Quote:It is not so easy to determinate what is a home user and what is a pro user. What if I work at home, and play games? What If I want to use my system for Image Retouching, and after that, code my programs (with a legal copy of VIsual C++ 5).?
No need for comment on that one!

Quote:You go on living in you're dream world, where all computer products should be free.
I didn't say anything should be "free"! I just pointed out that most software is overpriced and perhaps the very reason of the majority of warezed software out there. And after he/she misjudged me, saying I "ripped OS's" then I put him/her in their place when I started posting pics of my bought and paid for legit OS's Anytime you're ready, i'll start scanning in reciepts to all my software=) But I gotta admit, just like I have yet to try 2kpro because of its price, if XP pro comes out at over 0.00, then for the first time I might rip a OS. I don't want to....But hanging out here, by butte is already to sore to take it anymore.

Quote:With lower prices, people would be encouraged to buy a legal product. And with good promotional upgrades, there would be no need of "I want this, then I download it from ***** servers".
If only we could get M$ to "understand" that!

Quote:2-I'd love to see a Pro+home Windows XP version merged. Maybe I'm a "professional at home" user
Thats exactly what XP Pro beta 2 is right now!! Just leave it that way and can home, price it inbetween the two!! Same profit in the end:D

Questionare your definately a sick bastard
 
Please buy a MAC

No, it isn't the same profit in the end. Why sell a ton of admin functionality to home users that don't need them, and then charge them $50 or more for the "combined" version of the OS? That will be another reason for them not to upgrade. It will also bump up the cost of new PCs as well. The difference between the full 9x and 2K OSs seems to be about $100, so if you split the difference in half you will wind up adding another $50 to the home version of the OS. And with the softened market for home PCs lately, why increase the price of them now? As a business man, you should see that this is not good business.

I agree with clutch
 
Alot of my friends parents (of the docotr/architect kind) go out and buy Win2k Pro....but the funny thing is....they dont do anything with it...all they want, is their computer to be bad *** fast at start up so they can get their email from Uncle Ron in the bahamas.
 
I can understand this:
"well....i only look at email and surf...so ill spend money on the product that best suits my needs"
Because I am like that, alot of smart people are like that. YOu know...if i wanted to run a business at home and play games....id have win2k. If i was a (hate to use it again) soccer mom and didnt know how to open IE without my 6 yr old son reminding me of the button to press...i wouldnt want to spend and extra $50+ dollars on something i didnt need.
 
Its just business. Plain and simple...different products for different people.
 
Btw...Linux does come installed on some custom computer systems .

Quote:Why sell a ton of admin functionality to home users that don't need them, and then charge them or more for the "combined" version of the OS? That will be another reason for them not to upgrade.

Then whats the reason to upgrade? Um, I thought the big hype of XP was it was finaly bringing the home and business OS together? Or did we all forget all the hype ups from a few months back? A reason for people not to upgrade is why buy XP when they already have 98/ME and all their current programs are well supported and work prime? Just for a blue and green toolbar and some other useless graphical updates? Heck, you could just use Windows Blinds or Lightstep and make 98 look just like XP or better! So lets see, why would anyone want XP?? Hhhmmm.... Well, the very reason I wanted it was to have the gaming, multimedia and compadibility of Win98/Me with the added features, admin power, security and the like of win2k all in one OS! Exactly what all the hype about it was!

Um, have any of you been paying attention to computer sales? Computers arent selling like they used to and I see no reason for people to upgrade to XP if they already have 98 - win2k. Like I said, for what other reason other then a blue and green toolbar and um, mabye the new start menu? So you guys fill me in on why someone would want XP if their system already runs everything prime with what they got? It must be the new icons, LOL!!!!

Thats funny because it is so ignorant!!!

Look, some people posting into this thread, actually not that many, seem to be missing what the whole point of WinXP was.
OK, in it's simplest form the idea is to do away with multi-platforms and return one platform for all.
If you play games at home, use a workstation at work, or serve applications and domains in a network.
Now this is where some people seem to be having an issue.
Again, in the simplest form there is no difference between WinXP Home, WinXP Pro, WinXP Server etc.
They are all based on the Win2k 32bit Kernel.
They will all offer the same compatibility, if something runs on one it will run on the others.
Think of it this way:
 
WinXP Home - Office2k Standard
WinXP Professional - Office2k Professional
WinXP Server - Office2k Premium
 
Take the basic components of the office packages and you have something standard, a standard word processor a standard spreadsheet etc.
However if you move up the product tree you get some extra goodies, FrontPage, Publisher etc.
It's the same with WinXP, the basics are all the same, however as you move up the tree you get extra features, support for dual processors etc.
So why WinXP Home?
Well the biggest point has already been made, why charge home users the extra for features they wont use.
The Win9x users and new computer owners are not going to be running dual CPU's.
The people in this area also usually don't know the in's and out's of the OS, they want to switch on and use it, hence the idea of downloading the drivers for your hardware from MS's product update site (this feature is probably only going to be in WinXP home).
They want to switch on, have all the features they need, no features they don't, easy updates as they appear etc.
They don't want to download 5 different versions of a video card driver just to find which one gives them those extra 50 3DMark2001 points.
 
The idea of sub-dividing the WinXP platform is sound.
Your still going to have totaly compatability between all users eventually, but you have a simplified version for those users (and they make up a very, very high percentage) who really don't want to or don't know how to mess about with their systems.
I class myself as an advanced user and I feel the extra features in WinXP Professional will be on benefit.
My brother on the other hand will probably purchase WinXP Home, he's a Win98 user now and it's exactly the kind of OS for him.

Judging just by what Ive read about XP, I have no compelling reason to go there. However, Jdulmage, put up a post about WindowsXPLite---which basically takes XP and removes the stuff people wont use. The retail price is ~$25, but could drop to ~$20 if there's enough support for it.
Im really more concerned with MS supporting 98/ME/2000 after they start pumping out XP. Ive seen something that hinted at 98/ME getting dropped as well as 2000:(
 
Well, when Beta 2 comes in the mail, I'll try it out, and then see if I still dont have a good reason, other than looks to go to it. The only problem is the activation thing, but Im positive that wont be an issue.

Questionnaire, MS wants to make money on anything they sell. That's why they sell different versions of things. If they followed you idea, then why not ship a version of SQL2K with office rather than Access? They use a stipped down version with office extensions already when you install them on a server, so why not do this? Because the average user does not need the complexity of an actively running database server (even if they aren't that complex lately) and would steer away from a version of office that includes it. They can't use it, so why pay for it? That is already an issue with some suites, and the OS is falling into the same category. Operating Systems come with so many "features" and "add-ons" that people don't use, why try to cover the cost of development of more of these by raising the price of an OS and forcing them onto low end users? You don't seem to be familiar with most basic common business practices even though you claim to own your own business. Let me ask you something, how well do you think business would do if they only sold one version of something and forced all the options onto everybody? Then, tried to cover the increased cost per unit of this "idea" by passing it along to anybody that walked in the door?

Ok guys... I'll just have to wait and see when the RC 1 & 2 that I purchased from the preview deal ship. If RC 1 & 2 turn out the same as what i'm running now, which is exactly what I expected XP to be, then I guess i'll just have to pay more for the extra shiat I want. Win2k features and stability + Win9x compadibilty and multimedia with the option to go dual CPU if I decide to go down that road at a later time. There will be a upgrade version from win98 to XP Pro, right? Upgrade CD's scare me after what happened with millinnium. But I guess i'll just give it whirl and cross my fingers.

As said before, you purchase the upgrade CD, but you don't actually do an upgrade with it.
You purchase, backup all your data and then wipe your PC.
Now boot from your upgrade CD.
During installation you'll be asked to insert your Win98/ME CD, eject WinXP, insert Win98.
Wait.........
Eject Win98, insert WinXP and away you go.

I don't know how the upgrade CD was for Millenium, but for Win98, NT4 (WS and Server), and W2K Server they have all been the SAME as the regular retail CD other than the fact that the upgrade has a different exe/dll/dwarf on the CD that requires a search for a previous product to upgrade from. This can be either from a previous install getting the upgrade, or a fresh hard drive in which case the install will ask for the old CD to check for license compliance. This same situation has been the same for other products (such as Adobe GoLive!) in which the upgrade version simply asks for the serial of the previous product if you don't have the older version installed. Same install, same files, same extras.