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Last updated: Friday, May 1, 2009

Some bloggers have been insisting Microsoft has a hidden agenda for its Windows 7 release. By offering a stripped-down Windows 7 Starter release for netbooks that will only allow users to run three applications simultaneously, they say, Microsoft hopes to prod users into buying a notebook or desktop PC running one of the higher-priced versions of its new operating system. However, the software giant says PC users won’t necessarily have to buy a full-featured machine to run more complete versions of Windows 7. Windows General Manager Mike Ybarra said recent beta tests demonstrate that all versions of Windows 7 may work on many netbooks. “We had a lot of people running our most premium, full-featured offering on small-notebook PCs or netbooks with good experiences and good results,” Ybarra said. A Smaller OS Footprint One reason is because Windows 7 delivers a far smaller footprint than Windows Vista along with improvements in power management that enhance battery life, Microsoft executives said. Moreover, the software giant intends to continue to fine-tune its new OS for optimum performance on all classes of PCs as the new OS moves through the engineering cycle. Microsoft recognizes that it cannot afford to ignore the netbook niche, which is the only global PC market segment recording significant growth. According to iSuppli, global shipments rose by a staggering 2,424 percent in 2008 and are poised to grow an additional 68.5 percent this year. “We think most small-notebook PC buyers are either purchasing a secondary machine or buying a PC for the first time,” said Microsoft Vice President Brad Brooks. “And we think purchasers are drawn to these PCs by their small size and affordability, particularly given the current environment.” Microsoft plans to allow netbook OEMs to preinstall Windows 7 Starter on low-cost machines for sale in developed markets. But…

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Microsoft Says All Windows 7 Versions Run on Netbooks

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