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Have a look at this chart of features offered across the new versions of Windows 7 (which, surprisingly, has yet to have a stupid name appended to it, like "Vista"). Apparently, Microsoft is going to push the Home Premium and Professional versions of Windows 7, but for those who really want to pay Photoshop-level prices for Windows, there are a bunch of more expensive options.
What I'm noticing here is that most people, myself included, would probably prefer the Home Basic, ( some thoughts on that )
Point is, this is too much. This was the problem with all seventy-billion versions of Vista. (You know, besides the fact that it was Vista.) Too many options leaves the average consumer in a position of assured annoyance. Either they buy the cheaper version and then worry about (or actually discover) the programs they're missing (and want) or they buy the more expensive version and resent the fact that they didn't end up needing any of the features that went into the higher price tag. Confusing people when it comes to computers is always a bad idea, especially as computers increasingly become repositories of sensitive information. People want to know that they've got something that works the way they want and protects what they've worked on. The more Microsoft splinters those levels of confidence into different products, the less secure the consumers feel. The less secure they feel about Microsoft, the more likely they are to flee.
What I'm noticing here is that most people, myself included, would probably prefer the Home Basic, ( some thoughts on that )
Point is, this is too much. This was the problem with all seventy-billion versions of Vista. (You know, besides the fact that it was Vista.) Too many options leaves the average consumer in a position of assured annoyance. Either they buy the cheaper version and then worry about (or actually discover) the programs they're missing (and want) or they buy the more expensive version and resent the fact that they didn't end up needing any of the features that went into the higher price tag. Confusing people when it comes to computers is always a bad idea, especially as computers increasingly become repositories of sensitive information. People want to know that they've got something that works the way they want and protects what they've worked on. The more Microsoft splinters those levels of confidence into different products, the less secure the consumers feel. The less secure they feel about Microsoft, the more likely they are to flee.
