From the ashes of Vista, what might rise?

Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:45AM EDT

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Amid an overwhelmingly negative presentation from analyst group Gartner that claims "Windows is collapsing," many are beginning to wonder what is in store for Windows 7, and how radical a departure from its current code base W7 might be.

Vista is clearly the straw that has broken the camel's back. Years and years of bloated code and a failed attempt to support 20 years of outdated software and ancient peripherals have left the operating system a total mess. Vista is so big and complicated that attempting to build additional code onto it is futile.

Is it back to the drawing board for Microsoft? Signs seem to indicate that, yes, Windows is headed in a whole new direction now.

The most popular notion is that Windows will go "modular," offering an operating system that you'll buy in pieces, and possibly pay for on a month-to-month or year-to-year basis.

What does "modular" mean? Look at Windows Vista itself to see a primitive version of modularity in action: Vista comes in (at least) four major flavors, each of which contains different features that the other versions lack. Want Media Center? Upgrade to Home Premium. Want hard drive encryption? You'll have to upgrade to Ultimate Edition.

Windows 7 would likely take this even further. Instead of offering four pre-packaged versions, you might start with a relatively cheap Windows Basic setup, then start adding modules as you need them. Photo management may run you an extra few bucks. You might even have to pay extra to get a media player or a web browser (though that seems unlikely).

The next question is how you might pay for this, which is a bigger question mark. Some speculate that Microsoft may move toward a subscription model, charging you by the month or the year for your computer to keep working. This would be great for Microsoft, as it could force you to upgrade -- and pay -- whenever it wanted simply by pulling the plug on old apps. It would be considerably less great for consumers, for exactly the same reason.

Still, it may very well be an improvement over what we're stuck with now. Even Gartner seems to think so; it says right in the title of its aforementioned presentation that "what comes next will improve." Let's hope so.

Comments on From the ashes of Vista, what might rise?

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  • 47 Posted by patriot46121 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    Yeah, I will never switch to a subscription OS. My dual boot would soon become a pure Linux box if Microsoft was stupid enough to shoot themselves in the foot like that. Then again, Microsoft really hasn't shown much care for their customers on a good sized basis a vast majority of the time. I wouldn't be suprised if they did attempt a silly monthly fee just to use their OS.

  • 48 Posted by g.balkwill on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    Buy a Mac, I've got one, it works all the time without slowing and they never get viruses. Windows are for geeks who don't like having fun.

  • 49 Posted by mooreal8 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    I wouldn't mind a subscription based OS as long as it was something like my cell phone plan. Free hardware every couple of years for a monthly fee. Or, maybe the base OS could be free with a monthly charge for the add ons. I don't always have to use PowerPoint but if I could rent it once or twice a year that would work well for me. I use Word more frequently, maybe four times a year at home so a pay per use fee would work well for me.

  • 51 Posted by johnkermott on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    Sounds like buying a car. Basic Windows: $200 Media Center Package: $30 Business Group: $100 Security Group (included in Business Group): $50 Aero Interface (included with Media Center Package): $10

  • 52 Posted by testingbuttons on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:01PM EDT Report Abuse

    wow that is rediculous the modular idea sounds fine cause i hard use all the junk but subscrition fines? forget that

  • 53 Posted by my975buddy31 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    I for one would not be interested in paying for a program and then paying more for it to operate. That is worse than ridiculous. We have already been robbed by other corporations. Do the computer companies want to do the same as the other corporations as well. Windows needs to find another solutions to their problems.

  • 54 Posted by vamanger on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    Are you a microsoft employee or just easing the conversation foward in favor of subscription. Hopwfully this lame brain idea will be the begining of the end for microsoft.

  • 55 Posted by mtshasta77 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    wtg Microsoft! I'm off to Macintosh for my next computer!

  • 57 Posted by rahsaantaylor on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    WTF! I just upgraded to Vista and now their changing!

  • 58 Posted by tiffagirl54 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    tif----- irl this is giong to far when will it stop we're already paying way too much for the right to enjoy our tec toys as it is please stop this insanity now.

  • 59 Posted by brianwrx on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    Microsoft would never make "Photo management" a module. That would open that feature up for competition, something Microsoft likes to limit. It will be for things for which there are no competitors like DirectX for which Microsoft will not provide enough information about the OS for anyone to design a competitive module.

  • 60 Posted by bjselym on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    Billy's castle can't be too close to the Pacific to suite me! Steve and Steve where are you. I learned all of this stuff on a IIc and the Lisa(?) and the Mac's. It's been getting worse ever since. Oh well. I still have my abacus and my Pickket; or was it one of those wooden sticks. I can still learn to draw. I M just not gonna rent it! But then maybe Bill bailed just in time.

  • 61 Posted by wellsoul2 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    Another stupid idea accountants at software companies think is great. Why not put the OS on the net and you have to pay every time you boot? Won't happen. These kinds of trial balloon stories come around every year for the last ten years. More common is baloney about having Office be online and not on your hard drive. It's not going to happen because you don't want to be held hostage. People got burned with the many versions of Vista. What makes MS think this makes it MORE possible to fragment the release more? I say go ahead...good reason to abandon MS and go to Linex. After Vista.. Windows 7 better be good and cheap with great features or more people will look elsewhere. Microsoft is desperate, not looking to give people another reason to boycott the new US. All these stories repeating baloney the company wants to have you beleive. Subscriptions don't work. Ask all the news websites that tried to charge.. You have free email..free storage..free news.. There's no reason to pay and Microsoft makes enough money and has a monopoly with the current business model. Stupid to risk that. Don't beleive trial ballon stories. Like Intel putting an ID on your CPU..people rebel.

  • 62 Posted by sweaburgbaseball on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    How can you possibly say that vista is a mess? I've looked at it over and over and I can't see what some people are talking about. Personaly, I think that it just didn't quite meet some peoples big expectations and so when they had to explain why they didn't like it, they made up or exaggerated a whole lot of things about it. I think Apple is the biggest problem with their commercials (that really lack any truth whatsoever). And alot of the "problems" are really just little things that have been exaggerated and come along with any new operating system. For example, the idea that it is hardly compatible with anything is not true. There some things that are not compatible with it because they were specificaly designed for older operating systems. What did you expect? I mean, I bet you even the "precious" new Macs aren't compatible with everything designed for designed for its previous operating sysem. I would love to own vista any day. I am tired of XP and the constant reminder of the great look of vista on WMP 11 and IE 7 as well as windows live messenger and mail just make me want it more.

  • 63 Posted by chrisborland133 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    Yeah, subscription = bad idea, I'd totally go to linux or apple if that was the case...

  • 64 Posted by caresimovito on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    People who harp on about MACS not crashing etc are just talking BULL, Macs do crash, Macs do have bugs, Also the softwrae base for Macs is far less than PCs, they are good but not better than Windows in my opinion. not all operating systems are flawless. As for Linux its good but still not user friendly enough for the end use. And yes I do know what Im talking about Ive been in IT for 14 years and have the necessary experience to comment on this

  • 65 Posted by spartanq77 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    YOU ALL JUST LAUGHED AT US LINUX USERS! WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?! But seriously, if windows switches to a subscription it would fail more then vista I believe, game developers would head on over to mac os x or vista (though those macs need to get better and cheaper)

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