Live data from Hacker News

Introducing Windows 10 Editions

blogs.windows.com

61–70 of 125 posts

Re: Introducing Windows 10 Editions

#61
post #43

Dear Microsoft, Windows 10. Just release Windows 10. No one knows the difference between Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Extreme and Windows 10 Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Supreme. Your customers actually don't care. And as long as you keep selling a baffling array of variations on the same product, no one will believe you've turned over a new leaf. Windows 10. With love, Guy on the Internet PS:…

This is information for IT people, and you're treating it like it's for consumers. Consumers will only ever know about Windows 10 Home. The other options are important because:

Windows 10 Enterprise costs roughly ten times as much.

Windows 10 Education is the discounted version that they sell to schools (Apple has a similar program, they just don't tell you about it.)

Windows 10 Mobile because, well...

Windows 10 Mobile Enterprise because, again, they want to make money.

Windows is one of the top 5 most profitable software products in the world. Trust that they know how to make money.

Re: Introducing Windows 10 Editions

#63
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, he has a point. Too many choices can harm sales significantly. Granted, in Microsoft's position, it's not as applicable. https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/research-too-many-choi... https://blog.kissmetrics.com/too-many-choices/

Please, this is enterprise software we're talking about, sold almost exclusively through resellers, who are licensing experts and decide what the client needs. This is how you extract the most value.

Yes, I realize this - which is why I said it's not as applicable for Microsoft's position.

That having been said, chasings point was more about how it would be wise for Microsoft to make their product line less intimidating for end-users - which would help sell the idea of their latest rebranding - and have benefit for them, and customers as well.

Re: Introducing Windows 10 Editions

#64
post #43

Dear Microsoft, Windows 10. Just release Windows 10. No one knows the difference between Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Extreme and Windows 10 Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Supreme. Your customers actually don't care. And as long as you keep selling a baffling array of variations on the same product, no one will believe you've turned over a new leaf. Windows 10. With love, Guy on the Internet PS:…

It could worse. We could have ended up with the mess Vista had.

Re: Introducing Windows 10 Editions

#65
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please, this is enterprise software we're talking about, sold almost exclusively through resellers, who are licensing experts and decide what the client needs. This is how you extract the most value.

Yes, I realize this - which is why I said it's not as applicable for Microsoft's position. That having been said, chasings point was more about how it would be wise for Microsoft to make their product line less intimidating for end-users - which would help sell the idea of their latest rebranding - and have benefit for them, and customers as well.

Microsoft makes almost no money off direct-to-end-user sales. It's all either OEM money or volume sales to enterprise/government/other institutions. Microsoft is not about to upend their entire market segmenting strategy just to make things less confusing for people who are at least one step removed from any of the people who actually give them money.

Re: Introducing Windows 10 Editions

#66
There was an earlier impression (desire?) that Windows 10 was going to do away with this marketing mess of a bazillion different versions. Yet in reality, nothing has changed. All this blog post is doing differently is finally explaining what each version is.

Re: Introducing Windows 10 Editions

#67

One thing I haven't discovered yet is whether the installation of 10 is going to be a brand new install rather than an upgrade. In other words, will it be necessary to reinstall all my applications after moving to 10?

An upgrade; the underlying technology in Windows hasn't changed significantly since Vista.

In the same vein... Windows Vista hadn't changed significantly since XP, or XP since 2000, or 2000 since NT 3.5.1, etc. It's all iterative and subject to perspective here.

Re: Introducing Windows 10 Editions

#68
post #65
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I realize this - which is why I said it's not as applicable for Microsoft's position. That having been said, chasings point was more about how it would be wise for Microsoft to make their product line less intimidating for end-users - which would help sell the idea of their latest rebranding - and have benefit for them, and customers as well.

Microsoft makes almost no money off direct-to-end-user sales. It's all either OEM money or volume sales to enterprise/government/other institutions. Microsoft is not about to upend their entire market segmenting strategy just to make things less confusing for people who are at least one step removed from any of the people who actually give them money.

As soon as Dell has a dropdown for nomal vs pro, microsoft is selling windows directly to customers.

And guess what, "Inspiron Small Desktopwith Windows 7 Professional". http://www.dell.com/us/p/desktops?~ck=mn#!facets=153558~0~87... Not that I think the average user knows if they want window 7 pro or windows 8.1 which is what most of the desktops on that page are.

Re: Introducing Windows 10 Editions

#69
post #61
post #43

Dear Microsoft, Windows 10. Just release Windows 10. No one knows the difference between Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Extreme and Windows 10 Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Supreme. Your customers actually don't care. And as long as you keep selling a baffling array of variations on the same product, no one will believe you've turned over a new leaf. Windows 10. With love, Guy on the Internet PS:…

This is information for IT people, and you're treating it like it's for consumers. Consumers will only ever know about Windows 10 Home. The other options are important because: Windows 10 Enterprise costs roughly ten times as much. Windows 10 Education is the discounted version that they sell to schools (Apple has a similar program, they just don't tell you about it.) Windows 10 Mobile because, well... Windows 10 Mob…

You might be right, but does Windows 10 Pro include any features that have previously been exclusive to Windows 8/8.1 Pro, such as Bitlocker and Remote Desktop? The wording of the blog post is intentionally obfuscated to not name the technologies that are added to Windows 10 Pro, but I think it's clear they are keeping Bitlocker and Remote Desktop exclusive to the Pro edition from the following:

> Windows 10 Pro helps to effectively and efficiently manage their devices and apps, protect their sensitive business data, support remote and mobile productivity scenarios...

I use Bitlocker and frequently remote from any of my Windows PCs to any of the others. So I have Windows 8.1 Pro installed on (nearly) all of them, at non-trivial cost to me.

I agree with the grandparent that for any home user, there should be one edition, and that one edition should include Bitlocker and Remote Desktop. And any other feature that home enthusiasts and evangelists are likely to want. Microsoft desperately needs to stop punishing its evangelists. Evangelists should be courted and treated well.

Re: Introducing Windows 10 Editions

#70
post #61
post #43

Dear Microsoft, Windows 10. Just release Windows 10. No one knows the difference between Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows 10 Extreme and Windows 10 Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Supreme. Your customers actually don't care. And as long as you keep selling a baffling array of variations on the same product, no one will believe you've turned over a new leaf. Windows 10. With love, Guy on the Internet PS:…

This is information for IT people, and you're treating it like it's for consumers. Consumers will only ever know about Windows 10 Home. The other options are important because: Windows 10 Enterprise costs roughly ten times as much. Windows 10 Education is the discounted version that they sell to schools (Apple has a similar program, they just don't tell you about it.) Windows 10 Mobile because, well... Windows 10 Mob…

I'm fairly sure many consumers will know about Windows 10 Pro though.
Post reply on HN