Gartner: Windows collapsing under its own weight; Radical change needed

ZDNet.com (excerpt) ^ | April 9, 2008 | Larry Dignan

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

Microsoft’s Windows juggernaut is collapsing as it tries to support 20 years of applications and becomes more complicated by the minute. Meanwhile, Windows has outgrown hardware and customers are pondering skipping Vista to wait for Windows 7. If Windows is going to remain relevant it will need radical changes.

That sobering outlook comes courtesy of Gartner analysts Michael Silver and Neil MacDonald. Half of a full room of IT managers and executives raised their hands when asked whether Microsoft needed to radically change its approach to Windows. “Windows is too monolithic,” says Silver.

~ snip ~

[kingu]

Then Windows 7 will be even less successful than Windows Vista.

The simplistic truth is that migrating beyond Windows XP requires benefits - losing most modern legacy devices because you installed a new OS just makes no sense.

[TomGuy]

becomes more complicated by the minute

Windows was initially little more than a fancy menuing system for DOS. More features have been added over the years.

Still, actual Windows is little more than a fancy menuing system for DOS with many fancy features added.

[Leroy S. Mort]

..losing most modern legacy devices because you installed a new OS just makes no sense.

I find that to be mostly hyperbole. I've installed Vista on 8 computers and the only legacy device it wouldn't run was a web cam (because Logitech didn't create drivers for it). That's about par for the course - when I installed XP many years back, the only thing it wouldn't run was my favorite scanner (HP's fault).

[WalterSkinner]

..Windows Vista was one of the reasons I retired—and why I continue to use W2K...

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Nothing . . . nothing . . . was as bad as Windows ME.

[Petronski]

Microsoft needs to study the OS9-OSX transition at Apple and act quickly.

There is a lot of legacy hardware and software that must be abandoned. Clear the decks and start from scratch.

And use Unix.

[Petronski]

I'd still be on Win2k if it weren't for my need for ClearType.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Another problem is that MS fought the govt from splitting them into OS and Apps. They use strength in each area to increase market share in the other area. They put hooks in their OS to make their apps run faster. But it was a faustian bargain, as it didn’t maintain the clean separation needed between OS and apps. So now they have a monlithic mess and no easy way out. They would have been better off had they been split into two companies, IMHO.

[Yo-Yo]

Nothing . . . nothing . . . was as bad as Windows ME.

And yet Windows XP came out of that fiasco. I have hopes that Vista is the new ME, and that Windows 7 becomes a truly useful product.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

And yet Windows XP came out of that fiasco. I have hopes that Vista is the new ME, and that Windows 7 becomes a truly useful product.

I think that'll be the case. MSFT generally produces good products, but somewhere along each product line, they usually release a dog release or two.

[SoldierDad]

I’ve got Vista on my home computer and have had zero problems with any software or hardware installations I’ve added, including a Logitech web cam. I keep hearing about the horrors of Vista, but I love it.

[JZelle]

Sounds like a government program. Maybe they should name the next version after a prominent liberal.

[bt_dooftlook]

Problem: Vista is bloated, requiring more memory and HDD space to support it; XP (IMO) runs faster on smaller hardware cfg...

[Leroy S. Mort]

I’ve got Vista on my home computer and have had zero problems with any software or hardware installations I’ve added, including a Logitech web cam. I keep hearing about the horrors of Vista, but I love it.

I had to buy a newer model Logitech to run on Vista, which is fine, because the old one didn't run on OS-X Leopard, either (which I run side-by-side with Vista Ultimate). The new 900 Logitech cam runs fine on both.

I prefer Vista over Leopard. They both use about the same system resources but I've found Leopard isn't as stable nor does it give me as many configuration choices as Vista (but, then, "choice" is not a leading Apple feature).

There are a number of OS-X behaviors that I find annoying but I mainly use that box to render videos while I'm using the Vista box for other stuff and, for that, it works OK.

I think a large percentage of bad perceptions of Vista comes from word of mouth and not actual use. This seems to be borne out here:

"Vista's fault" seems to be the technology equivalent of "Bush's fault".

[goldstategop]

Windows 7 will be even more bloated and require new horsepowered hardware. Its a hungry beast.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[SoldierDad]

"Vista's fault" seems to be the technology equivalent of "Bush's fault".

LOL. Interesting data on that poll. I'm not familiar with OS-X Leopard. That's because I've only known Windows since it replaced the old DOS OS.

[SoldierDad]

That could well be the case. When I purchased my new home computer it came with 2 gigs of SDRAM (or whatever the correct designation is - I can’t recall). That’s more RAM then I should ever need to run what programs I use.

[Doohickey]

...losing most modern legacy devices... Calling Captain Hyperbole!