The three-application limit was the most hated feature. For example, you could have Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, and Notepad open. Try to launch Microsoft Word? The system blocked it unless you closed one app.
Its purpose was simple: provide a legitimate, low-cost entry point to Windows for first-time PC buyers using older or very cheap hardware. Windows Vista Starter Product Key
: If Vista came pre-installed, the key is typically on a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) sticker on the computer case or inside the battery compartment of a laptop. The three-application limit was the most hated feature