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I actually think it's quite a good idea. I'm against the "lots of SKUs" idea, but one like this, with a very clear cut purpose and target hardware market makes good sense.

I agree with DavidR91 here. Of course, I hope this doesn't mean we'll have Windows 7 Netbook and Windows 7 Home Basic. .

I thought Home Basic was supposed to be the dumbed down version. And why do we even need a dumbed down version for netbooks. I was running Windows 7 Ultimate perfectly fine on my Asus EEE PC. The only reason to create a dumbed down version is so that it will be cheaper - but I guess that is the point for netbooks.

Frankly I have always perceived that the one-license-per-PC and the number of Windows varieties, has always been a big deterrant to Vista's acceptance in Asia.

I've a relative who owns a small-medium business in Taiwan who has stuck to using Windows XP. He commented that Vista is too expensive for his company.

This is also true with my Koreans and Japanese friends. "XP is stable why should we change."

I think MS marketing should really look into the selling price of Vista in Asia. The prices are simply too expensive.

This might be pie-in-the-sky but how about having only 1 SKU that allows the user to select and install an appropriate version of Windows 7.  The installer might examine the components of the computer and recommend a version but the user would be free to pick whatever version they want.  The selections might be "Netbook", "Home Lite", "Home Premium", "Business" and "Ultimate".

Windows 7 Netbook would be a good idea if it replaces Home Basic on the low end market segment. You do not need Media Center and Windows DVD Maker on a device with very small screen and no optical drive.

I strongly believe though that the visual improvements should remain untouched in Netbook edition (if it really exists). Cutting Aero or the new task bar would be a bad idea. The edition should also come with a smaller set of drivers as no one will change graphics card or wifi card on a small portable.

Netbook version... so will that be Netbook 32 bit or 64 bit? Pro or standard?.... when will all the versions end?

Go back to basics MS. One 32 and one 64 bit versions. Let us, your consumers, choose what we want to install. Don't make the choices for us.

.. oh and one more thing (tm):

Windows 7 Netbook should come on a USB driver.

Microsoft should hire Jeff Dunham to make a commercial for it with the slogan "it's Windows, ON A STICK!"

rkbrente: The Windows DVD already has all versions on it. You select the version and provide the appropriate product key.

From a testing and support perspective, I'm sure Microsoft would love nothing better than to ship only one version of Windows. However, the reality is that they need to have multiple pricing tiers so that PC vendors can manipulate the price of their machines depending on who they're marketing it to. That why most bare-bones machines only come with Vista Home Basic - to get the total price as low as possible.

The incentive to create a Netbook SKU has nothing to do with the performance specs of the machine and everything to do with giving netbook vendors a cheaper option to install Windows 7. It's in Microsoft's best interests to do this because they need every PC maker to ship Windows with their machines.

"You do not need Media Center....on a device with very small screen"

I disagree.  Media Center is perfectly suited to a device with a small screen, since the font is large and clearly legible on screens of practically any size, and it would also work extremly well for touch-screen devices.  The Origami Experience offers part of the multimedia experience already, but they really only need Media Center.  I'm against a netbook-specific version with lower features, if only because by the time Windows 7 ships, OEM hardware will be at a point where Home Premium makes perfect sense.

I plan on carrying netbooks in my store sometime within the next couple of months.  Windows 7 seems like the platform of choice for them, since you don't have to deal with Linux (and all it's 31 billion flavours), but I'm waiting until hardware is getting to a point where it's a good value for the money.  Right now, Windows 7 class hardware (ie. Atom's with the UC15W chipset and GMA 500) is still sparse but evolving, and I don't see GMA 945 based netbooks as being a good value for consumers.  It's Windows XP class hardware, and dealing with consumers, I know that in 6-12 months time, telling them that their hardware isn't a good match for modern software is a PiTA and a support nightmare.  In 12 months time, I rather not be dealing with XP support at all.  I'm going to wait until netbook hardware reaches a more mature phase of its gestation so that it'll run new software better.

Well maybe Microsoft is planning to ship this "Windows 7 Netbook edition" only on netbooks and not as an actually SKU. Or maybe the smarter thing for MS to do would we to label Netbooks to run "Windows 7 Home" and quietly make it a lighter version.  

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I just found this. CNET UK is confirming it ... according to them.

"Microsoft has confirmed to CNET UK that it will be providing a version of Windows 7 specifically developed for netbooks and sub-notebook computers, as well as at least one version for consumers, and one for enterprise users ..."

crave.cnet.co.uk/.../0,39029450,49300490,00.htm

And it will cost more than the regular Win 7 because as everybody knows, more is less !

"I just found this. CNET UK is confirming it ... according to them."

It was dated Jan. 8th.  They hadn't even widely released the beta at that point, so I think it's not a valid story until we see the complete list.

I'd expect that closer to the RC.

BTW:  Don't you people know how to drive in winter weather?:

failblog.org/.../snow-driving-fail

LOL!

Finally a sensible reason to have more than one version.

As for netbooks, all I think Microsoft is doing is making sure that base OS runs smoothly and knows how to take full advantage of such things like SSDs.  It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to use the system's performance index rating to recommend turning off certain services and/or warning users who try to turn on various services.

I think reducing the retail price of Windows should be more of a priority than reducing the # of skus.  That I believe will do more than anything else to convert XP hold overs.  And if there is one sku to get rid of, its "Basic".  Personally, I'd like to see the "Ultimate" stick around.  Thats right, I said it.  But none of this "Ultimate Extras" bogusness.  I want "Ultimate" to mean value...turn it into a 3 licensed family pack like the very successful Office Student/Home.

Here is the retail pricing I'd like to see for Windows 7...

$99 Windows 7 - 1 computer license

$149 Windows 7 Business - 1 business license (includes Media Center, etc)

$229 Windows 7 Ultimate - 3 license family pack

Good idea. I hope Wae makes a boat load of money selling Win 7 Netbooks [then flies us all in for a huge par-T].

"BTW:  Don't you people know how to drive in winter weather?:

failblog.org/.../snow-driving-fail

LOL!"

That's hysterical!

Some people really know how to drive on snow though

uk.youtube.com/watch

I still believe that the solution is one version of Windows 7 with 2 licencee's that allows you to go up or down as needed. Netbook, Home, Professional, and Ultimate included on the same DVD with the ability to change versions at will.

$89.99 - Windows 7 - One Licencee.

$129.99 -  Windows 7 - Two licencees.

$179.99 - Windows 7 - Four licencees Family Pack.

Windows versions over $200 bucks do not sell as popular until you get them under that amount. This is something that Microsoft should learn from Vista. Most people balked at the $399 Ultimate SKU price point. I know most people didn't like the $299 XP Professional Edition. Also, factoring the Global Recession and reduced incomes means that an over $200 version of Windows will be highly unpopular and people will pass.

The goal here is for mass adoption and I think this will be a fair way to get Microsoft some cash, selling in bulk at a lower rate.

What is okay for Linux to have more distros than Baskin Robbins has flavors of ice cream but some how 6 or so Windows desktop SKUs is confusing?

This makes sense from a pricing point as the netbook licenses are going to cost less.  No Media Center or tablet ability, no domain ability, no IIIS, basically the same thing that Vista Basic.  Keep Areo, all netbooks can handle it now.

I agree with subzerohitman. Mass adoption should be the goal, and prices must be affordable in this economic climate.

tablet PC functions are turned on for all Vista machines by default. that is stupid. the thing should be a separate download like Mobile Device Center for those who have the hardware. Hope they don't do that in Win7.

Media Center is not for netbooks. those are single core PCs, underpowered for WMC. the result is sloooow user interface and several background services running (like network sharing, schedule updating, content refreshing ....)

Windows DVD Maker should be part of Live Essentials. Download-able like the rest of it. Netbook do not have optical drives and corporate systems do not have burners (for security reasons)

@gorath:

AMATEURS!

If you want to get around, this is the only way to do it:

ca.youtube.com/watch

....or the crazy Quebecer way:

ca.youtube.com/watch

Speaking of which, this is how Quebecers canoe:

ca.youtube.com/watch

(Yes those are the ice flows in the St. Lawrence River)

:P

"I hope Wae makes a boat load of money selling Win 7 Netbooks"

NOBODY makes boatloads of money selling netbooks.

"This makes sense from a pricing point as the netbook licenses are going to cost less.  No Media Center or tablet ability, no domain ability, no IIIS, basically the same thing that Vista Basic."

I want Media Center on my netbook, and there are lines being blurred between the conventional "netbook" and new Atom-based UMPC's, so Tablet PC functionality is necessary for those new devices.

"tablet PC functions are turned on for all Vista machines by default. that is stupid."

No, it's not included in Home Basic.  UMPC's were designed for consumers, while Tablet PC's have been used primarily by the business market, hence, Windows Vista needs to have Tablet PC functionality in both versions.

"Media Center is not for netbooks. those are single core PCs, underpowered for WMC. the result is sloooow user interface and several background services running (like network sharing, schedule updating, content refreshing ....)"

The basic interface is NOT slow on Atom processor based systems with the GMA 950, and the GMA 500 is faster.  I'd want to be able to stream media back and forth between my netbook and other devices in my home.  A small netbook can turn into today's version of the portable DVD player from a few years back, only with many more types of multimedia.

"Keep Aero, all netbooks can handle it now."

Not so.  AFAIK, Intel still hasn't released compatible GMA 500 drivers that enable Aero in Windows 7.  The Vista drivers don't work in 7 - the drivers only enable Aero in Vista.

"Windows DVD Maker should be part of Live Essentials. Download-able like the rest of it. Netbook do not have optical drives and corporate systems do not have burners (for security reasons)"

I would agree with that, but it's probably something to do with licensing.

With the disc burning options in Vista, the only program I find I have a need for is CloneCD, for doing duplicates, or ripping ISO's of discs.  Windows 7 now has ISO burning though, so I don't even need CloneCD for that.  Windows Vista covers all the other bases.

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Wae, does that mean that the party is off?

Oh! Now it makes sense why waethorn is such a fanboy. He pushes the stuff on to unsuspecting customers, the kind (Windows users) that don't know any better.

welcome back to our world of Windows robertsjoe!

I knew you wouldn't resist two days without Microsoft news.

You're like that guy in the "Life without walls" ad prints

Heeeeeeere's robertsjoe!  Back with his nonsensical posts again.  Typical troll and Apple fanboy.

"Wae, does that mean that the party is off?"

If you don't like huddling with the gang around a thimble full of beer, and splitting up a Cheeto with a razer-blade, then don't come....

:P

PS:  Nobody let RCK aka "robertsjoe" in.  He's a party-pooper.  Literally.  (No whining infants allowed, sorry)

maybe this is more 'marketing hype' to keep people talking about windows 7 ... it's working... and most of the reviews are positive... will be interesting to see the final outcome on the SKUs.

personally i hope they do a multi-user home licence... i'm sure people install more than one copy at home anyway so would make it more legit i guess.

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