What's the next version of Windows going to hold for you if you're planning on picking up a netbook down the road? Last week Microsoft broke down the difference between the editions of Window 7 that it plans to offer when the software's finally released. Netbook fans have been sorting through the information, trying to figure out what configuration would be optimal for the limited-power systems. The big question seems to be if manufacturers will offer Windows 7 Starter or Home Premium.

If you'll recall, Starter is the most basic Windows 7 you'll be able to get. It won't be in stores, but system manufacturers will be able to install it on new machines. The user interface won't have all the fancy graphical effects created with Aero that the more expensive releases will have. You'll also be limited to running only three applications at a time. While Home Premium removes both these restrictions, it's expected to cost significantly more.

While no one seems to be complaining about losing a few graphical flourishes, the application limit may be a cause for concern. Apparently Microsoft has stated that because Starter is designed for low-end hardware, the application limit is designed to prevent users from over-taxing the system. However, Windows 7 beta testers have tried the software on a variety of existing netbook models and didn't see any performance hits from running a bunch of programs at the same time.

Even if that limitation is artificial, will it matter? While you might run into trouble if you use a different program for each task you're working on, what's to stop you from running web-based applications? You could have your word processor, music player, and email client all running just as different tabs in one web browser. Still, it would be nice not to have to constantly plan ahead to avoid the three-app limit. We'll just to have to wait and see how the pricing for Windows 7 lines up to know what will make the most sense for netbooks.

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