[ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+ Windows 'Longhorn' will need whopper PCs

[Zone55555]

Now if this quote doesn't make your short & curlies stand straight up, I don't know what will:

Microsoft is expected to recommend that the 'average' Longhorn PC feature a dual-core CPU running at 4 to 6GHz; a minimum of 2 gigs of RAM; up to a terabyte of storage; a 1 Gbit, built-in, Ethernet-wired port and an 802.11g wireless link; and a graphics processor that runs three times faster than those on the market today.

Article on the upcoming 'Longhorn' version of Windows

Yowza... don't think I'll be overclocking my 1GHz to that kind of category of machine.

[Zone55555]

Microsoft builds bloated OS's that require massive system upgrades, which makes Intel/AMD happy. Intel/AMD in turn build faster and faster systems, but there's no driving need for Ma & Pa to read their email even faster, so Microsoft happily supplies bloatier and bloatier operating systems to justify the hardware that they know they can sell to justify their continued existence, making themselves happy in turn.

It's a nice circular back-scratching arrangement. :)

Without MS, there's not as pressing a need for new systems. Without the new systems, there's not as pressing a desire for flashy new OS toys from MS.