Wal-Mart: Microsoft should kill Vista Home Basic


Recommended Posts

http://blogs.computerworld.com/wal_mart_mi...ista_home_basic

You may think of Wal-Mart as a down-market PC seller, but as emails in the Vista "junk PC" case show, Wal-Mart was furious at Microsoft's Vista Capable scheme, and thought that Vista Home Basic never should have been developed, much less released. They're not alone. Other retailers, notably Office Depot, thought Vista Home Basic should have been killed.

The Basic version did not make sense especially since they were pushing Aero and Flip 3D.

Well i honestly don't think theres anything wrong with vistas marketing.

Capable does not mean it can run every feature. It means that something will run but without any optional features.

Ready means that it can run every feature. [Though this is slightly ambiguous]

---

I really do not see how people expect capable to mean it can run everything....for the "Vista Ready" thing maybe if they wrote windows vista home premium ready or something i guess.

And once again - why was there so many versions of Vista. They should've just sold 2 versions, one for business users and one for home/gamers.

Bring on the "oh but it's cheaper for the customer.." no, they should've kept the prices low in the first place but good old greed has priority.

And once again - why was there so many versions of Vista. They should've just sold 2 versions, one for business users and one for home/gamers.

Bring on the "oh but it's cheaper for the customer.." no, they should've kept the prices low in the first place but good old greed has priority.

Three versions would have even been fine even, Ultimate still has a place I think. Combining the home and business features into one edition.

Well i honestly don't think theres anything wrong with vistas marketing.

Capable does not mean it can run every feature. It means that something will run but without any optional features.

Ready means that it can run every feature. [Though this is slightly ambiguous]

---

I really do not see how people expect capable to mean it can run everything....for the "Vista Ready" thing maybe if they wrote windows vista home premium ready or something i guess.

actually?...some might have gotten the computer with XP..and 'Capable' meant it could run Vista, if you decide to purchase it or upgrade.....however, it seems MS meant 'Capable' meant after you spend another 800.00 for hardware upgrades....

Gates dethroned; Buffett is richest (thats what happens when you leave MS with shysters)..I'm sure the EU will be adding another Billion to its Revised Fine....LOL

Edited by jwjw1
Well i honestly don't think theres anything wrong with vistas marketing.

Capable does not mean it can run every feature. It means that something will run but without any optional features.

Ready means that it can run every feature. [Though this is slightly ambiguous]

---

I really do not see how people expect capable to mean it can run everything....for the "Vista Ready" thing maybe if they wrote windows vista home premium ready or something i guess.

The problem is the average Joe doesn't want to (and shouldn't have to, for that matter) go shopping for a computer and wade through the pile of crap that this has led to. If Microsoft is going to force Vista onto computers sold in Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc. then they should make sure the damn thing runs at it's fullest. Period.

By the way, where did you come up with the definitions of capable and ready? As far as I know, Microsoft never defined it in those terms. You can't just assume thousands of other people look at something the way you do.

So if they didn't want Home Basic, why didn't they just refuse to sell it?

Probably because they didn't realise how rubbish it is at the time "ooh! new interface! more secure! runs merrily on 1GB RAM... oh wait"

Gates dethroned; Buffett is richest (thats what happens when you leave MS with shysters)..I'm sure the EU will be adding another Billion to its Revised Fine....LOL

Yeah, he's practically a pauper, only 58 billion and ONLY 2 billion more than last year.

Considering this is just his personal wealth, the EU fine is basically the change that drops out of his pocket in between the cushions on the couch. Add another 2 billion to the fine, ultimately it'll just be the EU consumer's who pay it.

The problem is the average Joe doesn't want to (and shouldn't have to, for that matter) go shopping for a computer and wade through the pile of crap that this has led to. If Microsoft is going to force Vista onto computers sold in Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc. then they should make sure the damn thing runs at it's fullest. Period.

By the way, where did you come up with the definitions of capable and ready? As far as I know, Microsoft never defined it in those terms. You can't just assume thousands of other people look at something the way you do.

It's called english lol. and also heres from microsoft's website:

What is a Windows Vista Capable PC?

A new PC running Windows XP that carries the Windows Vista Capable PC logo can run Windows Vista. All editions of Windows Vista will deliver core experiences such as innovations in organizing and finding information, security, and reliability. All Windows Vista Capable PCs will run these core experiences at a minimum. Some features available in the premium editions of Windows Vista?like the new Windows Aero user experience?may require advanced or additional hardwareWindows Vista Premium Ready PCs

Some Windows Vista Capable PCs have been designated Premium Ready. These PCs will provide an even better Windows Vista experience, including the Windows Aero user experience. Features available in specific premium editions of Windows Vista, such as the ability to watch and record live TV, may require additional hardware.

---

All Windows Vista Capable PCs will be able to run at least the core experiences of Windows Vista.

All Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs can deliver even better Windows Vista experiences, including the new Windows Aero user experience.

---

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/...de/capable.mspx

The Home Basic version should have replaced the Starter Edition and be used only in emerging markets such as China and India. The well established markets should have had only one edition (maybe two to separate home and business), with all capabilities functional and may be deactivated by the user at its discretion.

So if they didn't want Home Basic, why didn't they just refuse to sell it?

Because their competitors would still be able to sell lower-spec computers with the (presumably) less expensive Vista version.

In short, they would be placing their products at a higher price point then their competitors. Bad for them, so they want to "force" the others to also stop selling less expensive PCs.

The real question should be what idiot or idiots actually BOUGHT home basic.
Me. I'm not an idiot. The PC was purchased as an inexpensive PC for our 7 year old's birthday.

There is a market for less expensive OSes, you know. Not everyone wanting one is an "idiot".

The real question should be what idiot or idiots actually BOUGHT home basic

Quite a lot. Businesses don't need computers that can run Aero for one. So theres no point in buying an OS that is designed for entertainment, even though there is Vista Business that seems to be more aimed towards laptops. Therefore, Home basic is generally what an office user would need.

It's called english lol. and also heres from microsoft's website:

What is a Windows Vista Capable PC?

A new PC running Windows XP that carries the Windows Vista Capable PC logo can run Windows Vista. All editions of Windows Vista will deliver core experiences such as innovations in organizing and finding information, security, and reliability. All Windows Vista Capable PCs will run these core experiences at a minimum. Some features available in the premium editions of Windows Vista?like the new Windows Aero user experience?may require advanced or additional hardware.

I understand English, too. What does that last sentence say? Nothing. It uses the word "may" which is ambiguous. It may mean that Aero will run. It may mean Aero won't?

What can you conclude from that? Nada.

Quite a lot. Businesses don't need computers that can run Aero for one. So theres no point in buying an OS that is designed for entertainment, even though there is Vista Business that seems to be more aimed towards laptops. Therefore, Home basic is generally what an office user would need.

Home can't connect to a domain. It's useless in a business enviornment.

It's called english lol. and also heres from microsoft's website:

What is a Windows Vista Capable PC?

A new PC running Windows XP that carries the Windows Vista Capable PC logo can run Windows Vista. All editions of Windows Vista will deliver core experiences such as innovations in organizing and finding information, security, and reliability. All Windows Vista Capable PCs will run these core experiences at a minimum. Some features available in the premium editions of Windows Vista—like the new Windows Aero user experience—may require advanced or additional hardware.

Windows Vista Premium Ready PCs

Some Windows Vista Capable PCs have been designated Premium Ready. These PCs will provide an even better Windows Vista experience, including the Windows Aero user experience. Features available in specific premium editions of Windows Vista, such as the ability to watch and record live TV, may require additional hardware.

My understanding is that the information now available was only added after all the confusion. It's all very well saying it's very clear now but it wasn't back when the initiative was first launched. Also, Aero was pretty much THE main feature of Vista and to find it wasn't available on Home Basic annoyed a lot of people. The Home Basic package was completely unnecessary and should never have been released.

There is only one version of Vista that doesn't match up to XP and that is Ultimate.

XP Home = Vista Home Basic

XP MCE = Vista Home Premium

XP Pro = Vista Business

Has there ever been a push by Wal-Mart to not sell XP Home NO. Nor any other company for that matter. Vista Home Basic is equal to XP Home.

Vista Home Basic is not stipped down, but rather MSFT starts will Home Basic and adds to it to make Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate. They all use the same Kernel.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • If you actually used it instead of responding like a petulant child you might be surprised. I switched from Google some time ago and have been very satisfied.
    • I am one of the first people to use the DXVK technology. In the channel below you can see some videos that I have made using this technology, including Assassin's Creed Odyssey. https://www.youtube.com/@nahum7995/videos Assassin's Creed Odyssey experienced several bugs and technical issues during its first months after release. It launched with its own fair share of funny but frustrating glitches. I ran it on DXVK 9 days after its release and I played it for many hours but didn't see a single significant bug on Linux. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is widely celebrated for pushing the franchise in bold new directions and specifically for nailing several elements better than any other title in the AC series: Player Choice & Branching Narrative, The Mercenary & Cultist System, Mythological Integration, Overpowered Combat Abilities, Open World Exploration But what I'm trying to point out is that this game wasn't quite playable on most windows systems, until a few months after its release when most of the bugs were fixed. However, on Linux it ran completely flawless from day one, although DXVK had seen little development and refinement at the time. What do you think the situation will be in 2026 now that most bugs and glitches of DXVK have been completely eliminated? This is information from Google about these situations that I am quoting. In many cases, using DXVK (a translation layer that converts DirectX 9, 10, or 11 into Vulkan) can result in more stable frame times and higher performance than native Windows rendering. This happens primarily by bypassing driver overhead and multithreading draw calls that were previously restricted to a single CPU core. Older APIs (like DirectX 9 and 11) are largely single-threaded on the CPU side. DXVK translates these calls to Vulkan, which is highly multi-threaded. This reduces CPU-bound stuttering on weaker processors. In certain cases, GPU manufacturers (especially AMD) have significantly better and more modern Vulkan drivers than they do for legacy DirectX. Vulkan gives developers—and in this case, the translation layer—closer control over how resources are held in VRAM. This can prevent micro-stutters and sudden frame drops during chaotic gameplay. Yes, certain games, particularly older DirectX 9 to 11 titles, can run with fewer crashes on DXVK than on native Windows. By intercepting DirectX draw calls and translating them into the modern, highly efficient Vulkan API, DXVK bypasses the limitations and poor driver support that cause instability in aging game engines. PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 can be easily and perfectly emulated on Linux. In fact, modern Linux emulators offer high-performance upscaling, widescreen patches, and automatic controller mapping out of the box.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 PlayStation 1/2/3 games look drastically better on Linux thanks to resolution upscaling. Furthermore, it is also a fact that you cannot play many fun games on Windows either, isn't it? - The Nintendo Switch has an extensive library of exclusive games. - PlayStation has an extensive library of exclusive games - Android has "mobile-exclusive" games, meaning they are exclusive to mobile devices (iOS and Android) and aren't available on PC or consoles. And finally, it is also the case that in the next five years there will be games that millions of people will say you absolutely must play and that they want to play this specific game that released a few days ago. However, the other side of this story is that currently, absolutely no one cares that they cannot play these upcoming games right now.
    • Flameshot 14.0 RC3 by Razvan Serea Flameshot is a free and open-source, cross-platform tool to take screenshots with many built-in features to save you time. Using Flameshot is as simple as launching, dragging the selection box to cover the area you want to capture, making annotations as needed in on-screen and saving the shot to your computer, all with a very simple and straightforward interface. Flameshot allows users to simply upload their screenshots directly to the cloud in order to easily share it with others. You can upload your image directly to Imgur with a single click and share the URL with others. In-app screenshot editing - You can choose to add an arrow mark, highlight text, blur a section (blur or pixelate an area), add a text, draw something, add a rectangular/circular shaped border, add an incrementing counter number, and add a solid color box with Flameshot's built-in editing tools. Command-line interface (CLI) - Flameshot has several commands you can use in the terminal without launching the GUI via a command line interface. The command line interface lets you script Flameshot and use it as the subject of key binds. Flameshot 14.0 RC3 changelog: Translations update from Hosted Weblate by @weblate in #4612 Translations update from Hosted Weblate by @weblate in #4619 Fix pin position on Windows for scaled screen by @ElTh0r0 in #4614 Cmake Analyzers by @ElTh0r0 in #4613 Translations update from Hosted Weblate by @weblate in #4632 fix(macos): prevent config tab content from rendering behind tab bar by @Mitnitsky in #4627 fix(macos): use CGRequestScreenCaptureAccess instead of grabWindow for permission request by @Mitnitsky in #4617 Fix KDE Plasma keyboard shortcut config file by @ElTh0r0 in #4637 fix(macos): fix clipboard copy failing from tray and GUI by @Mitnitsky in #4629 feature(macos): show dock icon when config window is open by @Mitnitsky in #4628 Option to disable tray icon on Windows by @ElTh0r0 in #4634 Translations update from Hosted Weblate by @weblate in #4642 fix(macos): make fullscreen capture overlay configurable by @Mitnitsky in #4622 Update GH actions using Node.js 24 by @ElTh0r0 in #4660 fix issue with screen selection in non interactive mode by @borgmanJeremy in #4667 Uniformize both spec files + ninja build openSUSE by @QuentiumYT in #4658 screengrabber: pass non-empty parent_window to xdg-desktop-portal by @artefaktor93 in #4664 Allow multiple flameshot GUI instances (fix for #3177) by @ElTh0r0 in #4680 Unify Linux ARM CI into Linux CI (also drop QEMU) by @theofficialgman in #4702 respect system proxy settings by @borgmanJeremy in #4674 Replace ifdef LINUX with UNIX to include BSD systems by @ElTh0r0 in #4700 Download: Flameshot 14.0 RC3 | 18.1 MB (Open Source) Download: Flameshot Portable | 53.0 MB Links: Flameshot Home Page | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • I found that stability back then was really down to the motherboard manufacturer. Back then i stuck with Microstar motherboards and VIA chipsets as they were ultra reliable. Most stuff was done with jumpers and left little room for user created problems 👍
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      nothanks earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      B2Proxy earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Year In
      MadMung0 earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Week One Done
      jefred earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Apprentice
      JoeyNeo went up a rank
      Apprentice
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      490
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      232
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      78
    4. 4
      FloatingFatMan
      68
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      58
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!