It would be rather hard for Microsoft to scrap the existing Windows code base and start from scratch.
You have to realize with Apple, the majority of Apple users are sycophants for Jobs, so they’ll gripe, but will do what he says.
Windows has a much larger user based, especially on the corporate side, so changing the whole code base would require all the companies that make software for Windows to develop new software for this new platform.
By doing that companies looking to upgrade are going to be in a costly position since none of their existing apps will not work on the new code base.
Essentially, Microsoft is a victim of their own success.
And to everyone griping about Vista, I’ve been running it since it came out, and I haven’t had a single issue.
Then again, I don’t screw around with installing things that won’t work on it.
When you’re trying to install XP drivers on Vista it’s going to crash most of the time, but that’s not MS’s fault, that’s yours for trying.
Yes Vista requires more memory, but the cost is so low now that you really don’t have an excuse.
None the less, no one is holding a gun to your head to use Vista or Windows in general, buy a Mac or install Linux.
Welcome to the free market, Microsoft isn’t a monopoly no matter what congress says, they make the most widely used product, but they’re not a monopoly, you have options.
Come on, this cliche is getting very old. I switched to Mac for perfectly rational reasons- weariness with viruses, spyware, etc. and exasperation with Dell's awful tech support. My Mac experience has been delightful and I know I speak for the majority of Mac users in saying that.
Virtualization is your friend. MS can virtualize XP and Vista within the new OS and crank up the VM behind the scenes when those programs are run. Apple built in automatic processor emulation for the transition from PowerPC to Intel.