Which bring us to the topic of sometimes it is quite sick to believe in microsoft solutions. The so called “paid” solution is not really working well either.

1. Different people have different needs
2. Everyone should have the right to choose and pay for only what they need

What Ballmer said:

“When we launch Windows 7, an OEM can put XP on the machine at one price, Windows 7 Starter Edition at a higher price, Windows 7 Home Edition at a higher price, and Windows 7 Professional at a higher price.”

You get to choose which version of Windows you want to run on your netbook. Like I said, my guess is that most netbook users will want to be running at least Windows 7 Home Edition.

http://www.techworld.com.au/article/314389/ballmer_confirms_windows

Cheers!

+1 to the catering to different customers with different needs

-1 to your assertion about overweight primates

Again, remember: Windows 7 Home Edition, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate will all run reasonably well on a netbook as a Windows 7 Starter Edition. It’s a matter of letting consumers choose what they want.

My bet? Most netbook users will be running at least Windows 7 Home Edition anyway.

If it is for rendering or other super high-end work, I bet the cost of that rendering software that needs more than 4 GB RAM is at least a magnitude more expensive than the OS itself.

In other words. If you are a company that actually have work that require workstations to run more than 4 GB RAM, chances are the cost difference between OS versions is the least of your expense concerns.

As for Windows 7 Starter Edition. Let’s use this analogy, shall we?

You take a flight. Technically, in order to reach the full potential of your flight, you should fly first class, since that maximizes the plane’s capacity and your comfort and pleasure during the flight. But since most people don’t want to pay first class prices, there is business and economy class. Even when a plane has an empty first class, it will still fly with whatever passengers it has on board with business and economy passengers.

The plane’s full potential is not met, but everyone pays what they are comfortable with paying, everyone gets what they pay for, and everyone is happy.

Remember, any netbook that can run Windows 7 Starter Edition can run any SKU of Windows 7 equally well. So it is simply a matter of choice as to what you want to pay for.

To cater to SMBs need, Microsoft even come out with “Window Server Foundation” I guess you should hear about it. It was launch to target those fast-growing market even though it is offered globally. Lain Macdonald, A Director in the Windows Server Group said” I saw a disparity between what people could afford to pay for IT systems and what they were being charged.”

I would say that what Microsoft is doing is trying to control and monopolized the market and cater to its own needs. Look at the netbook market. Steve Ballmer said that he will only supply companies who follow his definition of a netbook before he will supply them with the Window 7 starter edition. Such a tyrannical move. 800 pound gorilla at work.

I don’t think they are catering anything to anyone, instead I feel they are more of forcing you to the corner.

Also take a look at Windows 7 Starter Edition. The windows with full of stupid hardware limitation. Instead of allowing the netbook to reach their full potential. Once again, Microsoft have place so much restriction on it.

I think the reason for multiple editions and SKUs is not so much marketing, but it’s to cater for the many different kinds of customers who are willing to pay different prices for different features.

For example, it wouldn’t be fair to penalize a small company by charging them the price of a Windows 7 Enterprise when they only require the features of a Windows 7 Professional. Multiple SKUs will allow Microsoft to target exactly what the customer wants.

You would be happy to know that for Windows 7, they have reduced the number of SKUs to basically three that you as a consumer will care about – Home Edition, Professional, and Ultimate.

As for Linux, you also have to be weary of the word “free”. Because as a hobbyist, it may be free. But for enterprise or serious use, RedHat/Novell and such charges for support and maintenance. And if you ever go see their pricing charts, in some cases they have just as many pricing levels/tiers/SKUs as Windows does!

Just looking at the fact on how many windows server 2008 server are there? Is there a need for so much version of Windows Vista? I would say their marketing department is doing a very good job, in fact too good that it turn against themselves.

Another fact, why is windows server 2003 32 bit enterprise edition able to support more than 4 GB of ram while vista 32 bit can’t? Clearly another marketing gimmicks to make u spend more.

However, for Linux, I am free to try any favor of them until I am pleased with it. Also I don not see many limitation on the software becoz of marketing. And most importantly it is FREE.

Most of the time, I feel ripped off my money whenever I pay Microsoft for any software and it doesn’t promise the quality of the customer service for a highly price paid software.