Microsoft removes Windows 7 Starter's three-app limit

Microsoft confirmed on Friday that it will lift a limitation on the entry-level Windows 7 Starter edition that means no more than three applications can be run at a time.

Microsoft is positioning Starter it as its lowest-cost Windows 7 option for netbooks.

"We believe these changes will make Windows 7 Starter an even more attractive option for customers who want a small notebook PC for very basic tasks, like browsing the Web, checking email, and personal productivity," Microsoft wrote in a blog posting on Friday.

Although Microsoft is lifting the three-app limit, the blog notes that there are still a number of other differences between the Starter and Home Premium editions, including the former's lack of support for Windows 7's advanced graphics, multiple monitors, Windows Media Center and XP Mode.