Authoritative research institutes point out that adopting a Microsoft operating system that cannot be upgraded to reduce PC costs will encourage piracy
Market authoritative research firm Gartner recommends that unless Microsoft provides an upgrade method for its Windows XP Starter Edition (XPSE), users This version should be avoided.
Microsoft announced that it will launch low-cost version of Windows XP in three Asian countries, namely XPSE. However, Gartner believes that while the version for emerging markets has added a number of new features to users who are using Windows for the first time, it will fuel the momentum of piracy.
Gartner vice president and research director Dion Wiggins said: "Microsoft can actually have a very different approach to this product, but now because of some unnecessary restrictions, Microsoft is considered to be only urging Users are disappointed rather than launching truly valuable products, which disappoints users. Fortunately, XPSE is only in the trial version (Beta version), and there is still time to modify it before the official launch in October."
Gartner believes that Microsoft is wrong to focus on first-time users rather than new buyers.
Wei Dian said: "Although a lot of people do not have a PC, already learned the basics of PC operation in cafes or school due XPSE version added a lot of limitations, and these people usually dominant version large discrepancy. Moreover, even if the user's application is more abundant, the operating system can not be upgraded accordingly, which will disappoint users. We believe that this will also lead to more rampant piracy, because Microsoft does not provide any upgrade method, if the user needs more features, only the full purchase Windows XP Home Edition by paying. "
Wei Dian explained that Microsoft put a lot of energy on XPSE, launched last year as the information and communication technology sector in the government of Thailand cheap PC program After that, it took nearly a year to study a thousand first-time users.
Therefore, XPSE added a number of new features help beginners, including new support center, mouse guide, as well as Windows and common applications beginner's manual. Some features that they don't use, such as file and printer sharing, LAN support, etc., have been removed to simplify overall operations.
Wei Dian said:. "These efforts, although laudable, but there are other Microsoft missteps of the worst places is to deliberately undermine the effectiveness of XPSE, the user can only perform three programs at the same time. Microsoft claims that this is to simplify operations, but in emerging market users often use multiple applications at the same time, but in XPSE, users can not open a web browser if they use Yahoo! and Microsoft's real-time communication software and email software."
Other shortcomings include not supporting multiple personalized desktops. If multiple users need to share the same home PC, they can only use the same desktop, making it difficult to log in to multiple emails or chat rooms.
Weiweidian also added that while XPSE include XP SP2, Microsoft still failed to solve part of the security issues, such as the user from time to time to slow and expensive network connection to download the patch, anti-virus capability also to doubt. He believes that Microsoft has not provided any training for users on this aspect.
Wei Dian concluded: "While Microsoft has made a significant improvement for the first time user, but can not meet the most basic needs."