Sauron, I seriously hope you're joking. The straight line from Microsoft is always, ALWAYS (well , usually, at any rate) pure crap. Here's a situation that I used to do on a daily basis, and actually STILL DO under my Linux distros: I open a word processor. I decide I'd like to have evidence for the essay I'm writing, so I open a browser window. Music helps me focus, so I open up my media player. Now, let's say my network suddenly goes down, and I want to run a traceroute or see if I can ping any other box on my LAN? Under Starter Edition, WHOOPS - "we can't let you do that." Now I'm sorry, but that's bullshit. If you're going to PAY for an OS, shouldn't it at least oh, I dunno, OPERATE?
Or better yet, what happens when MSIE opens fourteen pop-ups on your favorite news site? I'll bet they make the other programs close. Now I'm sorry, but that kind of behaviour is an insult to mentally-handicapped persons the world over.
EDIT: Also, when did Linux get involved in this particular discussion? All I'm seeing here is a monopolistic conglomerate getting ripped off by a number of Indochina bootleggers, which certainly isn't anything NEW. I have no doubt in my mind that it's precisely THIS kind of patronizing crap that steels their nerves, too. Microsoft needs to drop their overall system price in markets that warrant it so that the damage by bootleggers is mitigated, not dilute the market with similarly-named products that only serve to further the cause of the bootleggers.
[ August 16, 2004: Message edited by: Midnight Candidate/BOB ]