Beginning with the Starter Edition, the cheapest of the bunch, Microsoft has now confirmed that Windows 7 Starter will drop the three concurrent application limit imposed on the current XP and Vista counterparts.
"We believe these changes will make Windows 7 Starter an even more attractive option for customers who want a small notebook PC for very basic tasks, like browsing the web, checking email and personal productivity," commented Brandon LeBlanc on the Windows 7 Blog.
Whilst removing the three-app limit can only be seen as a positive move, Windows 7 Starter is very much a subset of the other editions: it does not include:
- Aero Glass, meaning you can only use the “Windows Basic” or other opaque themes. It also means you do not get Taskbar Previews or Aero Peek.
- Personalization features for changing desktop backgrounds, window colors, or sound schemes.
- The ability to switch between users without having to log off.
- Multi-monitor support.
- DVD playback.
- Windows Media Center for watching recorded TV or other media.
- Remote Media Streaming for streaming your music, videos, and recorded TV from your home computer.
- Domain support for business customers.
- XP Mode for those that want the ability to run older Windows XP programs on Windows 7.
