From the ashes of Vista, what might rise?

Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:45AM EDT

See Comments (212)

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?

Post a Comment

Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.

  • 6 Posted by batlise on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    How much money does this man need? Macs are looking pretty good right now......I will NEVER SWITCH TO A SUBSCRIPTION MODEL

  • 7 Posted by paulecornett on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    i will not do subscription...ever... I have a hard enough time stomaching the notion I do not own what I paid for.

  • 10 Posted by muscogeekid on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    The subscription/module model isn't as strange or radical as some folks are suggesting. Think about other software packages that you pay for in a similar fashion. All commercial virus protection software works this way. Photo and video editing software, ditto. Tax preparation software, yearly updated version, each state has a version. Heck, games!!! We don't hear too many people fussing about paying $50 for the newest version of Madden NFL, right? Lot's of commercial/business software requires regular updates and they are not free. We've just gotten accustomed to getting an OS preinstalled (seems free, right?) on our PC and usually we just leave it that way until we buy a new PC. The biggest question is value. IF (and it's a big IF) MS could just give us a good value for our money, I think we would all be happy to pay $100 a year for an OS. I would be happy to pay a little more for an OS that never crashes and never bugs me and never cranks about not having the proper dll or plug-in. Just give me something tha works and I'll sheck out the bucks.

  • 11 Posted by kupriaa1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    Null - where do you get this kind of speculatory mess? Bloated code? Bloated in contrast to what? MS-DOS? Would you like to go back to MS-DOS? Is the MAC OS that slimmer? Linux? Novell? Solaris? Thats what technology is all about. In case you didnt know- maybe you should back to school and learn computer science - the kernel for Vista is more efficient and stabler than XP for various reasons. Drivers are moved into kernel mode. Richer support for new hardware technologies (by the way these cool hardware technologies you tout in every other post account for the extra code base), and additional support for advanced graphics and software. Your constant bashing of a software package never contains an unbiased, reasoned, well thought dialogue-but rather copy and paste soundbytes of criticism. Your articles seem to be written for mob mentality - which means that you write articles so that people agree with you and read you. Try learning more about the OSes and applications you constantly bash and give readers and informed discussion about your subject matter.

  • 12 Posted by falconsfight001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's ridiculous to have to pay for an subscription to use or upgrade any OS. But then again Apple has shown u can do that with OS X. After all they are on the fifth generation of that OS and each generation cost about $125/upgrade. The name of the game is how much money are willing to spend to use any OS.

  • 13 Posted by kupriaa1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    sorry - type drivers have been moved to user mode for more stability

  • 14 Posted by gullwingdoors on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm not a big fan of Windows already, but I am permanently switching to Linux if they go subscription. That's got to be the stupidest idea I've heard from Microsoft yet!

  • 16 Posted by hedo4three2002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    A month to month subscription OS...hmmm the people thinkin that would work, must be on same "crack" that the people who would pay for it is on. Microsoft must have an apple employee infilrating upper management.

  • 17 Posted by jairaj on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    I like the modular idea but not the subscription idea. That is like getting a car and having your electronics work on a subscription basis...

  • 18 Posted by ahohen1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's companies like Microsoft that like to shake you hand and stab you in the back at the same time. Linux is getting closer and closer... look out Microsoft!!

  • 19 Posted by polyester06 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    i hate to sound like everyone else.. but subscribing to an OS? what are they gonna call windows 7, the bankruptcy edition?

  • 20 Posted by bsmith11537 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:14PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm sorry but chris your such a dope Vista is not complicated. Dos was complicated and no windows 7 will not be modular and no company not even Microsoft will charge monthly or weekly or yearly for that matter and the service pack has improved vista a lot. You need to do some researching bad.

  • 21 Posted by swg1952 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    As #2 said. Linux is looking good.

  • 22 Posted by shtinojo on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:21PM EDT Report Abuse

    7 will be based on the windows server 2008 and the cool things that worked great in vista. Vista was just like ME for microsoft. Learning in live what was and wasn't functional. Everything I hear about 08 is good. They will scale it back to a "workstation" product just like they did with XP.

  • 23 Posted by alan_r_cam on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    How's THIS for a subscription model: any given month where a bug is found (requiring a download patch) is FREE. Or you can pay a large fee up front- and be reimbursed $5 for every bug /patch after that point. The idea being- buggy code is Not Profitable.

  • 24 Posted by swa99 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    MS seems to operate on a presumption of inevitability concerning the acceptance and ultimate success of its OS offerings. The company might be less sure of that if the truth were known about how many PCs have had the Vista they came with augmented or replaced by XP or some other OS. Discontinuing XP, then Vista in favor of some new Windows that makes consumers' existing software and peripherals no longer viable, and the billions spent for them an overnight loss, is not acceptable. Neither is a subscription model. Once upon a time, GM was the biggest, most successful manufacturer of motor vehicles in the world. I'll bet its top executives felt their corporation was invincible, too. Pay heed, MS. You're not too big to fail, or more to the point, to do yourself in.

  • 25 Posted by kupriaa1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hey shtinojo Are you for real? Have you even looked at Windows Server 2008? Last I looked looks a lot like Vista to me. And by the way- You should stop commenting on the history of MS products if you dont know the story correctly. what you do you mean scaled it back to a workstation product? Windows Server 2003? Windows 2000 Server? whats your angle buddy?

Post a Comment

Sign In to Post a Comment

My Tech

Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.

Also on Yahoo! Tech

Computers Home Office Wi-Fi & Networking Phones & PDAs Cameras & Camcorders TV & Home Theater Portable Audio
 

Site Map | Tour | Subscribe to Yahoo! Tech

Question and Answer content at Yahoo! Tech is written by Yahoo! users at Yahoo! Answers. Yahoo! does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. For more information, read the Full Disclaimer.

Opinions expressed by the Advisors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Yahoo! Inc. Yahoo! receives no compensation from any manufacturer or distributor nor does it compensate any Advisor for the coverage of any product or service in any Advisor's content.