Microsoft Next OS (wish)

[Wrench00]

Lets face it Vista didn't really make a big bang in the IT industry the Corporate sector are avoiding it like the plague.. I own vista and I own xp64 and 2k. I still prefer 2k and xp64 for work but for farting around vista is cool mainly because its no where as stable as xp64 or 2k. Enough of that.

Point is Vista is just out of control as far as the price goes there are so many versions and so much misleading information from Microsoft its not funny. MS really needs to modularize its OS. There should be like a Base install I can purchase then the little addons. I own ultimate and in retrospect home premium would have been fine, even then I wouldn't have used half the crap in it.

MS argues about innovation and security but MS os is like a house of cards (one slip up the whole house comes down)with so many exploits if they just gave people the option to install/uninstall (instead of disabling crap)options a lot of problems could be avoided.

IE

Base install,
Basic UI/Kernel/Basic API/directx/opengl/drivers/ and a browser (separate from the OS) and make it affordable so that any one can afford it. (Not cost 3 months of salary for some people)

The additional accessories could be separate install/purchase. Stuff like this firewall/games/sounds and other useless fluff is really killing the OS. The additional work required to disable this crap on the admin part is high and unnecessary.

This is great and all but what about the useless people like Joe Schmoe. MS could premake things like the current versions of vista for people that want to upgrade the OS. (Of course most Joe schmoes will prebuy OEM) I think this will make computers a lot more affordable, especially in emerging markets.

Additionally NO more DEMO of the OS no 30 day crap. (Since everything seems to be going towards a Web based interface they could just do a Web based demo of the OS, or terminal server type demo) MS complains about piracy and comes up with crap like WGA which only hurts legit customers. Keys should be just purchased directly from MS not included in the BOX that way there is only one key per install no if and buts. On an AD structure they could have the main server purchase and store keys that are tied to a company (directly into the algorithm/key), so if there was a breach it could easily be tracked down.

Windows update should be forced of registration keys. You want updates register your key, no more this I have pirate os still gives me patches crap.

Give people the option to install what they want and not what they are forced. I own vista ultimate mainly because I want to have the option there to the goodies but not have them installed on my system. Vlite is nice in that aspect. Modular so if that there is an exploit for a particular piece of the OS the OS doesn't crash and burn completely. If an appendage is decaying it can be cut off. People are getting more intune with Technology but it seems MS is trapped in windows 95 mentality.

[LhasaCM]

Tossing in my two cents...Modularization at the level of detail you'd like is not very ideal from a seller's viewpoint. Bundling of options into a limited number of tiers improves efficiency because it decreases the amount of time it takes to make a transaction. As a consumer, I don't want to decide at purchase whether or not I want to buy their photo viewer for $0.25 as part of the OS package, and repeat that decision hundreds of times. Microtransactions have a place, and it might make sense in the OS world in some scenarios, but probably not at as low of a level as you'd like.

I also don't see the cost of a modern OS as that prohibitive - there's no requirement that an individual buy it now, and at $99 for the entry level Vista Basic, if that equates to 3 months salary, the individual might be better off using publicly available computers at the library than buying an OS...

Now, what does need to be done is to make it easier for system admins to configure the installation however desired. (Not being responsible for large scale deployments, I'll admit I'm ignorant as to how simple or not simple it is to make it "just right.")


Windows update should be forced of registration keys. You want updates register your key, no more this I have pirate os still gives me patches crap.


I disagree with this point - security updates should be made available regardless of registration status. The problem with denying security updates to pirates is it compromises security of the "network" as a whole, speaking loosely. Compatability updates and other "nice to haves" should be dependent upon registration since there's no outside risk imposed.

[duby229]

Not everybody are americans....

I have a friend in the phillipines, and and 99$ would literally be three months pay.... Why is it that the poor folks always have to settle for less? Why is it that the poor folks always come in second place? I think a modularized OS from MS would be a valid solution. Shit I would enjoy it.

If nlite can do it, then MS can do it better....

[LhasaCM]

Not everybody are americans....

I have a friend in the phillipines, and and 99$ would literally be three months pay.... Why is it that the poor folks always have to settle for less? Why is it that the poor folks always come in second place? I think a modularized OS from MS would be a valid solution. Shit I would enjoy it.

If nlite can do it, then MS can do it better....

Very ethnocentric of me - my bad.

However, MS does sell more basic Windows versions in poorer countries for lower prices.

The problem is, at the end, computer software is a business. While it is perfectly logical for humanitarian reasons for Americans/Europeans (who, on average, can afford to pay more) to pay higher drug prices to help subsidize those who cannot afford it overseas, that is a more basic necessity than the latest computer OS. Also, since software really doesn't need a physical product to exist, there is little to prevent a product sold overseas to be resold here (for me) in the US. So then consumers are faced with a choice: lie and say I'm from some other country to get Windows for $10, or admit I'm an American and pay $99+. Assuming enough people do the former, that would drive the price up and negate the benefit.

While I agree that, in theory, it would be great to be able to pick and choose features a la carte, the practical limitations of consumer patience would make that more inefficient, and pricing the features would be difficult at best. (How much do you charge for FreeCell?) Instead, MS should improve further the customization of the product after purchased (i.e., easily modify the installation so certain features you don't want/dislike/violate corporate policy are not included).

[osalcido]

Not everybody are americans....

I have a friend in the phillipines, and and 99$ would literally be three months pay.... Why is it that the poor folks always have to settle for less? Why is it that the poor folks always come in second place? I think a modularized OS from MS would be a valid solution. Shit I would enjoy it.

If nlite can do it, then MS can do it better....


how does someone that makes 33 dollars a month afford a PC? Why would they need Windows if they could afford the hardware anyway? And why would they need to UPGRADE to vista??
Also, Linux exists for the low low price of FREE....
If people only make 33 bucks a month then the last thing they should be doing is buying computer software... they should be buying food.

And there will always have to be a lower class..... i'm sorry but that's how capitalism works. If everybody was a millionaire and could afford to live like a millionaire....... nobody would work minimum wage jobs. nobody would work in factories. there'd be no products for anyone to buy. we'd all be living like cavemen. I suppose thats what you want? That's the only real way for everyone to be equal

[duby229]

how does someone that makes 33 dollars a month afford a PC? Why would they need Windows if they could afford the hardware anyway? And why would they need to UPGRADE to vista??
Also, Linux exists for the low low price of FREE....
If people only make 33 bucks a month then the last thing they should be doing is buying computer software... they should be buying food.

And there will always have to be a lower class..... i'm sorry but that's how capitalism works. If everybody was a millionaire and could afford to live like a millionaire....... nobody would work minimum wage jobs. nobody would work in factories. there'd be no products for anyone to buy. we'd all be living like cavemen. I suppose thats what you want? That's the only real way for everyone to be equal

That is what automation is for my friend. Automation is what will solve those problems, but we need engineers to maintain the machines, we need OS,s for these folks to learn and --USE-- Without the fundamentals, these folks wont have the opportunity that we have.

It's a shame really.

Think about it, automation is what made the industrial revolution what it was, it is what makes the asembly line work... It is what makes everything that we take for granted today possible, and yet by denying --basic-- communication technologies with these folks --we-- are responsible for oppressing them.

[LhasaCM]

That is what automation is for my friend. Automation is what will solve those problems, but we need engineers to maintain the machines, we need OS,s for these folks to learn and --USE-- Without the fundamentals, these folks wont have the opportunity that we have.

It's a shame really.

Well, this is one issue the OLPC is trying to combat - and starting young. I hope that it is successful, because education is very important. I just don't see Windows being a necessary ingredient...

[duby229]

Maybe not, but MS isnt trying very hard either.

I just think that having a automated system for selecting wanted components then calculating a price based on what you selected would be the best solution.

If you want an idea of what I talking about, go look at a linux distro called ThinStation. Their web site is setup in such away that you ca select the components you want, and it will build an ISO based on what you selected. It is free in this example, but MS could easily charge something for it, becouse they have brand recognition.

[Wrench00]

You realize that PC rooms are extremly popular in poor countries.

[Catweazle]

Lets face it Vista didn't really make a big bang in the IT industry the Corporate sector are avoiding it like the plague..

Nope, can't accept that contention at all. It's WAAAYYYY too early for that assessment to be made. The Corporate sector won't be making any substantial migration for ages yet, but it will inevitably happen. By end of year I'd expect that the migration rate would be rather healthy. It's a small trickle yet, and could only be expected to be so!


That said, my 'wish-list' for Vienna is simple:


A system-wide 'case-convert' function!

That's it. I'm not personally thinking ahead any more than that. I'm pissed off that it isn't in Vista. I type pretty fast despite a fux0red left hand, but I do end up hitting that caps lock key by accident a fair bit, and notice I've done so too late every time!

[general]

Bundling is a pretty standard method to increase profits used by monopolies and even companies that operate in a monopolistically competitive fashion. Want a Dell? They're kings of bundling. Try upgrading a video card on their desktops. You often end up upgrading CPU, hard drive and memory to boot with a hefty price increase. Microsoft spend a ton of time doing market analysis and I don't think anyone can accuse them of being anything but a stellar marketing organization. In many respects, they are a marketing organization much more than a software organization. They make software products, but it is the marketing that has kept their monopoly (and this is an interesting contrast with the linux world who have all of the programmers in the world, but who end up making crap like this (http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...inux+mce&hl=en) ).

Microsoft have a product to put out and will do their absolute best to segment markets and use monopoly pricing to reap excess returns. Your frustration is the absolute result they want. Not really completely happy with the base model, but the premium model is just a little more than you want to pay. Less people might get Premium, but they make extra profits by pricing it that way. There is no way MS would let people cherry pick components. It would cost them way too much.

[jtzako]

Vista is priced the same as XP and 2000 where. Having more versions helps people/organizations tailor the os to what they need without paying extra for what they dont need. I cant fathom the reason behind the "we have to many options" argument.

[zacdl]

Vista is priced the same as XP and 2000 where. Having more versions helps people/organizations tailor the os to what they need without paying extra for what they dont need. I cant fathom the reason behind the "we have to many options" argument.

For basic users though, you have to admit- its confusing. Heck, having XP Home and Pro confused most people.

The best way to do it is don't give them a choice- only make Ultimate. But then they gripe they don't havea choice on price, and the circle goes round and round.

Quite honestly, I would have at least nuked Home Basic.

I would have:

Vista Home (Home Premium)
Vista Business (Pretty much what it is as of right now, but more tailored for Buisness users even more)
Vista Ultimate (What it is now).

[jtzako]

I agree Home Basic is rather pointless... Its basically designed for those who want to use Vista but their PC cannot handle Aero. I personally dont see the point of using Vista if you dont have Aero. You might as well just use XP.

[sovs]

"By end of year I'd expect that the migration rate would be rather healthy"

by end of year, my previous company (70k employees) are planning to have the XP migration complete - I think it started 2 years ago :confused:

Vista? yea right

[As I Lay Dying]

I myself would like better file system support, not every has just fat and ntfs file systems.....

EXT3, HFS+ would be nice.... but I really do not see it happening unless more people feel that way.

[zacdl]

"By end of year I'd expect that the migration rate would be rather healthy"

by end of year, my previous company (70k employees) are planning to have the XP migration complete - I think it started 2 years ago :confused:

Vista? yea right

LOL, I know the feeling.

Some businesses just "don't want to spend the money right now" until it's at the end of its leg (like this year).
Then they end up always behind...

[Jordan1]

After a while with Vista, I am finally going back to XP...for now. I guess all the little annoyances I was having with it pushed me back to XP.

and

Next OS = hardware manufactures have good drivers ready = happy people. :D

[general]

"I myself would like better file system support, not every has just fat and ntfs file systems....."

That was part of the Vista project but got axed along with a bunch of other things so that MS could get the new OS out before 2065.