A Curious Statistical Anomaly

I really couldn’t believe it when I read this article on PC Pro. The article said:

The three-app rule includes applications running in the background, meaning that a user running Windows Messenger and Skype, for example, could only use one further application on their machine. Antivirus software is excluded from the app count.

Microsoft says the restriction is designed to ensure that users get the best possible performance from limited netbook hardware. However, it admits it will encourage netbook manufacturers to install the unrestricted Home Premium in the UK.

Of course if you want to run more than 3 apps, and who wouldn’t, you’ll need to upgrade to the Home Premium edition of the software. I have a full-size laptop that’s over three years old that is my work horse of a machine — but it is getting old. I recently purchased a netbook for travel (Asus Eee PC). The Asus is Linux using Open Office. I saw this as a way to get myself used to another operating system — looks like I made a wise choice.

On my full-size (FS) laptop, I hardly if ever run just three applications running. I can’t imagine working with less than seven — if I had to really pare things down. Wonder how they got that magic number 3. An informal poll among a group of friends on ICQ and email (2 apps I always have open) showed that the fewest apps was 7. Hmmm, me thinks that MS did their research among non-standard computer users. My informal survey was among writers and non-computer professionals. My geek friends would have had a much higher number of apps open.

Since, Microsoft often does these little weirdnesses in marketing when they’re trying to figure if they could squeeze out more money from their users, this article makes me nervous. I hope the UK balks at this attempt to extort more money from netbook users.