I have officially lost faith in mankind... - by lost_soul
lost_soul on 29/1/2010 at 02:02
I was just browsing the Best Buy website, looking at computers and netbooks. I got the urge to read the reviews of both the Windows 7 netbooks, and the upgrade to home premium that the customer will soon buy when they learn they purchased a crippled OS.
It is an ingenious plot by MS... really, it is! MS can't make much money on the Windows sold *with* the netbook, so what they must do is create a version lacking the ability to change the wallpaper/screensaver/theme and put that on the netbook. These are things average users usually change. Now, the average user has to go pay $80 to get a half-decent OS with all the features of Windows 95 for their new netbook.
If I sell you a product that I intentionally broke and then charge you $80 to "fix it", are you going to give me a positive review? Surely, the other humans roaming this earth are SMARTER than to fall for a scam like this?
Note that I already have an XP netbook and I can change the theme! I'm not sad because I was planning to buy one, I just thought people were smarter.
theBlackman on 29/1/2010 at 02:13
I can sympathize with you but don't really care about MS's machinations. Screen savers, in my opinion, along with the so called "Themes" are a waste of computer power, function and are useless.
The new screens don't suffer burn in, and if you are not at your computer just set the screen to shut off after X minutes, or turn the fucking system off if you are away for more than a few minutes.
Screensavers running for lengthy time periods with no one there to watch the damn things are like that tree falling in the forest. Sound or no sound who the hell cares, and as for a slide show on a unwatched computer, again who the fuck cares.
june gloom on 29/1/2010 at 02:14
you forgot the dollar signs in micro$oft there buddy
theBlackman on 29/1/2010 at 02:16
More to the point. MICROSHAFT. :) Just don't forget the vasoline or KY jelly.
Renzatic on 29/1/2010 at 02:23
Tales from the Land of Digital Oppression!
Quote Posted by lost_soul
It is an ingenious plot by MS... really, it is! MS can't make much money on the Windows sold *with* the netbook, so what they must do is create a version lacking the ability to change the wallpaper/screensaver/theme and put that on the netbook.
Except for the fact that there are plenty of netbooks out there sold with W7 Home Premium. Generally speaking, if a netbook has 2GB ram in it, it's sold with Home Premium. 1GB, Starter Edition or XP.
And I can't really blame MS specifically for this. I mean sure, they released all these goofy versions of Vista and 7, which didn't do much of anything cept confuse all but the tech savvy folk. But is it their fault alone for people getting something they're not happy with? No. I'd say equal amounts of blame should be applied to the buyers. They didn't look at the box, they didn't do their research. They just went in and bought it, and you just don't do that. I mean would you buy a car right off the lot because you like the color? No. You want to know what that car is sporting first. The same applies to a computer. Ask what you're getting for before you pay for it. If it's missing a feature you absolutely had to have, you shouldn't have bought it in the first place.
I dunno. If these people are halfway clever, they could always get their money back by bitching about warranty of merchantability or something.
lost_soul on 29/1/2010 at 02:36
Quote Posted by Renzatic
Tales from the Land of Digital Oppression!
Except for the fact that there are plenty of netbooks out there sold with W7 Home Premium. Generally speaking, if a netbook has 2GB ram in it, it's sold with Home Premium. 1GB, Starter Edition or XP.
And I can't really blame MS specifically for this. I mean sure, they released all these goofy versions of Vista and 7, which didn't do much of anything cept confuse all but the tech savvy folk. But is it their fault alone for people getting something they're not happy with? No. I'd say equal amounts of blame should be applied to the buyers. They didn't look at the box, they didn't do their research. They just went in and bought it, and you just don't do that. I mean would you buy a car right off the lot because you like the color? No. You want to know what that car is sporting first. The same applies to a computer. Ask what you're getting for before you pay for it. If it's missing a feature you absolutely had to have, you shouldn't have bought it in the first place.
I dunno. If these people are halfway clever, they could always get their money back by bitching about warranty of merchantability or something.
I agree with you that people should do research and learn about what they're buying. Every time I've done that, I've been happier with the purchase I ended up making.
It is safe to say that every computer user assumes they can customize the environment though, because it has been this way for at least fifteen years. If such basic features are removed, it should have to be noted on the packaging. It is like selling a new car with no seats and preventing the customer from seeing the lack of seats until after the sale. :)
The cost to obtain compatible seats is approximately 1/4 of the car! :)
Renzatic on 29/1/2010 at 02:43
Not quite. All computers come with a sticker saying something like "comes with Windows 7 Starter Edition" right on the box. Now I don't expect every mom and pop to know know what Starter Edition is, but I would expect them to look at what they're getting and maybe ask a few questions first.
I mean it's called Starter Edition. Even to the nonsavvy, that isn't exactly a name that inspires confidence. It's like wanting to buy your teenage kid Legos, accidentally getting them baby's first Duplo Blocks, then bitching about it on the Wal-Mart website.
heywood on 29/1/2010 at 04:22
I don't think the average user will go into a fit of nerd rage when they can't change their wallpaper and run off to buy a copy of Home Premium. You can already buy more powerful netbooks with Home Premium for $400 and up, but they don't sell as well which is why you don't see them at Best Buy. The low end of the market has gravitated to Windows 7 Starter Edition because people would rather save a few bucks than change their wallpaper. UI customization just isn't that important to the target market.
I recall that Sony once said the netbook market was a "race to the bottom" and they were right. I don't think people really expect a full featured ultraportable laptop computer for ~$300. And if they do, it's wishful thinking. Netbooks are built & equipped with price as the #1 priority and that applies to the hardware and software. You're not going to get a nice metal chassis, high quality keyboard, high res screen, or SSD in a $300 netbook and you're not going to get a copy of Home Premium either.
TBE on 29/1/2010 at 08:02
So if I go to the car dealership, and buy the car that costs the least, when I get home and realize there's no power steering, nor air conditioning, nor automatic transmission, nor a V-8 megapower turbo 500 horsepower engine, I need to complain about the product they sold me?
Chimpy Chompy on 29/1/2010 at 09:59
While the arguments in the above couple of posts make sense, does the starter edition seriously not allow you to change wallpaper!? It's hard to see that as some sort of "advanced" feature.
