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For Netbook Users!

LilacBleeds

LilacBleeds

Android Enthusiast
well as everyone know I just got an acer netbook aspire one happy d255 but my problem is can you change the desktop picture?
 
Sorry, I was in the app at the time. Can't see sigs.

Win7, right click desktop > "Personalize" (Bloody Americans ;) )

In the main window at the top is your current theme. At the very bottom of the window should be some theme settings, including desktop background. So stay highlighted within your theme and change the options at the bottom.
 
Hey! I actually have the same netbook and can't figure out how to do this, either! Everytime I try to set a different desktop wallpaper it acts like it'll let me do it, but then the new pic just never takes.
 
Unless you two are relying on a windows specific application, I'd highly recommend trying a linux distro. They tend to be less resource intensive and that'll make your netbook run better. Maybe linux mint? That one is pretty good, has the mp3 codecs and all that by default so no screwing around trying to get media playback. :)

Also, you can easily change the desktop background ;)

Pretty much anything you'll want to do on the netbook, linux will do for you. I'd try it out (live cd/usb will work)
 
Windows 7 starter editions dont allow "change" in desktop background . I would suggest Linux Mint LXDE or GNOME(a bit heavier) .These work fantastic on netbooks .
 
Correct, Win7 Starter and Home Basic, don't allow changing of desktop picture, they also have very limited multitasking as well. Only Home Premium or above allow this.
 
Starter also can't join a workgroup or domain. There are many things striped out. Starter is an insult to the netbook world. To get 'upgraded' to Home Premium is $90 CDN.
 
There is Starter, Home, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate and a little known Professional 'N'. Pro N is just like Pro but without Media Center and something else I can't remember right now.

If is was up to me, I'd melt Pro and Ultimate together as the standard desktop/laptop/netbook but just call it Windows 7. (I ran Win7 Pro on my single core Atom 455 with 2GB last year just fine.) Enterprise could stay as is for businesses and licencing.

However, MS likes the marketing of numerous products so that is the way it is.
 
Casual Pete said:
As above Windows 7 starter can't natively change your wallpaper but you can use Oceanis to do it for you.
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That's a good little application. I put it on my son's ASUS netbook because, as you've said, Windows 7 Starter doesn't have that ability built in. He likes to change his wallpaper frequently, so he's glad he can do that now.
 
Windows 7 starter(Preloaded on netbooks) doesnt allow full customization, just upgrade to Home Premium or google oceanus wallpaper changer.
 
That is so odd that they would remove XP SP3 from NetBooks (golden on netbooks IMO) and replace it with some gawdy stripped version of Win7.... Why MS WWWWHHHHYYYYYY!!!!??????

glad I got my netbook while it was still XP ...win...
 
DeepEmissions said:
That is so odd that they would remove XP SP3 from NetBooks (golden on netbooks IMO) and replace it with some gawdy stripped version of Win7.... Why MS WWWWHHHHYYYYYY!!!!??????

glad I got my netbook while it was still XP ...win...
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Microsoft actually permitted computer manufacturers to continue to install XP on netbooks for some time after XP was no longer available for installation on laptops and desktops. Vista was not a viable option for netbooks, and so the choices basically came down to XP or Linux until Windows 7 came along.

Windows XP was sliding into obsolescence, and is based on a different architecture than Vista/Windows 7. It just wouldn't make sense for Microsoft to continue to support a dying operating system solely so it could continue to be installed on netbooks. On the other hand, nowhere was it written that that Windows 7 Starter edition was the only edition of Windows 7 that computer manufacturers could install on netbooks. They certainly could have opted to install a more functional edition of Windows but chose not to do so. I would guess that decision was somewhat influenced by the hardware available for netbooks at that time as well as the need to keep costs down.
 
We might have been bashing Windows 7 Starter a bit in this thread. But if one is just browsing the internet, playing MP3s, videos, basic office work, etc, the sort of tasks that a cheap netbook is perfectly OK for. IMO a Win7 Starter netbook is more useful than a more costly Chromebook, which basically just a web browser and wont do anything without an internet connection.

Lilybell2 said:
Windows XP was sliding into obsolescence, and is based on a different architecture than Vista/Windows 7. It just wouldn't make sense for Microsoft to continue to support a dying operating system solely so it could continue to be installed on netbooks. On the other hand, nowhere was it written that that Windows 7 Starter edition was the only edition of Windows 7 that computer manufacturers could install on netbooks. They certainly could have opted to install a more functional edition of Windows but chose not to do so. I would guess that decision was somewhat influenced by the hardware available for netbooks at that time as well as the need to keep costs down.
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It's mainly because of Microsoft's licensing costs and restrictions. The Win7 Starter license is significantly cheaper than the Home Premium license. One can always upgrade Starter to Home Premium by paying the appropriate license fee. MS also states that OEMs must not install Starter onto a PC which has more than 1GB RAM and Atom CPU, basically anything which isen't a netbook or nettop class PC.

There is also a Home Basic version of Win7, which is rather more capable than Starter and slightly less than Home Premium. Like Starter, it also has low licensing cost and this can be installed by OEMs onto any PC. However it's only supplied to emerging markets, like where I am.
 
mikedt said:
It's mainly because of Microsoft's licensing costs and restrictions. The Win7 Starter license is significantly cheaper than the Home Premium license. One can always upgrade Starter to Home Premium by paying the appropriate license fee. MS also states that OEMs must not install Starter onto a PC which has more than 1GB RAM and Atom CPU, basically anything which isen't a netbook or nettop class PC.

There is also a Home Basic version of Win7, which is rather more capable than Starter and slightly less than Home Premium. Like Starter, it also has low licensing cost and this can be installed by OEMs onto any PC. However it's only supplied to emerging markets, like where I am.
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Yes, there are multiple editions of Windows 7 available in a variety of price ranges. So, depending on one's needs, it's always possible to upgrade to a more appropriate edition.

Some netbook owners do feel frustrated by the lesser functionality provided by Windows 7 Starter when compared with other more costly editions of Windows 7, and that's understandable. Their reaction, however, frequently seems to be to blame Microsoft for what they perceive as a lack of functionality in Windows 7 Starter; they generally do not take into consideration that it is the computer manufacturer that has chosen to install Windows 7 Starter in order to minimize costs.

When I purchased my netbook I was fully aware that for my particular requirements I would need to install more RAM and upgrade the OS to a more suitable edition. I did that, and my netbook has met both my needs and expectations.
 
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