Just the facts Mac....
"" The superiority of OS X is this quite simple proposition - what Windows Vista sets out to do, and requires at least 2 GB of RAM and massive processor power to accomplish, OS X accomplished 2 years ago and will run nicely on a slower processor with 512 MB to 1 GB of RAM.
""
""A Windows Vista Capable PC includes at least:
A modern processor (at least 800MHz1).
512 MB of system memory.
A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.
A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC includes at least:
1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor1.
1 GB of system memory.
Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)2, Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel.
40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space.
DVD-ROM Drive3.
Audio output capability.
Internet access capability. ''
For you macaniacs a Vista capable PC is without Aero.
And a Vista premium PC is with Aero.
Sure it won't be screaming but neither would a Mac with less RAM. Lets not forget Rosetta to slow things down. :-)
What "things," FreedomGuru? Rosetta is available to run legacy Applications that have not been upgraded to Universal binaries. Most apps have been upgraded.
That's bare minimum. In contrast, OS X runs okay (not screaming, but reasonably usable for basic stuff) on a first-gen Intel Mac mini with a Core Solo, integrated graphics and 512 MB RAM. All of the Aqua* bells and whistles are available in this configuration.
For you winmaniacs, that's what Microsoft is trying to copy with Aero. :)
Those are the requirements, but of course they are about as realistic as Windows XP's from a few years back or even Windows 3.1's when it came out. My best recollection is that the software would run, barely, but try to run a program and it would be swapping time.
But let's play along and pretend they are realistic. Things still don't look great for upgraders.
Every Mac made in the last three or more years will run MacOS X Panther just fine.
I don't have any hard statistics, but I'd be shocked if more than 20% of computers sold last year would qualify under the Premium Ready specifications, even if I was generous and excluded the RAM requirement. Taking a typical $500 PC and spending $200 for a Vista upgrade, $99 for a new graphics card and $40 to double the RAM seems like an awfully tough sell.
The Apple commercial showing PC going into surgery to get ready for Vista was pretty realistic, all things considered.
D