Vista to take a cue from budget Windows

by admin October 9, 2006 at 8:54 am

Microsoft is sprinkling some features from Windows XP Starter Edition into Windows Vista, the next generation of its operating system.

The software maker plans to take the video help feature in XP Starter, which is geared to PC users in emerging markets, and put it into all versions of Vista, said Mike Wickstrand, a director for Windows Starter at Microsoft.

“This is ‘trickle-up’ innovation,” Wickstrand said, noting that in most cases, technologies are geared toward early adopters and heavy users. Only later do they “trickle down” to beginning users, he said.

XP Starter is only available loaded onto a computer for purchase. The Vista Starter version is expected to be released early next year, when all versions of the long-awaited Vista update are supposed to hit the market.

Read more: CNET News.com