Oh~ The Choices!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/29/AR2007012900085.html

A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft, the leading desktop operating system software provider released its newest OS, the Windows Vista. And just like its predecessor Windows XP, Vista comes in a range of functionality levels. There's the Home Basic edition, which basically offers nothing significant but just a few twinks here and there for $100. You'll have to dish out another $60 on top of what you have to pay for Home Basic to get Home Premium if you actually want to see the new User Interface called the Aero. Then there's the Business version, which offers better network and hardware stability. And at last, for a hefty $250 you can get Ultimate! Woohoo~. Quite the spread in prices considering the fact that from the producer's point of view, all they had to do was turn off certain features otherwise known as 'crimping'. But what can you do? Microsoft knows there are distinct markets out there for their operating systems. Third Degree Price Discrimination at its best. When was the last time you saw a computer not running Windows (except those who actually bought a mac..HAH)? For the average consumer, no Windows means no computing. There aren't many softwares out there programmed for operating systems other than Windows and Mac, if any. If a consumer decides to buy Vista, he is placing himself in one of the four markets: 1) low-budget consumer 2) average 3) small business 4) the big show and the humongous corporates. My advice? Stick to XP unless you're dying to see the new visuals.

Posted by Minsoo Park, Seon Hwang, Kristy Choi