting to friends on MSN (can you do this without Microsoft networking?) you copy and paste some info from IE into Word and then decide to insert clip-art. But hang on, the clip gallery is an application…so that’s four if you don’t count the things started by IE (taskmon), MSN (everything under the sun) or Office (fairly clean, actually).
This is bad…
Matt
This is basically Windows 3.1 BETA … more than 10 years later
PS: The “Subject” is based from the title of Rob Enderle’s talk of the SCOForum with some modification to suit the occasion. It can also be titled “Windows XP Starter Edition and the Idiots Who Buy It.”
Take your pick.
))
Crippling a crippled O$?
Maybe they should re-introduce DOS and try again..
Some personal experience from one of the “privileged” country…
When you can get a Win XP Pro CD for USD 1.00 + another CD with SP2 downloaded for the same price, plus a SP2 keygen (yes – it works) from any of the crack sites, why would anyone want to get a sub-standard OS for a whole lot more?
From a bird’s eye view, the problem is really with the local distributors – they are the one who tarnished their own images by upping the price of original softwares, be it applications or games, while the government was doing the anti-piracy drive. Cooperation be damned. Short-sighted idiots all.
Not that the consumer suffer, they just go on buying more pirated ones. And why the hell not???
Don’t get me wrong – I used to get my original softwares from a neighbouring country because it is really cheap (government incentive) and because I do not want the local distributors to make anything profit out of me. Considering the poor currency exchange rates now (another screw-ups by the government), it really is not a moral issue getting the pirated ones locally except for the very few really good ones I would like to keep (which I will get the original boxed version).
It all boils down to the greater of three evils – the local distributing idiots who are short-sighted for a quick profit, the government who screw-up the ecomony big-time and lower the living standard for it’s citizens, and finally the software pirates.
It’s a no brainer, really.