Open letter to Microsoft: It's time for a single version of Windows
section: microsoft, for your questions: KezNews forum, 12.6.2009
Tip: Click here to update all your PC's outdated driversAn Open Letter to Microsoft:
Windows XP did a great thing. It united two operating systems - the Windows 9x codebase and the Windows NT codebase (including Windows 2000).
I would argue that the move to unify and standardize on one version of Windows was the primary reason for the almost-universal adoption of Windows XP by businesses, especially in the United States.
Simplification and standardization have always been powerful forces in the technology world, but today they have become even more valuable because buyers are deluged with a flood of choices, even when they have the simplest goals. And, today, the truth is that users and companies don’t want to think about the operating system. They simply want the OS to work smoothly and get out of the way.
For the 88% of computer users whose machines are powered by Microsoft Windows, upgrading to the latest version - or even choosing the right computer to buy - got a lot more confusing in 2007 with the release of Windows Vista because it was sold in four versions: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate.
This was one of the major drawbacks that led to the failure of Vista (I’ve previously written about the other reasons) and I certainly hoped that this would be one of the mistakes corrected in Windows 7. Unfortunately, it’s gotten worse. There are now six planned versions of Windows 7: Starter Edition, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate.
With the official launch of Windows 7 looming on October 22, I would strongly encourage a change of course. Flatten the whole strategy and offer a single version of Windows 7 for $50. There’s still time to get this right and doing it has the potential to greatly simplify computing for both consumers and businesses and ultimately increase Windows sales.
source:
blogs.zdnet.com
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Comments(12)
with the official launch of windows 7 looming on october 22, i would strongly
encourage a change of course. flatten the whole strategy and offer a single version of
windows 7 for $50.
oh, here spoke one business man
i am seriously agree with this view. hope that microsoft would just invent one version of
windows in the near future. this is what causes poor reputation of the company and its
products. hence, i hope that they would listen to our voices and change their mind.
but if we make you pay another $200 for the ultimate ed, we can give you a free p*ker
game and a couple of dreamscenes after 18 months......harvard biz school, here we come!!
the article obviously is in the dark ast to how many copies of xp were released...home,
business, pro,64..
i do agree that ms should go back to the one version idea
not seen since the winmedays. to grub an extra $50 for a fewfeatures,and $50 more for a
few more is rediculous. i would say vista failed from bad press as much as it did
execution. a lot of people were slamming vista when they haven't even tried it...the most
common phrase being "i heard" this and that. cost kept a lot of players out of the game.
with the economy being what it is, vista still relatively new, and xp still
functional....it's not the time for a money grab. one version at a flat rate of $50
would be the best marketing scheme,and publicity that ms could ever come up with. will
they make half as much $$ per copy as they did off vista? yes. but they might sell 4x as
many copies, and still have the best year ever.
i agree, $50.00 would be a great price and will slow down allot of the piracy and
counterfeit operating system.
at $50.00 i would purchase one instead of
depending on piratesbay to get my stuff. $50.00 bucks will be the way to go.
a single copy of 7 is a bad idea. people overexaggerate the claims by a longshot too. the
only versions of windows the consumer will really ever see available is home premium, and
ultimate, most of which know the easy shoice. oems use the starter and basic versions, so
nobody needs to even look at those, and businesses use professional, or enterprise for
very large-scale businesses. if microsoft combined them all into one version, they will
definately not lower the price, but now you drive up the cost of all budget computers.
netbooks featuring windows 7 will no longer have a small increase in price, but easily
another 100-200 more, which would be ridiculous considering the price range they are
designed for...
time for this author to wake up! look at mac with only one version. say, that got them
6 percent of the market. stupid business sense and a bad market strategy.
why would you have to drive the price up for one unified version??? ms doesn't have to
do anything,except make money. what is the cost for patching/upgrading multiple
platforms? what is the cost for combatting piracy? what is the cost for advertising?
at $50, i'd bet piracy would drop 75%. at $50they would need little advertising at
all....the price says it all. who ever dreamed up the idea that oem purchusers deserved a
stripped down copy should be shot. one version for all, would be a great pr campagnethat
ms could sure use right now.
common sense says that no matter how you spend on
developement, it still costs $1 to pressthe disc and another $1 to package it. what makes
more sense? selling 10 million copies at $200,or 50 million at $50??? this would bringms
back into the popularity it hasn'tenjoyed since 95/98 days. if they keep on the "grab
all the money you can" track.....someone will sink the capitol needed to make linux or
some other osinto a viable competitor. nobody stays on top forever with greedy
intentions.....general motors ring a bell?
it only makes total sense to have more than one version to fit each market share and type
of user. that is why m$ is on 94% of computers. can you imangine if 94% of people and
businesses drove the exact same vehicle? no more trucks, small cars, suv's, semi-trucks.
it makes no sense at all.
skully: $50.00 will not stop piracy and they still will
sell billions of copies. compatibility with the rest of the world and tailored editions
are the driving force, not $$ or one version fits all concept. we think you have the
super wacky thinking and have no business sense. what color is the sky of the planet you
live on...it is not blue!!
i would be happy with two versions: x32 and x64
in fact, you could even ditch x32. 64 bit processors have been around for way too long
and 32 bit progs can be emulated.
to george: we're talking about an os, not
cars. if you want to pay extra for crap you don't use...fine. but some of us believe
that gouging an extra $50 a level for media center addons or fax capabilities is wrong. ms
did quite well in the 95 &98 days thank you. far as i can remember they made a wad of
money too without four flavors of each.
skully: you brought up the gm and cars thing. i just used the analegy to prove the
point further...one type of car or operating system does not make sense. why would a
gamer need business solutions os and vice versa. if the concept is working, why fix it!!!
especially for the 3 people that want only one os. mac did not do so well with this
concept...that should be a lesson.
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By bill gates on 13.06.2009 - 04:06