By Chris Scott Barr
If you’re wanting to get a new netbook with a copy of Windows 7, it will come with a special version of the OS. Obviously, it is a somewhat limited version that will cost less (thus making the netbook cost less for the end-user), but just how limited is it? Surprisingly, it’s not nearly as bad as some have thought. For one, Microsoft has decided not to limit the graphics capabilities (such as Aero) or the ability to use a touchscreen which is nice. The main thing that Microsoft is worried about is making sure that the hardware used isn’t too powerful. That’s right, this is the first piece of software that I’ve seen with “maximum hardware requirements.”
Basically what it comes down to is that the netbook will need a 10.2-inch or smaller screen, no more than 250GB of storage on a hard drive, or 64GB on a SSD and no more than 1GB or RAM. The CPU can only have a single core, be clocked at no higher than 2.0Ghz and run at 15W or less. It doesn’t look like these are set in stone yet, but it does give us a good idea of what to expect.
