Three-Application Limit Dropped for Windows 7 Starter

Microsoft has dropped the three-application limit it had planned for its Windows 7 Starter operating system. The entry-level Windows 7 Starter edition is expected to be installed on many netbooks and now will run as many applications as customers want. An analyst said the netbooks will do some things easier than smartphones.

Microsoft has decided to drop the three-application limit it had planned for its entry-level Windows 7 Starter operating system, which is slated for introduction this fall.

Many netbook vendors intend to deploy Windows 7 Starter on the next round of mini-notebook products for price-conscious consumers. Microsoft said it had decided to drop its Windows 7 Starter app limit after receiving feedback from partners and customers asking for an entry-level OS that delivers a richer small notebook PC experience.

Windows 7 Starter customers therefore will have "the ability to run as many applications simultaneously as they would like, instead of being constricted to the three-application limit that the previous starter editions included," said Brandon LeBlanc, a spokesperson for the Microsoft Windows development team.

The 3G Netbook Option

LeBlanc said Microsoft believes the changes will make Windows 7 Starter an even more attractive option for customers who want a small notebook PC for performing very basic tasks, such as browsing the Web, checking e-mail and enhancing personal productivity. However, analysts note that some businesses also are beginning to deploy low-cost netbooks.

"Due to their small size and low price, PC vendors have begun to find some traction for mini-notebooks in the transportation, logistics, repair and servicing, manufacturing and health-care markets," said Tracy Tsai, a senior research analyst at Gartner.

With many wireless operators now subsidizing the price of the netbooks running on their 3G infrastructures, some enterprises may want to consider netbooks running Windows 7 as a way to fulfill some enterprise functions that previously were the exclusive purview of smartphones, noted Shiv Bakhshi, an independent analyst covering mobile devices. "The beauty of netbooks is that as wireless networks provide more bandwidth, you can do a lot of stuff with them which users find a bit more limiting to conduct on smartphones," he said.

When it comes to Web browsing, for instance, "the limitations of the smartphone as work real estate become a bit more acute and visible as users become more involved in intense activities online," Bakhshi explained. "And when Windows 7 becomes available this fall, it will eliminate the three- or four-minute bootup time delay, allowing netbooks to become more like a flip phone and function almost as an instantly-on device."

Other Considerations

On the other hand, there are several caveats for using netbooks in business environments, noted Gartner Research Vice President Leslie Fiering.

"Most of the systems currently sold, and certainly the lowest-priced ones, are consumer models," which means "lower-quality assurance testing --resulting in lower reliability and higher failure rates -- and higher model churn," Fiering said. So many netbooks fall short of the mark when it comes to delivering the platform stability "which many organizations require to reduce the number of supported system images," Fiering said.

LeBlanc said Windows 7 Starter should not be considered "the netbook SKU," as most machines in this category can run any edition of Windows 7. "Many of our beta users have installed Windows 7 Ultimate on their small notebook PCs and have given us very positive feedback on their experience," LeBlanc said.

However, having to deploy a higher-priced edition of Windows 7 on a netbook eliminates the cost factor as a potential selling point for businesses, Fiering noted. There already are several vendors "that offer business features in mini-notebook form factors, but prices range from $700-1,800," and so are "no bargain compared to regular notebooks."