Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MS Vista Versions Leaked

aricher

aricher

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Feb 20, 2004
2,211
1
Chi-il
Oops:

http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=15835&hed=Vista+Versions+Leaked

Wow - nothing like releasing EIGHT versions of the same operating system. Makes me wonder how much is stripped out of the low-cost versions:

" The versions include Windows Starter 2007, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, and Windows Vista Ultimate...

In addition, there will be “N” versions of Windows Vista Home Basic and Windows Vista Home."
 
Wow...do you really need that many versions of an operating system? So the most basic version will do what:
1. start up and tell you to buy a better version that will actually run on your computer
2. emulate the blue screen of death to remind you of other Microsoft OS's
3. be used strictly as a virus/trojan/malware gatherer when connected to the internet
or
4. not be compatible with any software or hardware you have previously

....or maybe all of the above.

Sounds confusing to me.
 
Pretty sneakysmart of MS to do this, actually. They've learned from Apple that the key is to put many competing models on the market that span a price range separated by only a few dollars, causing the consumer to start at the bottom and sell themselves up the line to the most expensive edition out there.

Anyone who's ever gone to buy a Shuffle and walked out with a 60GB iPod knows exactly what I'm talking about.
 
I'm ashamed to say this, but I have had this strange fascination with the whole Vista/Longhorn mess and have been following it from the Thurrott page. Plus, I find him helpful in protecting my little sister and her PC from the trojans and worms and virusses that are out there. Anyhow, I remember reading about the multi-edition releases a while ago (I just went to check, but got lazy when I found his review of this from 3 days ago).

I think is it a bit smarter for them to do this - if you know what you need, you get it. If you don't - you'll probably end up getting everything or at least more than you need. For the manus, this works well too - they can install a cheaper verison and leave it to the consumer to make the upgrade or install the ultimate version and charge a good bundle more. B

esides, the n only exists so that MS can ship a WMP-free version out. Although, I would think it better to just make it an easy uninstall as I don't see anyting wrong with shipping a MP with you machine. I'd rather have iTunes shipped with it, but not that big a deal....eh
 
zelmo said:
Pretty sneakysmart of MS to do this, actually. They've learned from Apple that the key is to put many competing models on the market that span a price range separated by only a few dollars, causing the consumer to start at the bottom and sell themselves up the line to the most expensive edition out there.
Click to expand...

Right, and that's why Apple sells eight different versions of OSX.
 
zelmo said:
Pretty sneakysmart of MS to do this, actually. They've learned from Apple that the key is to put many competing models on the market that span a price range separated by only a few dollars, causing the consumer to start at the bottom and sell themselves up the line to the most expensive edition out there.
Click to expand...
I have to agree. As a consumer, it is much nicer to only have 2 or 3 versions. As a company, it can't cost too much more in R&D between versions. Without doing a study, I'd say they will make extra money this way. Not a bad business move by MS.
 
max_altitude said:
I wonder if all 8 will be released in a special box set edition. :D
Click to expand...

I could be wrong but I think I've read all the Vista DVDs will include all versions from Home to Ultimate and you will be able to buy upgrade keys online from MS to update the OS in the future.

Or am I smoking crack? ;)
 
max_altitude said:
I wonder if all 8 will be released in a special box set edition. :D
Click to expand...

I'm looking forward to the "Making Of" bonus features...
 
treblah said:
I could be wrong but I think I've read all the Vista DVDs will include all versions from Home to Ultimate and you will be able to buy upgrade keys online from MS to update the OS in the future.

Or am I smoking crack? ;)
Click to expand...

I was just joking. I have no idea if this is the case or not. :eek:
 
Slightly old news... can't believe Microsoft is going to go through with this. Plus, what about 32 and 64 bit versions of Vista? Does that make 16 total, or will they have the 32 and 64 versions on the same disk?
 
aricher said:
" The versions include Windows Starter 2007, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, and Windows Vista Ultimate...

In addition, there will be “N” versions of Windows Vista Home Basic and Windows Vista Home."
Click to expand...


Geez! On top of that, there will be retail and OEM versions of each! That's ridiculous.

You might consider the retail and OEM difference negligible, but it's very important. A friend of mine had a laptop with a worm infection that basicly corrupted every executable on the drive. She had lost the restore disks long ago. I went to reinstall Windows with my retail copy of Windows XP Pro and her CD key, but it didn't work. I had to track down an OEM copy of Windows XP Pro someone else had and use that with her CD key to reinstall. The OEM and retail versions have different keys, which is a very big difference when reinstalling the OS since Microsoft requires you to activate.
 
WildCowboy said:
I'm looking forward to the "Making Of" bonus features...
Click to expand...

i heard they are including this really cool development timeline. when they added features and bugs. and when they removed features. the real story behind the name change longhorn to vista.

i can't wait!
 
grapes911 said:
I have to agree. As a consumer, it is much nicer to only have 2 or 3 versions. As a company, it can't cost too much more in R&D between versions. Without doing a study, I'd say they will make extra money this way. Not a bad business move by MS.
Click to expand...

I like only having one version. Much easier to decide which one to buy.
 
ummm....... go vista......

I really wonder how many people out there are REALLY holding off on this release becasue the intial reports on Vista don't really show Vista in a good light.

The irony is with all 8 version out they will ALL suffer from the same problems...

But putting the Ultimate infront of anything makes it sounds cool.

Ultimate Fighting
Ultimate Mortal Kombat
Ultimate Fighting again
Ultimate Vista....... nope doesn't work
 
Well. It looks a lot like the same strategy they used to market the XBox 360. Only more confusing.

A) Make a full featured regular version
B) Strip down some features
C) Brand the stripped down version as the regular version
D) Rebrand the original full-featured version as "Extreme, ultimate, etc…"
E) Overcharge for the original version without forgetting to mention it's "Ultimate"
F) Brag about your low "starting-at" price of the stripped down version

With so many versions floating around, they'll be able to make a few extra bucks out of the people who have to switch version because their needs have changed.

As for the name "Ultimate" is sounds so comic book like ^_^. i.e.: Ultimate Avengers, Uncanny X-Men, Amazing Spiderman, Incredible Hulk, Extreme X-Men, Fantastic Four, Astonishing X-Men, etc… Maybe they can use these for their different Windows flavours.
 
WildCowboy said:
I'm looking forward to the "Making Of" bonus features...
Click to expand...

Including a five-year making of documentary.

I agree that it doesn't make sense. It'll just confuse the consumer even more. I thought there were too many versions of XP and there are only two of them. When I first started taking intereste in the Mac, I was looking at the OS thinking, ok, so I'll have to upgrade that to the Pro version. But, no, there's only one version. I think that's awesome, just another reason why I love Apple.
 
aricher said:
Oops:

http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=15835&hed=Vista+Versions+Leaked

Wow - nothing like releasing EIGHT versions of the same operating system. Makes me wonder how much is stripped out of the low-cost versions:

" The versions include Windows Starter 2007, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, and Windows Vista Ultimate...

In addition, there will be “N” versions of Windows Vista Home Basic and Windows Vista Home."
Click to expand...

well of that list some of them are understandble why they have the versions
Starter edition will not be sold in most of the world. It is ment to be sold like in china and other countries like that and it heavily crippled
Enterprise editions of any software are only really ment for corpate set up and for huge networks. Basicly it does not require the activation that the other ones will require.
Buniness come on it clear who that is set up for. Many of the extras only ment for buniness computers.

Now the home basic, premium and Ultimate are another story.

Mind you Enterpise and Starter should not be held agaist them. Starter was never ment and never will be sold in the westernize world. Only really in 3rd world countries.

N versions are only there because of Eurpean laws no other reason so that should not be held agaist them.

Mechcozmo said:
Slightly old news... can't believe Microsoft is going to go through with this. Plus, what about 32 and 64 bit versions of Vista? Does that make 16 total, or will they have the 32 and 64 versions on the same disk?
Click to expand...


They already stated that the 32 bit and the 64 bit will be on the same disk and when you intall the OS you are given the choice of which one to install.

(choice will only be there if your computer can run the 64 bit one)
 
max_altitude said:
I wonder if all 8 will be released in a special box set edition. :D
Click to expand...

I'm waiting for Windows Vista 360. :D No, nothing to do with the XBox, just version 360 - it'll only take a couple months for it to be released I'm sure...
 
redAPPLE said:
i heard they are including this really cool development timeline. when they added features and bugs. and when they removed features. the real story behind the name change longhorn to vista.

i can't wait!
Click to expand...

Longhorn was the codename... Vista is the actual name. Tiger was the codename for 10.4 but they just never came up with a new name for it; the codename and the shipping name are the same.

jdechko said:
Including a five-year making of documentary.

I agree that it doesn't make sense. It'll just confuse the consumer even more. I thought there were too many versions of XP and there are only two of them. When I first started taking intereste in the Mac, I was looking at the OS thinking, ok, so I'll have to upgrade that to the Pro version. But, no, there's only one version. I think that's awesome, just another reason why I love Apple.
Click to expand...

There are a lot of versions of XP.
Tablet Edition
Media Center Edition (Count the various years if you want to)
Professional
Home
OEM-Pro
OEM-Home
64-bit Pro

Timepass said:
N versions are only there because of Eurpean laws no other reason so that should not be held agaist them.
Click to expand...
I argue they should.
Microsoft could easily remove the offending components, or make them optional items. They could even be installed by default, so long as it would be possible to remove them at a later time. But as it is, I have to disable MSN Messenger on EVERY COMPUTER I COME IN CONTACT WITH. (Well, the Windows ones that is) Microsoft could allow it to be removed, but they think it is better to leave it, forced into the operating system, and make special versions for the countries that take offense to it.


Timepass said:
They already stated that the 32 bit and the 64 bit will be on the same disk and when you intall the OS you are given the choice of which one to install.

(choice will only be there if your computer can run the 64 bit one)
Click to expand...

That's good news. I'd hate for there to be confusion among that, too. Although it does mean that there are separate versions... could lead to issues installing it on their own, but hopefully it won't be that bad.
 
Mechcozmo said:
I argue they should.
Microsoft could easily remove the offending components, or make them optional items. They could even be installed by default, so long as it would be possible to remove them at a later time. But as it is, I have to disable MSN Messenger on EVERY COMPUTER I COME IN CONTACT WITH. (Well, the Windows ones that is) Microsoft could allow it to be removed, but they think it is better to leave it, forced into the operating system, and make special versions for the countries that take offense to it.
Click to expand...


Oh I dont disagree with you on the fact that it would be nice but I dont think it should count agaist them for verson count since they are force to do it that way.
And it not like Quicktime and iTunes did not try to take full control over all my media files on my computer. iTunes I didnt mind so much. Quicktime I hated it and having to go though all the trouble to undo it. I hate Quicktime for anything but the web.

As for OEMs I dont really veiw them as a stand alone verson. A lot of stuff out there is OEM (mostly in hardware) Apple is just different.

As for Home, Pro and so on that another story.

As for Vista I think I am counting 6 real verson. (Enterprise and starter dont really count since they are not going to be out for the general public to buy)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back