“Leading PC manufacturer Acer has accused Microsoft of ratcheting up the cost of Windows by effectively forcing consumers to opt for the Premium version of Vista,” Jon Honeyball and Barry Collins report for PC Pro.
Honeyball and Collins report, “Acer claims that the Vista Home Basic – the new entry-level Windows – is so poorly featured that consumers will simply reject it. ‘The new [Vista] experience you hear of, if you get Basic, you won’t feel it at all,’ said Jim Wong, senior corporate vice president at Acer. ‘There’s no [Aero] graphics, no Media Center, no remote control.'”
“Wong claims that the manufacturer’s licence for Vista Home Premium is 10% more expensive than for XP Home… As a result, he claims the total cost of building a PC has risen by 1-2%, which is a significant increase in such a low-margin business… Acer isn’t the first PC manufacturer to complain about the inadequacies of Vista Home Basic. Other OEMs, including Evesham Technology, have told PC Pro that they have no plans to ship that version on their PCs as they feel there will be no consumer demand,” Honeyball and Collins report.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The whole Vista mess is a lemon. It’s Windows. Duh. When life presents you with a lemon, grab an Apple instead: Get a Mac, it’s awesome out of the box.
Other computers include software, it’s true. But once you start using that software, you find that you’re hobbled in some way or another. Software included with the Mac, on the other hand, is critically acclaimed as best in class. – Apple.
Microsoft tries to spur sales with Windows Vista coupons; eWeek says consider Apple Mac instead – October 25, 2006
The plight of the Windows sufferer prompts CNET Editor to suggest: Get a Mac – October 24, 2006
Development approaches of Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista yield very different results – August 15, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard sets new bar, leaves Microsoft’s Vista in the dust – August 08, 2006
Symantec researcher: At this time, there are no file-infecting viruses that can infect Mac OS X – July 13, 2006
Sophos: Apple Mac OS X’s security record unscathed; Windows Vista malware just a matter of time – July 07, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Analyst: Windows Vista may still impress many consumers because they have not seen Apple’s Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
At a guess, I’d say the whole Home Basic thing is to keep regulators happy. Nobody is going to want such a feature stripped version of Windows.
I think the dam is starting to break when senior VPs from your OEMS are giving you grief.
You know you are in trouble when an indutsrie’s low cost/low value producers say that your product has no value.
Every Microsoft user is a lemon, how much clearer can it get?
but you know how lemons taste
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Doesn’t macs come with an office trial version? I thought trial software was something you had to erase on PCs when you got them, according to Apple’s ad.
Hallo Panther OS X for PC , Steve ?
Pieter,
Are you the same Pieter who is redesigning iClip?
To Emil.
Yes its trial software that you have to erase. Microsoft makes them do it. MS just cant help themselves. LOL
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A microsoft product that sucks? Stop the presses!
-jcr
Shocking. A total surprise. I can’t beleive it.
Just read the comments to the original article. Those types of comments are becoming the norm.
Just remember, Peter… two Wongs don’t make a right.. 😀
When I read the limitations of Vista Basic, even though I’m used to Microsoft suckage, and even though I know Vista is the ultimate expression of six years of suckage in development… EVEN THEN, I’m still in shock and awe.
Only address 256 MB of memory?
Only run 3 applications at once?
What possible REASON for these “features” could there be? I mean, these aren’t some fance “features” that were cut out for the cheap people, these are artificial limitations imposed simply to make the experience worse for the cheap losers.
When you start this process of actually treating your customers like the cheap losers that you think they are, you are finished. I have to say, wishful thinking aside, I really now believe in my heart that Microsoft is on the big slide down to oblivion. I don’t know how long it takes to waste away several hundred billion in market cap, but I guess we’ll find out soon.
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Whenever I buy a new Windows PC for work (or have to re-install the OS on a current PC), I completely wipe out all the bundled software and install freeware or open source software. The bundled software is always inadequate: demos, feature-limited “special edition” versions, or unknown software that never gets updated. Good thing I have Mac at home. I only had to uninstall a few items.
‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’
I foresee a consortium of companies that will develop a linux-based competitor. When that happens, Apple will grow, too while M$ will get cut off at the knees.
I think the same’ll happen with the companies that got rear-ended by M$’s Zune plan. They’ll learn and when they get their act together, they’re going to undermine M$ very swiftly. The giant will fall with a resounding FUD. I mean, thud.
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One of my ex-employers decided to be cheap once and get XP home instead of XP pro on some new computers. Boy did we regret that move. XP home really sucks. The IT department got tired of it and ended up putting Windows 2000 on most of them.
This is only the beginning of the 6 version Vista
mess. There will be a lot of consumers complaining soon after they buy the wrong version of Vista missing the component they thought would be available and now having to go back for another version of Visa.
It’s just dumb to make so many versions and the only thing I can think of for why they did this is to rip people off and then make them upgrade. Basically charge them twice because they were to confused to purchase the version of Vista with the function they really needed. And if Aero and other features are missing there is no reason to use Vista period.
I say get a Mac. One operating system with all the features you need or could want and at 3 quarters of the price of Vista. $129 for OSX $400.00 for Vista.
“At a guess, I’d say the whole Home Basic thing is to keep regulators happy. Nobody is going to want such a feature stripped version of Windows.”
Who would want any version of Windows?
Speaking of Zune, I saw the first billboard ad for one along I-10 through California today. It said “Music the way it wants to be. Comingzune.com”. What a crock of shit.
MDW “distance”. Smart people will distance themselves from Zune.
R, you might be right. BUT until the Linux community can offer a version that plays all the common media formats (audio, video, etc.) they’ll always be thought of as a hobby OS. I downloaded Ubuntu and it looks really cool, has neat features and runs well on old hardware but you can’t play common media files easily. I hate to say it but Linux needs REAL (or a company like REAL) to jump on the band wagon. That would be the Windows killer.
Well shut my mouth. I just found the REAL Linux 10 player. Man do I feel…tardy.
Know what? I might use that Basic edition on a Intel mini just for a Windows app that will never be ported that I need for some business tasks at the bank my company has its accounts..
They should stop complaining, and just write their own OS if they don’t like it. Or just ship with a free OS, or no OS at all.
this is clearly a downgrade for xp users. at least with xp they could run all the programs their ram allowed. and they could max out there machine’s ram too.
microsoft has no brains, no conscience, no hope.
I like how MDN suggests-rather blatantly-that ACER called Vista a lemon, which is a complete lie. MDN simply lifted the headline from Channel Register.
I defy anyone to find a story where ACER is quoted as saying Vista is a lemon.
DPTK, “Lemon” IS the wrong term. The correct term is “Bait and Switch”!
“Know what? I might use that Basic edition on a Intel mini just for a Windows app that will never be ported that I need for some business tasks at the bank my company has its accounts..”
no you won’t. the basic versions don’t do emulation. or at least MS has said as much. the license requires that you have the pro for that.
cool, huh…..
“Acer claims that the Vista Home Basic – the new entry-level Windows – is so poorly featured that consumers will simply reject it.”
In other words, its a lemon.
Acer: Implies that Microsoft’s Windows Vista Home Basic is a lemon.
Too wordy for a headline.
@To Macromancer
What about “weird”, “leisure”, “height”, “seize”, “forfeit” (I’m sure there are more).
I always hated that crazy I before E rule
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“Leading PC manufacturer Acer”? Leading who?
Richb :
XP Home is perfectly adequate where it is meant to be used – in the home. It does the job for gaming and other standard uses, albeit in typical Windows dysfunctional style. There is no sense in doling out more money than neccesary for any MS crap. I can’t wait for Vista to come out. It should be good for lots of laughs.
@ cubert: nope that is not me.
Although I do develop some minimal software for my own needs.
Considering what Windows Vista can and should be called, calling Windows Basic a lemon seems to be a rather mild disparagement.
Windows Vista-Basic…..XP SP 2.1
I bet the free coupons are for Vista Home Basic.
Suckers!
@ LorD 1776>
Well, leading Apple on a global basis for a start with around 3.45 million CPU units shipped in the last quarter and the number four player all in all.
But let’s focus on getting the real message out there to potential switchers: Vista Home Basic is nothing more than XP SP2 ½ (that’s 2.5 in case it doesn’t come out correctly) and – to get the full XP SP3 experience – you have to get Vista Home Premium at the minimum.
they have no plans to ship that version on their PCs as they feel there will be no consumer demand
There won’t be consumer demand, but there very likely will be retailer demand.
Think about it. Fine stores like Best Buy and Wal-Mart (heh) make their money on up-selling. And what better upsell than a Vista update for a new Vista PC?
I bet the free coupons are for Vista Home Basic.
Of course. The same way Gates Foundation contributions are often to be used for the purchase of MS software (gee thanks guys). When it comes to MS, the only free things are headaches.
Vista update, upgrade, whatever.
We should thank Microsoft for Vista. Not only will OS X pull Windows sheep into the Mac corral, but Vista will be kicking them in the ass to keep them moving – baaaaaaaahhhh!
@If Only: Evesham Technology are deservedly one of the UK’s biggest Windows PC manufacturers – heck, when I HAD to get a Windows laptop for part of my work, I bought one of theirs. They mostly (maybe even exclusively) sell direct to the customer, not via retailers – so for them to say this is significant.
I think I could Shen, after all I really don’t like the idea of emulating Windows inside OS X, I would only run that crap on another partition through Boot Camp…
For that bank app I only need the basic Windows functionality (just their dlls to install and run a VB app) and IE7 (IE6 would do but I guess Vista will come loaded with IE7).
Can anyone say Windows ME II? (Pun severely intended)
Good idea: give the pc manufacturers Panther and tell their customes to go Mac to get Leopard!
Classic.
Erm, since when is Acer a “leading PC manufacturer?”
As a recent switcher, one of the things that I love about my Apple is that Mac OS X comes in only desktop flavor: “The Best.”
No Mac user has a handicapped version.
to the two of you not following (blucaso, loganson), the 256/3app limit is for Vista Starter, not Vista Home Basic
Vista Home Basic is pretty much the equivalent for XP Home. and it doesnt have the free upgrade coupon, that’s for Home Premium and Business version (Home Basic is a half-off coupon)