Novell: Vista will drive users to Linux
 

How very true! And I sincerely hope this is the case! And as Windows 2000 users and previous won't be supported for the IE 7.0 update, I'm hoping that will also convince some more users who have 'seen the light' to move to Linux. ;)

What do you think?

J_K9

I can't agree more, escpecialy after I saw the system requirements for Vista!
http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.../09/09/2037207
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2005/09...hardware_reqs/
That are unrealisting requirements, hardly any home/office system in the world is so powerfull.
I really don't get MS that they make the req's so high, it'll force people to look for an alternative if they want the same things vista has. And I think Linux has loats of functions that are new in vista (like transparancy) and otherwise they'll be available within one or maybe two years. That's the force of OSS :)

Ruben

I'm confident that MS has a "You scratch my back I'll scratch yours" arrangement with hardware manufacturers.
MS raises their systems requirements and forces its users to upgrade, thus helping the hardware manufacturers. In return the hardware manufacturers focus on windows drivers for their products.

In the end, everybody wins! (Except the end users :mad: )

I still think that the typical user is too dumb to install an OS at all, let alone switch over to linux. They'll just stick with whatever OS gets put on by the people who put their system together.

However these ridiculous requirements will hopefully convince some business to migrate to linux. Imagine being free from forced upgrades, unfair software lease payments, being pressured to use only MS products, etc... :)

Well, what Microsoft needs to worry about more is the "why-bother principle." Only two years ago, you paid a bunch for XP. Two years before that, you paid a bunch for 2000. Exactly what do you get, throwing everything out yet again to buy "all-new" SOS (same old s**t) that you know will have a two-years-like-clockwork shelf life?

Microsoft needs to re-think its dependency open "Microsoft Office" and start learning some really-new tricks. Even the desktop business is beginning to leave them behind.

I totally agree with you geeman2.0 the typical user is usually not knowledgable enough to install windows 2000. I've had my experience in that. I've had so many people tell me that windows is the best. Problem is half of them dont know what linux is, and the other half that do are afraid of having to install it. Dont get me wrong I think the Anaconda installer is actually quite simple and the graphical install makes it look better, but most people dont know what linux is and with that they're going to buy new computers just so they can get windows vista. Computers these days are obsolete with in 5 years anyways and with Vista installed on new computers I dont see linux stopping Microsoft, even though the prices will get ridiculous. Even if Vista ended up being buggier than 98 I dont think its Linux's time to break out into homes all over the globe. That day is coming though, but who knows how long it will take.

It's funny how people accept that as a given. I think this misconception is due to MS's policy of abandoning older versions of windows and expecting users to upgrade to use their newest versions.

My secondary box is 5 years old and happily runs slackware with decent performance. It can still handle web browsing, multimedia, open office, etc...

The only real reasons to upgrade is if you want to play the latest and most demanding games, or you require the raw cpu power of a new box for a server or large development tasks.

A simple home desktop user has no need to upgrade his computer just to browse the internet/write history essays, etc...

That's why I couldn't agree more with this statementBut unfortunately MS has convinced many users that they need to upgrade their boxes just to continue doing the same old tasks that their old hardware running older OSs were capable of doing :(

This is very true, older computers work fine with just browsing the internet and simple things as that. I however like to test all the new OS's that come up and have a PC set up just for that. I've tried Vista Beta on it, Overclockix, and many others but notice that with an old computer running old hardware neither of those 2 OS's would work, Overclockix asks for 512+ RAM. Microsoft isnt the only operating system growing. Improvements are being made to Linux also and web browsers and chatting programs and office app and any others that you can think of. Sooner or later these updates will have feautres that people will want to have.
I have BLAG 30001, and KANOTIX running at home and I love it. If I were to switch back to Fedora Core 2 or some other older OS just because my hardware wouldnt support it, I wouldnt do it. I'd break down that worthless computer and use the hardware of it to build up a new PC. More and more people are building their own PC's these days just to save money to be able to afford the new Windows OS. If there was a Linux OS that compared to vista and the abilities of it wouldnt they be more drawn to that then an outdated Linux system running KDE 3.0. I WOULD! The way I see it, for Linux to become more widespread they will have to keep up with Microsoft. People these days are sadly drawn to bright, new, shiny things. If all there is are Vista and Suse 8.3, people would rather buy a new PC to support Vista then to keep their old system and run Suse, even if they have to pay $300 for Vista and Suse is free. Im one of these people sadly, and as long as new technology is produced I'll buy it when I get the moola for it.

Of course you'll need to upgrade your hardware if you insist on having the latest and greatest software.

But my point is that the typical user who's only interested in internet/email/word processing/etc... won't bother to buy new hardware just so he can run the shiniest new OS.

That is why Vista will likely have trouble with the "Why bother?" crowd.

we've just finnished a major upgrade to (shock!) XP Our hardware is straining to cope- but "no hay plata" (no= no hay=have plata=silver). So we won't be upgrading for a while yet- some also have the policy of not upgrading (say 98 to 2000) untill the next one is out (no bugs eh or at least less.)

titanium_geek

I totaly agree with the statement that you don't need to have a new computer just for internetting and wordprocessing.
Another thing that keeps users buying new windows pc that's not mentioned yet is that people think that when their system is going slower and slower (due to spyware/viruses even after you removed them) they need to upgrade their pc. Not just reinstall windows (or, even better, install linux)! This is only known by people using pc's quite a lot, most users don't know it. Which is weird, but very well for hardware companies and MS so they won't tell those people 'just reinstall'.. they'll tel them what new functions Vista will ofer them so those people will buy that!
It's sad, but true :(

You know, I always thought my machine was pretty well upgraded,
I've got a nice ATI Radeon Vid card, over half a gig of RAM, and a fairly fast processor (AMD AthlonXP2400) and I'm left utterly speachless at the sheer audacity that M$ displays with these Vista requirements. But it's the way they operate, every major release of Windows has practically doubled the previous version's system requirements, so why would they do it any different this time.

And as for the theory that they have an arrangement with the hardware manufactureres, I would bet my life that that's exactly the case.


JohnTzu

NoticeL These aren't actual system requirements, these are requirements for Vista Certified PC's (to get the windows logo on an OEM PC). Vista server runs quite well on my 550mhz box with 448MB RAM and old 5kRPM HDD. I imagine that if I install Vista on my home PC (1.5GHz) It'll run quite well.

Are they seriously the requirments?? Bill Gates is a Sick Sick man win the lottary maybe i could afford a Pc with that kinda power, not what the windows offical vista site says they rekon 512 ram and a newish CPU will run it, another thing is most home users dont need that sorta power so why should they have to pay for it in order to run Winslows, Pc companys will not be able to sell PC's to the general public because of the cost, Or it will drive them to make linux standard and tux will take over the world Muahahaha.

My 2 cents.

Novell can't even control their own servers from being hacked. Opensuse.org was hacked over the weekend.

The req's for vista was my original dream for a computer, now they're making that the standard for them? OMG someone remind me to never go back to windows for as long I live. I will laugh one day when people realize that Linux is either cheap and/or free and start switching to it, and with a little time and patience, can do anything and then some of Windows boxes.