I wonder if they came up with a Starter version of Windows 7 and made it available to avoid European (and other) antitrust laws.

If you look, a lot of things are NOT available on it. So if you wanted a computer and were going to run Linux but had to get a Windows OS, this would be the way to go. (You could make it a separate book stop on your HD for cases when you needed Windows ... or something like that).

I will concur that the world use to be a simpler place. How many people made versions of DOS?

Mike from Morgantown

Will Windows 7 make me upgrade to it from XP..? no, why should I? =P

i hope the same, i tired of MS forcing this on consumers

What if Starter is free?

Last thing anyone needs is google to get another monopoly for themselves.

Right not Google has an even bigger monopoly in the search and display advertising. They own the biggest advertising server and the majority of the search advertising revenue.

This is quite dangerous as they can set their own advertising rates since they know how every other site does when it comes to impression and click advertising. Not to mention that they know your internet surfing habbits.

If they take over the OS market, you will have a first true big brother scenario on your hands.

Lmao, google's phone OS is bad enough as is most of their web products, making a operating system to rival windows is out of their league, google are a joke, look at chrome lol

With the way technology is going (ie - ultra portable) it could even be likely that there won't be a monopoly OS market soon. As mobile phones get more powerful, and start to replace the laptop and work computer, firms like Nokia and Blackberry would be in a great place to launch their own OS.

I personally predict that as the mobile phone takes over, there will be more and more firms in the OS market with third party software developers relying on the Java platform and the like for cross-compatability.

@ Words of Wisdon - if Starter is free, then I take back my complaints - it is common practice to limit the functionality of trialware. I really doubt it will be

@ ssj - it is meant for that, but recently MS has revealed that it can also be bundled with conventional laptops or even desktop PCs.

conventional laptops meaning laptops running celeron 2s and desktops meaning NetTops (think Netbook in desktop form).

actually I'll straight up say you will because its actually a decent OS.