Wal-Mart: Microsoft should kill Vista Home Basic

[leesmithg]

This whole problem stemmed from Vista itself, not its marketing. There should only be one version of Vista, not half a dozen.

There should be a home edition, a business/professional edition.

However M$ know that thousands upon thousands of people must have the ultimate as they wear it as a badge of honour even thought they don't need the features it offers.

So people will spend billions on features not needed, thus increasing Gates' bank balance.

Me, I have a Home Premium O.E.M. 64 bit waiting to be installed next year, with the features I need and want.

[Typhon]

Here is a tip for crap mart, stop rearranging your store every month. That **** is annoying. O yea and hire ready staff not capable.

[+Warwagon MVC]

Well the only problem is that Vista home basic comes on cheap computers that run like ass. Put Vista basic on a machine that has 1 or 2 gigs of ram and it runs really good. The fact its missing Aero really isn't such a bad thing, because it gets annoying after 1 week anyway. Same goes for Media center, as most people probably never use it. I think instead of killing vista basic, computer makers should not be allowed to ship a computer with less than 1 gig of ram.

[neufuse Veteran]

MS should just fire their marketing department to start with... they are the ones that keep pushing multiple versions of stuff....

[Rudy]

There should have been 2 versions of Vista:

Vista Home

Vista Professional

and then they could have made a Vista Plus! package available for sale separately that would include extras from the Ultimate edition

[tomwarren Veteran]

There should have been 2 versions. It's stupid the amount of versions and just leads to confusion amongst PC buyers and crap marketing.

[+ir0nw0lf Subscriber²]

There should have been 2 versions. It's stupid the amount of versions and just leads to confusion amongst PC buyers and crap marketing.

Ayup, people were happy with XP Home and XP Pro (well and MCE 2005). A Vista Home and Vista Pro (maybe a Vista MCE) would have sufficed. (Not forgetting things like Enterprise versions)

[KeeperOfThePizza]

I think microsoft gets a kick out of it =]

[oceanmotion]

Microsoft marketing are awful. They probably think they do good since Windows sells but maybe that's because they have a monopoly on the PC, duh! Feeding their egos. They seriously have the worst naming in history, Windows Live insert even more words...ugh. They over complicate things. Do an Apple. Simplicity.

Two versions is all that's needed. One for business and one for everyone else.

Their next OS skus should be named as follows.

Windows 7

Windows 7 Business

It's lucky number 7 after all.

Price accordingly. Will Microsoft do that, hell no. Boooooo!

[KeeperOfThePizza]

I think there should have been just one version, Microsoft Vista.

[Ayepecks]

"Start at Premium"? Is that like how Starbucks coffee starts as "tall" for their smallest glass?

No, it's not.

I think Premium should be the starting point, then you can pick business or ultimate if you need/want it. Not a hard concept to grasp :)

[Minifig]

Since Walmart and Walmart shoppers are the definite authority on good software and good software purchases, I'm sure Microsoft will be sure to listen to them. :rolleyes:

[Mr. Gibs]

Price accordingly. Will Microsoft do that, hell no. Boooooo!

You can't really talk much about pricing when comparing stuff to apple...

[markwolfe Veteran]

No, it's not.

I think Premium should be the starting point, then you can pick business or ultimate if you need/want it. Not a hard concept to grasp :)

You must have missed the irony of applying a high-end name to your your low-end product.

Starbucks' smallest size is "tall"

Vista's most low-end version is "premium"

See the strangeness in that now?

[Mr. Gibs]

You must have missed the irony of applying a high-end name to your your low-end product.

Starbucks' smallest size is "tall"

Vista's most low-end version is "premium"

See the strangeness in that now?

Nah i think he means make premium the "low-end" vista but rename it, so you get like:

Windows Vista Home (aka vista home-premium)

Windows Vista Professional (aka vista business)

Windows Vista Ultimate (aka vista ultimate)

[markwolfe Veteran]

Nah i think he means make premium the "low-end" vista but rename it, so you get like:

Windows Vista Home (aka vista home-premium)

Windows Vista Professional (aka vista business)

Windows Vista Ultimate (aka vista ultimate)

Oh yeah... Renaming Premium to Home, and so on won't cause any additional confusion. :p

Microsoft needs to leave it like it is and just take the lumps.

[Mr. Gibs]

Well what i find funny, however, is how many people claim that microsoft should have gone with XPs naming scheme...even though its almost practically the same bearing one exception:

Windows xp home - Windows vista home-basic

Windows xp professional - Windows vista business

windows xp MCE - Windows vista home-premium

The only exception is windows vista ultimate which is just home-premium (MCE) and business (professional) put together.

[ACTIONpack]

Microsoft should release 2 version of Vista. Windows Vista and Windows Vista Server

[KeeperOfThePizza]

uh yeah can i get a vista xl...

[Mr. Gibs]

Microsoft should release 2 version of Vista. Windows Vista and Windows Vista Server

Vista server is called windows server 2008.

And also if you have 1 version of vista, it just means that people will have to pay more for stuff they don't need.

People at the office don't need media center. Same vice verca; people at home don't need business tools.

[C_Guy]

Who isn't furious about Microsoft's marketing.

Well, let's see... consumers who aren't too lazy to take 2 minutes and research their purchase decision?

It's quite amusing to see so many people acting like they could do a better job on Microsoft's Marketing department ("Microsoft should have this many releases!" "Microsoft should have editions like Starbucks!") I guess there's a good reason you aren't involved in their marketing.

It's unfortunate that so few people grasp the basic concept of different prices for different editions. As Mark said, he chose a cheaper edition because he didn't need the extra features in "Premium" or "Ultimate" and therefore doens't have t pay for them. It's really not hard if you think about it.

As it's been stated if Wal-Mart doesn't like the product don't sell it. They have notorious control over their inventory so just don't stock Vista-Basic PC's. Stop attacking Microsoft for giving consumers choice. It's what they've been asking for and when Microsoft finally delivers look how many people whine and sue and cry about it.

Edited March 6, 2008 by C_Guy

[markwolfe Veteran]

Well, let's see... consumers who aren't too lazy to take 2 minutes and research their purchase decision?

It's quite amusing to see so many people acting like they could do a better job on Microsoft's Marketing department ("Microsoft should have this many releases!" "Microsoft should have editions like Starbucks!") I guess there's a good reason you aren't involved in their marketing.

<snipped rest of rant>

If you read my posts, which you obviously have not, you would see that the "Starbucks" reference I made was pointing out how silly a suggestion to have "Premium" as the low-end version. In no way could what I have said remotely sounded like I suggested Microsoft do that.

You can come down from that throne of condescension now.

[ACTIONpack]

Vista server is called windows server 2008.

And also if you have 1 version of vista, it just means that people will have to pay more for stuff they don't need.

People at the office don't need media center. Same vice verca; people at home don't need business tools.

It does not work that way. Windows Vista U is over price. They can sell it for $200 and the server for $400. More people will buy it at that price then paying $200 for the update for home premium. Does not matter if office people needs media center. It would be in the OS standard.

[Mr. Gibs]

It does not work that way. Windows Vista U is over price. They can sell it for $200 and the server for $400. More people will buy it at that price then paying $200 for the update for home premium. Does not matter if office people needs media center. It would be in the OS standard.

No because then people would complain that they're paying extra for stuff they don't need...sadly people in this world just like to complain about everything.

[ACTIONpack]

No because then people would complain that they're paying extra for stuff they don't need...sadly people in this world just like to complain about everything.

No, if the price is right. Most of the stuff in Windows Vista Premium people don't use. It would be a standard for all OS. If someone need to do something on a computer that did only comes with the higher version then that person is out of luck. Your have no grounds and that is way Microsoft release Vista Basic with that mind set. Thanks Razorfold!