Windows XP Starter Edition

Windows XP Starter Edition is a lower-cost version of Windows XP available in Thailand, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, India, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela. It is similar to Windows XP Home, but is limited to low-end hardware, can only run 3 programs at a time, and has some other features either removed or disabled by default.
According to a Microsoft press release, Windows XP Starter Edition is "a low-cost introduction to the Microsoft Windows XP operating system designed for first-time desktop PC users in developing countries." It is seen as an effort to fight unauthorized copying of Windows XP and possibly the spread of GNU/Linux-based systems in Asia and South America.

Specializations
The Starter Edition includes some special features for certain markets where consumers may not be computer literate. Not found in the Home Edition, these include localized help features for those who may not speak English, a country-specific computer wallpaper and screensavers, and other default settings designed for easier use than typical Windows XP installations.
In addition, the Starter Edition also has some unique limitations to prevent it from displacing more expensive versions of Windows XP. Only three applications can be run at once on the Starter Edition, and each application may only open three windows. The maximum screen resolution is limited to 1024×768, and there is no support for workgroup networking or domains. In addition, the Starter Edition is licensed only for low-end processors like Intel's Celeron or AMD's Duron. There is also a 512 MB limit on main memory and a 120 GB disk size limit (Microsoft has not made it clear, however, if this is for total disk space, per partition, or per disk). There are also fewer options for customizing the themes, desktop, and taskbar.

Market adoption
On October 9, 2006, Microsoft announced that they reached a milestone of 1,000,000 units of Windows XP Starter Edition sold. In the mass market, however, the Starter Edition has not had much success. Many markets where it is available have seen the uptake of illegally cracked or pirated versions of the software instead.