Microsoft reportedly bans netbooks with hybrid storage systems, MSI's Wind U115 caught in the middle
By Darren Murph 
posted June 6th 2009 5:41PM
posted June 6th 2009 5:41PM
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posted June 6th 2009 5:41PM
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Microsoft Windows XP
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Micro$ sucks . . . Use a different OS and put them out of business . . . :-)
Sweet!
"It's funny. If it's with Apple locking Mac to their hardware, it's fine. They created the software, they can dictate and completely close availability of their OS. Now, Microsoft imposes two and a half rules..."
What's really funny is how clueless you are.
Apple locking Mac? Apple is a company, Mac is short for Macintosh which is the name of the computer this company sells.
OS X on the other hand is an operating system. I think thats what you mean.
So Microsoft develops various OS'. Not very good ones but thats another story. All sorts of PC makers using the lowest cost carp hardware they can find put this software on their hardware. These PC makers have no OS R&D costs they just pay a licensing fee and most of them use whatever cheap components they can find from some 3rd world shithole. These components can and do vary quite often even though the model name of the computer they are installed in does not.
Apple on the other hand develops their own OS, and their own hardware. They use design and use custom motherboards for example. They have every right to protect their reputation and their profits. On the other hand they have made no effort to go after individual Hackintosh builders.
So now explain to me how that has anything to do with Microsoft placing arbitrary limitations on how their OS is used on another companies hardware that has licensed their OS?
What hand process does Apple use when making it's own Core 2 Duos?
Yeah, their NVIDIA video cards, Intel processors, Sumsung SSDs, WD HDDs, and basically all other components in their system are so customized, they can't even run Windows...oh, wait...
This is funny. One blog posting a story about another story on another blog. Lol. What kind of crap is that? Do you all sit around scouring the net looking for stuff ALREADY posted elsewhere and in your attempts, try and post in here as quickly as possible so you make people think you all broke the story?
Lol.
Whilst I understand Microsoft's desire to realise higher ASP's, to increase profitability per licence. The company may find it difficult to raise prices, during the current downturn and shift its product mix towards the higher end.
Clearly, netbooks and continued sales of XP has diluted Microsoft’s margins.
Is the arrival of Win7 in October likely to significantly alter the situation?
Are Microsoft's actions also likely to push firms like MSI more towards Linux for its netbook products?
I realise netbooks with Linux installed suffered a higher customer return rate, than those with XP.
I wonder, when a consumer switches from PC to Mac, is there also a return rate, when the buyer realises it will require a short 'learning curve'?
I have a re-badged MSI Wind (Advent 4214 here in the UK) and put Ubuntu on it, and think its perfectly suited for what I require.
Maybe it's just a case of firms educating consumers to the multiple choices they have, and to be sufficiently comfortable with a different OS.
Why would they do this?
What are the benefits of a hybrid storage system?
What does Microsoft see in the system as a problem?
Nice knee jerk reaction.
-now about that knee to the jerks...
Open source FTW.
Seems to me engadget left some critical details out. Is it a plot to incite some anti-ms shillery?
"Please Microsoft, reconsider -- do it for love, do it for justice"
Dear God who writes this shit ? Isn't there a gossip mag you should be writing for ? XP is 8 years old, it doesn't make M$ any money, 7 will be out in 4 months and it runs on netbooks perfectly well.
This not news and not even a story it's just bullshit written by a fucking idiot.
"I hate you, coffee."
This is crazy! Microsoft is clearly stifling competition with such a decision! But I agree with others who have posted and believe that this flagrant move will only further Microsoft's undoing!
It has forced me to look at Microsoft in a different light!
I bet the vast majority of the people who purchase a netbook have already paid for a Windows XP license through a previous purchase! And now Microsoft wants MORE money? Microsoft has maneuvered to can their OS on the most promising netbook to ship this year!!!??! Wow! Why doesn't MSI just begin teaching it's customers how to get a refund on the multiple Windows XP licenses that they may have over-purchased? Companies need to respond to this!
Bring on alternatives, I say, and forget Microsoft! By this point, it would be good to see the major netbook manufacturers educate us newbies on how to easily install different operating systems and transfer the pre-shipped software drivers, etc. Tutorials on becoming accustomed would also help!
I want a refund from Honda! I already bought one of their cars and it had seats, why do I have to pay for seats with my new car??!? OMG, I just need to transfer the seats to my new Honda, how could the general public stand for this crap?! OGMOGMOGMOGM!
People need to get over themselves. If MSI wants to pay more $$$ for a non-netbook license of Windows, they can. They're trying to differentiate the market...it was either do that or have OEMs pay the original licensing cost and have no restrictions, which would make netbooks much more expensive.
Well, either A) MS will launch Windows 7 on the Netbook with dual storage, or B) Apple will do it and force MS to capitulate.
M$ banning hardware company from using it's OS in it? how about hardware company banning M$ from putting it in?? afterall, what M$ do will harm their pocket more... esp when the recession is still very bad for those big earners...
Time for Linux to become as used friendly as Windows. Get away from M$ and then we can finally have some frickin advance in technology. I'm surprised M$ hasn't been sued for holding back the advancement of technology. Why should we have to have a 10 year old graphics card in a new netbook. F* M$ and their horsesh*t!!!!
how exactly is Microsoft mandating a crappy video card? You can blame the manufacturers for putting the cheapest crappiest components in these netbooks, you think if they started using Linux they quality of the hardware would improve? These companies want to make the most money possible, the price of Windows is a big point because it hurts their bottom line, I guarantee you that if Microsoft cut the price in half you wouldn't see a dime of that invested in better chips, more ram, or a case that doesn't fall apart under normal use.
By the way, where can I buy an MSI Wind U115 here in the good old US o A? Can't find any online stores with it.
Just found the site, only directly from MSI in the US: http://www.msimobile.com/level3_productpage.aspx?cid=97&id=120
This isn't about Windows XP being dumped because its a legacy OS. Microsoft is trying to price fix netbooks with their OS installed on it. Which isn't an anti-competitive move BTW. If they axe out hybrid storage systems there'd be no reason to add hardware that makes the product more expensive. The last thing Microsoft wants is to lose market share in a rapidly expanding emerging market. Besides, most consumers aren't going to choose Linux over Windows if they're at a similar price point.
102 posts with no "highest rank"? wow...never seen that before
(come on Highest rank!!)
I assumed the rankings weren't working. Anyways, I agree with those that Darren left out quite a bit.
why is a software company specifying hardware? msi should tell em to fuck off.
Apple's Final Cut Express doesn't support control surfaces but Final Cut Pro does. Protools LE doesn't support hardware accelerated plug ins but ProTools HD does. I guess Apple and Digidesign should go to hell too? Matter of fact we should make a new law. Nobody is allowed to sell multiple versions of software and the public only has to pay what they feel like paying for it. That sounds totally reasonable.
Jason, you're a tit. There's a difference between making software you need specific hardware to run, and forcing manufacturers to conform to a standard you set for them.
why would you expect a corporation .. all of which are sociopathic and criminal by design .. by having been granted the legal rights of persons and operating under limited legal liability .. to know anything about love or justice (what ever that means).. let alone doing what might be considered the "right" thing ..
Try your best to turn off the hater aid, and read this objectively, instead of posting it in the comments I put it on my blog, this is why I think Windows 7 Starter edition makes sense, and how much Windows really costs.
http://www.philoking.com/2009/06/07/why-limiting-windows-7-starter-edition-makes-sense/
Jason
I love your last line. Sums everything up really nicely.
Windows 7 can't come soon enough and then, hopefully, XP can go away and die. At the time the OS was state-of-the-art but it's been almost 8-years now and it's really showing its age.
I don't get comments like 'the OS is showing its age'. OSs aren't used cars. I don't boot up my pc and stare at the operating system icons; I get busy doing what I need to do---writing a document, surfing, playing music. If it does what I need it to do, then any OS works for me, even if it were a decade old.
MICROSOFT HAS LITTLE REGARD FOR YOUR PERSONAL WISHES
CONFORM TO STANDARDS.
What's really interesting is that it appears to go in the face of their "ready boost" approach to speeding things up. They promoted certain forms of hybridization & now they're questioning different applications of it.
Are there still netbook users out there using Microsoft products? What possesses them?
yeah i use XP to use word and other Microsoft office products.
So someone help me understand... I create a product and then you create something that uses my product and you want to do something with my product with your product that I don't want you to do. And, you licensed my product and said you would do X with it, and now you're doing Z with it.
How is the original product manufacturer the bad guy in this scenario?
How is this different from Apple preventing iPhone OS or OS X from running on anything but their hardware or anything of theirs for the last umpteenth years? Where's the outrage?
"You people", and I do mean "you people" on this forum have now crossed the line into religous zealous nuts.
WOW!
if only Linux where just a little easier to use. specifically installing programs!
and had more support from the gaming community!
If you made a netbook faster, smarter, cheaper than a laptop which would you buy?