FORTUNE says Vista "won't generate much excitement"

[bobhss]

http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/19/technology/google_fortune/index.htm

And it got me thinking about the versions of Windows, both home (9x) and business (NT) based.

Begin---------->Improvement----->More Improvement------->Sweet Spot-------->No one wants it
3.1-------------->95-------------------->98---------------------------->98SE---------------->ME
NT3.51-------->NT------------------->2000------------------------->XP-------------------->Vista

In this arrangement we see that currently Vista would fall in the same No one wants it boat as ME did. I can see some saying 2000 might be the Sweet Spot, but I would argue that XP does not belong in the No one wants it section (even though some don't).

In conclusion, I think FORTUNE may be right and Microsoft may have a hard year in 2006.

[Afn]

The basic functionality of windows has not changed much since 95. (browser, compressed music, office)

What they have added is needless drm restrictions and mindless complexity.

[Auggie2k]

I wouldn't call XP a sweet spot. Now Windows 2000 Professional is but I'm a sucker eye candy so I have XP, which is sweet (with some tweaking). I'm just after realising that you posted that somebody would say that, nice call. Sure XP is Win2K Pro if you disable the visual styles.

You right there Afn, there have been a few add-ons and such over the years but it really is just more eye candy.

PS: I was one of the unfortunate people to have Windows ME and I'm glad I did. It f**ked up so many times, I've learned loads of problems.

[silentscream]

I wouldn't call XP a sweet spot. Now Windows 2000 Professional is but I'm a sucker eye candy so I have XP, which is sweet (with some tweaking). I'm just after realising that you posted that somebody would say that, nice call. Sure XP is Win2K Pro if you disable the visual styles.

You right there Afn, there have been a few add-ons and such over the years but it really is just more eye candy.

PS: I was one of the unfortunate people to have Windows ME and I'm glad I did. It f**ked up so many times, I've learned loads of problems.
that huge memory leak problem

it basically got slower and slower untill it crashed lol

it did have usb plug and play though lol

.

[bobhss]

What they have added is needless drm restrictions and mindless complexity.

Hence, now we await Vista and it's needless drm and complexity.

[mountain_rage]

When will people stand up to these big corporations and say no more, when is it too much? I think vista will be the one that will go too far and people will just be pissed off. At least they arnt implementing paladin but its still going to be such a locked down system that it wont be worth it.

[Theinfamousone]

Has anyone tried the latest beta versions? I am curious how DRMd it is. I tell you what, I am this close to going Linux because I have just had it with XP. I spend more time fixing problems than enjoying the thing, I'm hoping that Vista is basically a complete rewrite. XP is ridiculous in so many ways, it's nice, but has tons of easily fixed flaws that I fail to understand how Microsoft, the most well off company in the world could fail to solve after 20 years of making Operating Systems even down to XP SP2. Mac had all the bugs worked out of their platform since Windows ME was just a twinkle in Bill Gate's eye, and they have to worry about making their own hardware, their own software, etc etc, and the OS still is light years ahead of Microsoft who's soul claim to faim (besides an occasional release of flight simulator) is dedicated to making a flawless operating system.

I remember I bought a computer that came with Windows ME. I was so excited to have a Pentium 4, we had spent $2700 back in 2001, I figured I'd have the fastest computer on the block atleast, I was embarrassed when I brought my friends over to show them and it crashed over it's own shoelaces.