Vista x7 versions

[RobHague]

Has anyone seen this? Windows Vista is going to have seven versions. :eek: :eek:

Windows Vista Ultimate Edition - Like that ;) reminds me of that Flash animation going around the web at one point, Windows Really Good Edtion :D

Two days before the start of Professional Developers Conference (PDC) 2005, I've received exclusive insider information about the product editions, or SKUs, which Microsoft intends to create for Windows Vista (codenamed Longhorn). While the exact breakdown of the Windows Vista editions has been the subject of much speculation, this list closely matches the editions list I first published on the SuperSite for Windows last year. Here's how the Windows Vista product editions break down.

There will be two general categories of Windows Vista editions, which map closely to the two that exist today for XP ("Home," which comprises Starter, Home, and Media Center Editions, Pro, which includes Professional, Professional x64, and Tablet PC Editions). In Windows Vista, the two categories are Home and Business. In the Home category, Microsoft will create four product editions: Windows Vista Starter Edition, Windows Vista Home Basic Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, and Windows Vista Ultimate Edition (previously known as "Uber" Edition). In the Business category, there will are three editions: Windows Vista Small Business Edition, Windows Vista Professional Edition, and Windows Vista Enterprise Edition. In all, there are 7 product editions planned for Windows Vista

Here's how the product editions will break down:

Windows Vista Starter Edition: Aimed at beginner computer users in emerging markets who can only afford a low cost PC. As with the XP version, Windows Vista Starter Edition is a subset of Home Edition, and will ship in a 32-bit version only (no 64-bit x64 version). Starter Edition will allow only three applications (and/or three windows) to run simultaneously, will provide Internet connectivity but not incoming network communications, and will not provide for logon passwords or Fast User Switching (FUS). Windows Vista Starter Edition is analogous to XP Starter Edition. This version will only be sold in emerging markets.

Windows Vista Home Basic Edition: A simple version of Windows Vista that is aimed at single PC homes. Windows Vista Home Basic is the baseline version of Windows Vista, and the version that all other product editions will build from. It will include features such as Windows Firewall, Windows Security Center, secure wireless networking, parental controls, anti-spam/anti-virus/anti-spyware functionality, network map, Windows Search, the Aero user interface, Movie Maker, Photo Library, Windows Media Player, Outlook Express with RSS support, P2P Messenger, and more. Windows Vista Home Basic Edition is roughly analogous to Windows XP Home Edition. This version is aimed at general consumers, Windows 9x/XP Starter Edition upgraders, and price sensitive/first-time buyers.

Windows Vista Home Premium Edition: Whole home entertainment and personal productivity throughout the home and on the go. As a true superset of Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium Edition will include everything from Home Basic, as well as Media Center and Media Center Extender functionality (including Cable Card support), DVD video authoring and HDTV support, DVD ripping support (yes, you read that right), Tablet PC functionality, Mobility Center and other mobility and presentation features, auxiliary display support, P2P ad-hoc meeting capabilities, Wi-Fi auto-config and roaming, unified parental controls that work over multiple PCs, backup to network functionality, Internet File Sharing, Offline Folders, PC-to-PC sync, Sync Manager, and support for Quattro Home Server. Windows Vista Premium Edition is similar to XP Media Center Edition, except that it adds numerous other features and functionality, including Tablet PC support. My guess is that this will be the volume consumer offering in the Windows Vista timeframe (today, XP Pro is the dominant seller). This version is aimed at PC enthusiasts, multiple-PC homes, homes with kids, and notebook users.

Windows Vista Professional Edition: A powerful, reliable and secure OS for businesses of all sizes. Windows Vista Pro Edition will include domain join and management functionality, compatibility with non-Microsoft networking protocols (Netware, SNMP, etc.), Remote Desktop, IIS Web server, and Encrypted File System (EFS). Additionally, Pro Standard will include Tablet PC functionality. Windows Vista Pro is roughly analogous to XP Pro today. This version is aimed at business decision makers and IT managers and generalists.

Windows Vista Small Business Edition: Designed for small businesses without IT staff. Small Business Edition is a superset of Vista Pro Standard Edition, and includes the following unique features: Backup and Shadow Copy support, Castle and server-join networking, and PC fax and scanning utility. Additionally, Microsoft is looking at including a number of other features, many of which might be cut: These include Small Business Edition guided tour, pre-paid access to the Windows Live! Small Business or Microsoft Office Live! subscription services, Multi-PC Health (a managed version of Microsoft One Care Live), and membership in the Microsoft Small Business Club online service. Microsoft will offer a Step-Up program for Small Business Edition that will allow customers to upgrade to Windows Vista Enterprise Edition (see below) or Windows Vista Ultimate Edition (see below) at a reduced cost. This SKU is new to Windows Vista; there is no XP Small Business Edition. This version is aimed at small business owners and managers.

Windows Vista Enterprise Edition: Optimized for the enterprise, this version will be a true superset of Windows Vista Pro Edition. It will also include unique features such as Virtual PC, the multi-language user interface (MUI), and the Secure Startup/full volume encryption security technologies ("Cornerstone"). There is no analogous XP version for this product. This version is aimed at business decision makers, IT managers and decision makers, and information workers/general business users.

Windows Vista Ultimate Edition: The best operating system ever offered for a personal PC, optimized for the individual. Windows Vista Ultimate Edition is a superset of both Vista Home Premium and Vista Pro Edition, so it includes all of the features of both of those product versions, plus adds Game Performance Tweaker with integrated gaming experiences, a Podcast creation utility (under consideration, may be cut from product), and online "Club" services (exclusive access to music, movies, services and preferred customer care) and other offerings (also under consideration, may be cut from product). Microsoft is still investigating how to position its most impressive Windows release yet, and is looking into offering Ultimate Edition owners such services as extended A1 subscriptions, free music downloads, free movie downloads, Online Spotlight and entertainment software, preferred product support, and custom themes. There is nothing like Vista Ultimate Edition today. This version is aimed at high-end PC users and technology influencers, gamers, digital media enthusiasts, and students.

According to internal Microsoft documentation, the goal of the product edition differentiations in Windows Vista is to provide "clear value proposition" to all customer segments and take XP-era innovations, such as the Media Center and Tablet PC functionality, to the mainstream. Windows Vista is also being positioned as a transitionary product for the x64 platform: Almost all Windows Vista editions will be offered in both x86 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit) versions. Microsoft expects to transition almost completely to x64 post-Vista.

I'll be expanding on this information in a showcase for the SuperSite for Windows, which you can expect to see on Monday. In the meantime, I wanted to get this information out as quickly as possible.

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/47665/47665.html

[iindigo]

Oh that's really smart M$, confuse your consumers even more than they are now. Really smart.

Another reason to use OS X: With the exception of the server version, OS X is pretty much one-size-fits-all.

[neocell]

I hate company products like this. In the end you'll end up buying one, it works for you for a month or so, then you try something new that you'd really like to do with your computer and find out it's not supported.
How can M$ marketing department support this. As iindigo said it's just going to confuse people even more.
Heads up their a**es

[Dagless]

wow, how pathetic. its like how they released that "XP for 3rd world countries" which was a severly cut down, but cheap !$@£%! (see how excited i am!?) version of windows XP which had almost no software included and could only have 3 windows open at any one point. y'know, its the THIRD WORLD. why would they want to use Windows? wouldn't they be more interested in such minor things as living? -_- stupid M$

so. 7 versions. smashing. not to forget the extra 7 versions without Media Player that we'll see a year or 2 down the line.

im at the point now where i cannot see why anybody would support M$, in ANY of their products. barring maybe their mice.

[greatdevourer]

Hmm... "Windows Exploited Edition"? "Windows Go-Buy-Another-Computer Edition"?

[jamdr]

I wonder what the price range is going to be. Probably for a lot of users the high-end "ultimate" editions will be out of the question because they will be $$$$ (knowing MS).

[After G]

The need to make different editions of Vista to make it easier to use for Home users shows an inherent design flaw in the OS.

The existence of different versions in an OS is indicative of MS' desire to make people pay for each feature they use. I think this might be a step toward "renting" your OS.

This kind of crap from Microsoft makes me sick to my stomach.

[Mac_Freak]

Hmm... "Windows Exploited Edition"? "Windows Go-Buy-Another-Computer Edition"?

LOL :) It is going to easier for consumers to pick other OS/platform than to pick which version of Vista to buy. :D

[dubbz]

Heh, love that Starter Edition too.

They don't seriously believe that anyone will use them? It will be replaced by a cracked, non-crippled, Vista edition as soon as is technically/humanly possible.

I do wonder if they've made Vista modular enough to actually *remove* all that functionality, or if all this can be overcome by a single Registry edit.

[greatdevourer]

Heh, love that Starter Edition too.

They don't seriously believe that anyone will use them? It will be replaced by a cracked, non-crippled, Vista edition as soon as is technically/humanly possible.

I do wonder if they've made Vista modular enough to actually *remove* all that functionality, or if all this can be overcome by a single Registry edit. Regedit = the Winblowz MasterSword (play more LoZ if you don't know what I'm on about). I can't see many people opting for Starter Edition, either.

Btw, what's with the hats on avatars?

[Macaddicttt]

Btw, what's with the hats on avatars?

See this thread (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=147973).

[Mac_Freak]

I don't know if any one has posted this pic before or not but here it is what we can expect from Vista. Take a closer look.

Here is the source http://www.davesdaily.com/pictures/412-windows-vista.htm

[dubbz]

I don't know if any one has posted this pic before or not but here it is what we can expect from Vista. Take a closer look.

Doubt it. They'll just continue their "automatically-reboot-before-user-see-bsod" scheme. Increased stability isn't the only reason why people see less BSOD's in XP ;)

[Sun Baked]

Wonder how many of the features are going to time out and give you the standard "free trial period for this feature is over, please call to upgrade your OS" and/or "sorry, please upgrade to xxx to run this file" :rolleyes:

[Mechcozmo]

Linkety (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050910-5298.html)

7 kinds... oh dear...

[Mechcozmo]

Might I point out there are 14 versions? 32 and 64 bit variants of EACH. :eek:

[mkrishnan]

Wonder how many of the features are going to time out and give you the standard "free trial period for this feature is over, please call to upgrade your OS" and/or "sorry, please upgrade to xxx to run this file" :rolleyes:

Well, I guess that will depend on whether Quicktime comes pre-installed on those Vista machines! ;) :eek: :D

Seriously, I think that MS is treading a dangerous line with users actually buying new computers and not getting functionality because they don't have the right variant of Vista (or XP for that matter). Although, with all the DVR kind of Media Center features, it isn't quite true at present that they are considered part of a core OS by most users.

But I still think it would be better for MS if they could structure it so that users could purchase an upgrade from one version of Vista to another online, and download and install the additional components without re-installing the OS from scratch, than to have users sort of stuck with the OS variant they get.

[RobHague]

Hmmm, the back of software box's is going to get a bit more crowded...

System Requirements: Microsoft Windows Vista: Home, Home Premium, Pro, Small Business, Enterprise and Ultimate Edition.

I'm sure there are going to be some really fun conversations in stores on its release too!

Customer: "A copy Windows Vista please my good man."
Retailer: "Will that be Home, Home Premium, Pro, Small Business, Enterprise or Ultimate?"
Customer: <blink> "A copy of Windows Vista please."
Retailer: "But which one? There are different flavours available..."
Customer: "Ok - So give me a Vista with everything on it."
Retailer: "Enterprise or Ultimate?"
Customer: "Isnt there an Ultimate Enterprise?"
Retailer: "No. Just Enterprise or Ultimate. Or the other five versions."
Customer: "So is Ultimate better than Enterprise?"
Retailer "Not really. Its just different."
Customer: "So its not Ultimate then?"
Retailer "I guess not. Enterprise is for Enterprises. You want Ultimate."
Customer: "Ok then. How well will this work on my Celeron 333 with 512mb of RAM btw?"
Retailer: <dies>

[Steven1621]

With all the smart people at M$, I can't comprehend how they could do something this stupid. Granted, I have no knowledge of what the real business world is like as I am a college student, but still. Do they sit down and think, "How can we make this as confusing and difficult as possible for consumers?"

[mkrishnan]

Customer: "A copy Windows Vista please my good man."

Hah, well anyone who uses the expression, "my good man," should be able to communicate any additional necessary information to the salesperson through the slight tipping of his bowler, a piercing glance, and perhaps a nudge and a wink if really necessary, although those are rightly considered pedestrian and vulgar gestures. :D

[Lacero]

All this confusion just makes me want to go back to DOS with DoubleSpace.

[Daveway]

Yes, there was a thread on this earlier last night.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=148660

[Tahko]

God, microsoft is stupid with their windows "solution"!

It's the developing that takes money, not pressing the dvd's vista comes on. so, now they have wasted money to develop 7 different kinds of vista, while they could have gone all the way with ultimate! what's the damn point in crippling their os that has been developed for so long? I fail to see the logic.

[Mechcozmo]

All this confusion just makes me want to go back to DOS with DoubleSpace.

Meh, who needs more than 640k of RAM anyway?

[StarbucksSam]

I can't wait to see how many people purchase a lower edition, try to do something unsupported, and then claim they have a "virus" and that their computer is "broken".

[SummerBreeze]

Wow, the sign in the picture says that I can check email AND browse the web on Vista. How very revolutionary....

Why not just throw away every edition, and try to make ONE that works decently? Although it is nice to see Microsoft shooting themselves in the proverbial foot, I'd love to see Apple gain more market share.

[snkTab]

I hate this type of crap from Microsoft. They develop something and then they restrict who gets it on . Just like how MS Outlook 2000 would let you do a lot of project management stuff but they took it out of 2003 to make you buy Sharepoint. The stupid thing is... everything is done by MS Exchange Server they just disable Outlook from using it.

Now it seems they are going to be giving people the shaft when they buy PCs. Do you think with the current cost cutting in the PC maker market that your computer will come installed with anything but Windows Starter Edition.

Just don't blame me when you try to play solitaire and a dialog box pops up that says "This feature is from Windows Vista Enterprise Edition, to purchase click here." As if windows didnt have this feature eons ago.

[Diatribe]

I hate this type of crap from Microsoft. They develop something and then they restrict who gets it on.

You mean just like Apple cripples Quicktime? :rolleyes:

Seriously, Apple has it's share of bad business moves too but this is unprecedented. Microsoft will fall hard with this strategy.

[iAlan]

The following is not a justification for M$ confusing and maybe questionable practice but an idea as to why...

I think the reason for a slimmed down and cheaper version in emerging markets is that the 'full' version is too expensive for your average user so pirated versions are popular due to their lower cost. IF M$ discount the full version in emerging markets the products may find their way to other markets at a cheaper price.

I think this is true, but the slimmed down version is crap so users will still opt for he pirated full version - M$ have made no attempt to manage the pirate software isses, they have only decided that people will pay less for a non-pirated version if it were available - and this is assuming a lot. The offering is not attractive so for the same price (or cheaper) a pirated version offers full functionality.

I liken it to illegal downloads - just because iTMS and other music services are available doesn't mean everyone will buy rather than download from a 'friend' halfway around the world!

[MisterMe]

You mean just like Apple cripples Quicktime? :rolleyes:

Seriously, Apple has it's share of bad business moves too but this is unprecedented. Microsoft will fall hard with this strategy.Ah, no. The Pro version of the QuickTime player contains functions that did not exist when there was only the free version. Back then, you could not play .mpg files in the QuickTime player unless you used a third-party utility to convert them to .mov. The QuickTime player most certainly did not have the ability to create movies before the Pro version was released. The advent of QuickTime Pro provides real benefits for those who need them. If all you want is to play AV files fullscreen, there are AppleScripts that enable this functionality in the free QuickTime player.

[dollystereo]

I want my ultra basic with no features Windows Hasta la Vista Edition!!!!

[DavidLeblond]

I love it how the basic Home Edition doesn't even have the friggin' Windows Vista interface. How pathetic is that?

The only reason they're releasing 7 versions is so they can inflate the price of the "Ultimate edition" (ie the only version worth a damn) and sell the useless (and I do mean useless) "Home edition" for close to the price of OS X and then say "Oh ho ho! We matched Apple's price!"

And the sad thing is, it'll probably work.

[iAlan]

I want my ultra basic with no features Windows Hasta la Vista Edition!!!!

Hardy har har har.... :D

[Diatribe]

Ah, no. The Pro version of the QuickTime player contains functions that did not exist when there was only the free version. Back then, you could not play .mpg files in the QuickTime player unless you used a third-party utility to convert them to .mov. The QuickTime player most certainly did not have the ability to create movies before the Pro version was released. The advent of QuickTime Pro provides real benefits for those who need them. If all you want is to play AV files fullscreen, there are AppleScripts that enable this functionality in the free QuickTime player.

I was talking about full screen and saving... :rolleyes:

[RobHague]

http://digitaldj.net/pdc05/

New Build. It says Beta2 as well - this is a worry because normally by the 2nd beta the interface is pretty much what it will be like in the Rc builds and then the final... it looks like XP with a SideBar still... :confused:. Maybe it was just me expecting Microsoft to dump 'Start' and find a new way.

btw check out the minimizing and restoring windows .mov it seems spookily familular. Oh right yes thats the Scale option from the Dock. :D

[SummerBreeze]

That's why I'm going to stop upgrading my windows pc. Who needs a more expensive, worse version of windows when a) my mac does everything eight thousand times better and b) I can just downlaod an ugly skin and presto! I have windows vista super cheap edition.

[MisterMe]

I was talking about full screen and saving... :rolleyes:Yes, I understand that. "Full screen and saving" did not exist as a QuickTime player feature before QuickTime Pro.

[Tahko]

You mean just like Apple cripples Quicktime? :rolleyes:
Hey hey, my stepfathers QT pro code from the year sword & shield qorks fine on my QT 7. Mikro***** 95 code wont work on their latest update. Vista, that is.

[mkrishnan]

Hey hey, my stepfathers QT pro code from the year sword & shield qorks fine on my QT 7. Mikro***** 95 code wont work on their latest update. Vista, that is.

Okay, so I know your English is much better than that. :p

Are you saying a pre 7.x QT Pro code worked for your stepfather when he upgraded to QT 7? I was under the impression that many users here on MR were complaining that this was not the case, and that their license for QT Pro 6 did not work in Tiger.... (reference (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=122742&highlight=quicktime+pro+license+tiger))

[maya]

I believe this is more targeted towards OEM and they consumers. Think about it, Dell can offer a bare bone PC and with the bare bone Vista OS. Since the PC is bare bone, its granted that you cannot author HD on it.

So then you have your one step up from bare bone PC, and you have a version of Vista that will take advantage of the Hardware. It makes sense, for the love of Pete, I am agreeing with M$ on this one. :eek:

All in all, if 7 versions are sold on the self to consumers is insane, the printing, publishing, and distribution of 7 versions will put M$ in ruin (which is not really a bad thing ;) )

All this is in the hopes to making more $$$ for M$ & Co. duh!!, However it also bring new HW products to the market and more choice for the companies who manufacture these products, rather than to contact M$ and say we need an OS that can do this and this and not this and that, can you do this for us.

I made sense of what M$ is doing, I must be intoxicated. :p ;) :D

[Tahko]

Okay, so I know your English is much better than that. :p

Are you saying a pre 7.x QT Pro code worked for your stepfather when he upgraded to QT 7? I was under the impression that many users here on MR were complaining that this was not the case, and that their license for QT Pro 6 did not work in Tiger.... (reference (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=122742&highlight=quicktime+pro+license+tiger))
well yeah screqw my spelling for the moment, it's ****ing 3.33 in finland. AM for you yankees, that is. and I just arrived from just another drinking fest. and it's monday. os that abou my spelling.

qt pro licence I have is from qt 5 or something even older, so its really old. it just works, so screw that too. my stepfather had the code stored unbtil these days when I picked ibook and thought that thjis plastic piece of poo rocks and interrogated him to give his coeed he didnt nee d anyway so here i am.

dunno why soe m work n some not, your hadeeache pall!

nighty night, sleep tight and watch for transvestites passing by!

[maya]

You mean just like Apple cripples Quicktime? :rolleyes:

Seriously, Apple has it's share of bad business moves too but this is unprecedented. Microsoft will fall hard with this strategy.


Depends, if they ship 7 versions to a store, its going to be expensive. However if its to an OEM, etc... like Dell, M$ stands to make money. Including small and medium business.

This is a move by M$ to concentrate on more stressing factors like security, and time to patch them in a timely fashion. ;) :p :)

[maya]

I hate this type of crap from Microsoft. They develop something and then they restrict who gets it on . Just like how MS Outlook 2000 would let you do a lot of project management stuff but they took it out of 2003 to make you buy Sharepoint. The stupid thing is... everything is done by MS Exchange Server they just disable Outlook from using it.

Now it seems they are going to be giving people the shaft when they buy PCs. Do you think with the current cost cutting in the PC maker market that your computer will come installed with anything but Windows Starter Edition.

Just don't blame me when you try to play solitaire and a dialog box pops up that says "This feature is from Windows Vista Enterprise Edition, to purchase click here." As if windows didnt have this feature eons ago.

My question is, What does M$ consider basic, and up?

This solution is great for companies, and to a fraction consumers. Think about it, if you have a 5 year old PC, and cannot run the Full version of Vista, you will be happy if it runs some basic features such as Email, and Web, Play Music. Its cheaper for you, since the hardware is not up to par with the current. Some people can afford to upgrade they HW others do not, and still like to be current. (sheep follow). :)

Pricing and Features will either keep it afloat or sink. :)

[maya]

Wow, the sign in the picture says that I can check email AND browse the web on Vista. How very revolutionary....

It is if you have a tablet PC, or some other small device. Don't remember the last time someone tried to encode HD on a web tablet. :)



Why not just throw away every edition, and try to make ONE that works decently? Although it is nice to see Microsoft shooting themselves in the proverbial foot, I'd love to see Apple gain more market share.

Apple targets the creative mind, thus iLife. And that is the reason why they OS cannot be limited. If Apple made a handheld, they would make the OS much much lighter like M$ has a mobile version. However Apple and no one else in the market makes an Apple Tablet that you can only use to surf, and email. So there is no real reason for Apple to take this approach. :)

If you even notice Apple try to convince the consumer to buy the top end model, look at X.4 Server. Out of the box you cannot install X.4 Server on a Mac mini, or even a PowerBook. You have to have either a PM or Xserve. :)

[Tahko]

maya:
what about embedding kinda system resources detection on installer phase, whic then decides to leave that stupid eyecandy on other dvd. I've seen that done on linux... in 1999

[maya]

maya:
what about embedding kinda system resources detection on installer phase, whic then decides to leave that stupid eyecandy on other dvd. I've seen that done on linux... in 1999

Also similar as to how Apple has the iLife and other extensions on another CD or DVD.

M$ is trying to make the OS look and feel new, and removing the eye candy would make consumers think, why even bother upgrading when I can just use Win2k instead.

I know many friends and family for that matter that love XP, for one reason and one reason only, EYE CANDY. Even though M$ has the option to have the old theme, people will choose the Eye Candy any day. That is one of the reason why OS X is so appealing as well. ;) :)

You stare at your OS all day long, the last thing you want to do is look at border-less shells. :P

linux users are different in the sense that they get high on the geek part of it, you average linux users is not the average PC user. $$$ wise you make more $$$ with average consumers than with geeky linux users. No offense to any linux or geeks out there. :)

[Diatribe]

Yes, I understand that. "Full screen and saving" did not exist as a QuickTime player feature before QuickTime Pro.

You don't get my point. I'm just saying there are feature that should be in the regular version of a product.

[Diatribe]

Depends, if they ship 7 versions to a store, its going to be expensive. However if its to an OEM, etc... like Dell, M$ stands to make money. Including small and medium business.

This is a move by M$ to concentrate on more stressing factors like security, and time to patch them in a timely fashion. ;) :p :)

Yeah, you're right. Shipping 7 different versions would be bad but having one that could be unlocked would also be bad. How long would it take for someone to have the code to unlock ultimate ed.?

[MisterMe]

You don't get my point. I'm just saying there are feature that should be in the regular version of a product.I get your point clearly. You are hardly the first person to advocate it as a search of this forum will bear out. My point is that Apple did not cripple the QuickTime player. It added functionality for which it charges you. Look, we would all like everything free. But corporations will are loathe to spend $1 billions for R&D and then give away the fruits of their investment. It is your choice to pay the asking price.

[Diatribe]

I get your point clearly. You are hardly the first person to advocate it as a search of this forum will bear out. My point is that Apple did not cripple the QuickTime player. It added functionality for which it charges you. Look, we would all like everything free. But corporations will are loathe to spend $1 billions for R&D and then give away the fruits of their investment. It is your choice to pay the asking price.

Crippling doesn't mean you have to take something away... it means not offering something which is standard. Look around you saving and full screen IS standard. All the other companies' media players offer at least full screen.
This is crippling. Making you pay for what should be a standard feature. I'd hardly call that "functionality" but rather a "necessity". I bet full screen and saving takes a huge bite out of those billions of dollars of their R&D...
I do have pro and I love it but I this fanboism to justify Apple's every move isn't what will change anything. But if you're content with that, lemme chime in and repeat after me: Apple is great, Apple is right, Apple is everything... :rolleyes: :p

[srobert]

The only reason they're releasing 7 versions is so they can inflate the price of the "Ultimate edition" (ie the only version worth a damn) and sell the useless (and I do mean useless) "Home edition" for close to the price of OS X and then say "Oh ho ho! We matched Apple's price!"

My thought exactly. Same scam they're trying with the XBox 360.

[RobHague]

This will suck when its released.

You will get the computer makers advertising "Includes Microsoft Windows Vista" and hiding the fact that its the Really Stinky Edition under a load of bumpf. You know like when the GeForce FX arrived you saw computers boasting "Includes Nvidia GeForce FX" and u find out its a 5200 ;)..

Even if these versions are not on shelves i can see it causing confusion for other reasons.

Maybe ive become a die-hard 'Macfan' overnight, but Vista looks to me so far to be Windows XP with Transparency and a SideBar (oh and a new wallpaper). I honestley thought that MS were going to dump the Start Menu thing in favour of something a little better. The fact that the feature list keeps changing is confusing enough too. I hear that WinFS is back on track now...

[SummerBreeze]

My thought exactly. Same scam they're trying with the XBox 360.

I'm not much of a gamer, what are they trying to pull with the Xbox 360?

[srobert]

I'm not much of a gamer, what are they trying to pull with the Xbox 360?

They're offering 2 versions with different features:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/18/XBOX.TMP&type=tech

They say it's to offer choice to the consumer. I think it's more about the appearance of a lower "starting at" price.

[SummerBreeze]

Wow, that sucks. Found this quote from the article:

"The main difference between the two versions of Xbox is the hard disk drive. The $399.99 version will include a removable 20-GB hard drive, while the $299.99 Xbox 360 Core System won't have any hard drive. Lack of a hard drive means consumers will have to plunk down $40 for a 64-MB memory card if they want to save their place in the middle of a game."

So pretty much, they leave out something that any gamer needs, then (when they realize they need to save their game) they upgrade, paying the same price they would have paid and not getting the wireless controler and other extras. Way to make people hate you more, Microsoft!

[srobert]

Wow, that sucks.

Not to mention it will be a though dilemma for developers: Support hard drive and risk losing game sales to half of the 360s out there, or not support hard drive and give up cool features like map downloads and such. My guess is that most games won't bother taking advantage of the hard drive at all, a setback from the current XBox. I'll probably end up owning all 3 next gen consoles for the exclusives but the 360 will rank third on my list, a bummer since it will be the first to hit the market. But I'm getting off-topic ^_^.

[jhu]

wow, you guys are even worse than the slashdot crowd. first of all, how valid is the information from the link in the first post? for all we know, it's nothing. second, there are about the same number of windows xp versions right now, but most people use the home edition because that's what's on the computer. third, even if there are going to be 7 "official" versions of windows vista, most people won't go out of their way to buy a new version of windows when they get a new computer.