In a word: no. I will just get the base option for the OS with all of my netbooks and pirate windows 7 for them. “Only be able to run up to three programs at a time” my ass.

I'd be willing to pay $10 to $20 for the upgrade, but more than that and I'd likely uninstall Windows 7 and go Linux.

I respectfully reject the question. As you note pricing has not been announced and retail prices for various WIndows versions aren't relevant anyway. There will be some netbooks sold with the Stater Edition to be sure, but more will be sold with Home Premieum or perhaps a special version between the two that we haven't been told about that will be customized for netbooks like XP was. I base my prediction on past practice. Microsoft recognized that netbooks were a real market and adjusted to it and captured it. (Yes, they were later than they should have been, but still well ahead of any possible competitor.) Windows 7 design decisions were made in order to continue to hold this market. Once Microsoft has captured a market, they have rarely let it go, so I expect the future of the vast majority of netbooks sold will be Windows based.

@notme:

I really take issue with your assessment of Microsoft's response to netbooks, you are either uninformed, a Microsoft shill, or simply love spreading FUD.

Quote:
“Microsoft recognized that netbooks were a real market and adjusted to it and captured it.”
wrong. Microsoft was blind sided by the need for an operating system that runs on low spec machines. In response to the rapid growth of linux on these machines, they extended the lifetime of XP and started giving it away nearly free. They also did not capture the netbook market, Dell is reporting 1/3 of it's mini 9 machines are shipping with Ubuntu, not bad for a company (Ubuntu) with no marketing presence.

quote:
“Yes, they were later than they should have been, but still well ahead of any possible competitor.”

To date, Microsoft does not have an operating system designed for use on netbooks, whereas there are at least three commerical linux distro with custom netbook builds ( Xandros, Linpus, and Ubuntu) So they are in fact, trailing behind three actual competitors.

Thats an absolut NO, because software is free ,as freedom

Most definitely.

Hell no! I shouldn't get the gimp version and I shouldn't have to pay more to get what I should have had from the start.

MS needs to start selling two versions of Win 7, and they need to start selling the consumer version dirt cheap. They should want everyone to have their OS, and they should want to make sure that consumers who buy a Mac or Linux system can easily grab a Win 7 box for $99.

This item is exaclty why I bought an XP Netbook now, instead of in the future. I have always loved Windows and used all the OS'es until Vista. But no more. XP is it for me until 7 becomes an amazing, stable, slick and polished cheap OS like XP. That and and more importantly MS starts seeing comsumers such as myself as 'valued' customers again. As I hear some of you laugh, why do you think the US is in a lot of the trouble its in now? Consumers have abadoned theyre open market power and companies that 'Serve' us have gottten fat and lazy and stagnate trying to shove what they want us to have … down our throat. Those that innovate, will kill the corporate dinos that refuse to evolve and I say amen and will support the new business model that earns my business.

No, I probably wouldn't pay the price of a full home edition on a netbook. An OS shouldn't cost more than 10% of the price of the computer it is sold with, so that woulds make a price point of around $30 for netbooks. At that price level it will probably be Linux or starter edition, but with the limitations of starter I would probably go Linux.

“MS made it easy for NON-GEEKS to be able to use computers…”

This displays real ignorance of the history of computing. It was not until 1993, 9 years after Apple introduced the graphical Macintosh OS, that Microsoft successfully stole enough of the Mac's usability for everyday people to run Windows (3.11).

The GUI was invented by Xerox but not marketed to the masses. Apple built their own graphical interface (which is still around, by the way — I run OS X on my MSI Wind) after seeing what Xerox had built, and marketed it to the masses with the Lisa and then the Macintosh. Apple had a GUI-based operating system on the market in 1983. Microsoft's Windows 1.0 was laughable when it came out in 1985 and didn't improve to what most people consider “usable” until 1993.

Windows' real popularity didn't hit until 12 years after the mass-market GUI, with Windows 95.

Get over Microsoft. Xerox invented ease-of-use and Apple perfected it. Microsoft just built crap to maintain its DOS empire. And Linux is better by a mile than MS-DOS, which was built on a hack job called “quick and dirty operating system” and was meant to provide some of the experience of CP/M.

Here's my two cents:

I used to love Microsoft Win XP. I am an I.T. professional and until Vista I was pretty much a Windows proponent. Vista is actually the reason I am a Linux zealot now. Vista is garbage, Microsoft has learned, and is positioning Windows 7 to be the recovery.

Microsoft is able to command RIDICULOUS prices because of their monopolies with manufacturers. Ever wonder why everything JUST WORKS in the Windows realm when you turn on your shiny new Netbook? The manufacturers are paid by other software developers (McAfee, Roxio, etc.) to put their software on your machines. This allows Microsoft to maintain dominance over Linux through incentives.

So while Linux is “free” it actually COSTS a manufacturer the revenue from third-party developers to put it on there. Which is why you'll continue to see XP on your machines until Windows 7 arrives. You won't catch me with Windows 7 as the only OS installed however, I'll turn that machine into a dual boot very quickly.

Just my two cents.

Well say what you want the numbers add up to Microsoft being the most utilized OS regardless of who and when it started. Look at the sales number versus Windows, Apple, and Linux. So thanks for the history lesson but your are still beating a dead horse because Microsoft continue to rule on the OS font. So just because you prefer one over the other does not make it true.

Well, that's like saying “Henry Ford made the horseless carriage easy for the average man, because he sold a bunch of Model Ts.”
When you find out Daimler invented the car, and Ford's Model T was merely a matter of marketing and what amounted to slave labor, you then say, “you're beating a dead horse because Ford rules the car market.” That my be true, but what does that have to do with your original incorrect statement?

As for the questionable “just because you prefer one over the other does not make it be the better choice for everyone.” — was this meant for me or were you telling this to yourself? I never stated any preference, and even loyal Microsoft software users will readily admit that MSDOS and early versions of Windows (some might say ALL versions) are crap.

I have been a sysadmin running all kinds of operating systems for longer than you have been a user of any system. Even the most dominant players of an era come and go. Even the richest and biggest companies in the industry come and go, hardware and software.

Microsoft is computing's past, a legacy system. Will Ballmer uninstall himself, so the machine can be upgraded, or will he continue to make it run slower and slower, like a virus, until it's not worth the time and money to fix it?

Matthew: You wrote:
I really take issue with your assessment of Microsoft's response to netbooks, you are either uninformed, a Microsoft shill, or simply love spreading FUD.

Why is there always at least one person on every website who can not post without insulting people they disagree with. Frankly sir, your post is more “shill like” than anything I wrote.

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Only 3 programs? Sure ’bout that??

Please clarify soon, thanks.

No, I probably wouldn’t pay the price of a full home edition on a netbook.