[ 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.

[Deepone]

I think I readed from somewhere that the Longhorn will not put applications to update their 'view' but rather will update the whole screen all the time. which means it might need some more power... on the other hand, instead of separated update-processes (kinda kill playing few video's at the same time) who cant check what is actually shown (at least not all the time), if the OS does that.. well, if they do it well, it will save resources. if they dont do... we end up in that 'average' system :S
and since well, I would guess that this kind of necessary specs are "said" just to get ppl to buy them.. maybe :) and well - its still alpha, which means they havent prolly even tried to optimize the system to not to use available resources so heavily. in other words, that part might just relate to alpha...