| Thursday, January 24, 2008 |
| Seven Things We'd Like to See in Windows 7... |
According to some reports, Microsoft might be prepping to drop the next Windows operating system, currently called Windows 7 by the press, sometime in 2009. I don't know if that's true, because Internet rumors aren't known for being reliable, but if it is indeed the case, now is the time for Microsoft to start making a serious list of necessary features. And lack thereof.
I have a ton of suggestions for Windows 7. The love-it-or-hate-it Windows Vista has left a great deal of users wishing it would just go away. I, personally, don't mind it, except for the fact that it almost takes a Cray supercomputer to run it smoothly. No operating system should have a kernel that so demanding that it requires upgrading a year-old computer to make it ready for the new OS.
Now, I don't give a crap about the gripes the European Union has against Microsoft. I want conveniences included with my OS, such as a decent browser, a very fast file system search capability, and other such goodies. Doesn't Mac OS X include a browser? Don't most Linux distros include catalogs of open source software? Why can't Microsoft include features without being harassed by people who obviously have nothing better to do? If I don't like the crapware that comes with an operating system, I can usually uninstall or disable it and load something else.
1. Fewer editions. By releasing Windows Vista in something like 49 different editions, Microsoft managed to confuse consumers who might have otherwise upgraded. You wouldn't believe the amount of email I got during Vista's first few months of release asking, "Which edition should I get?" Microsoft should create exactly two editions of Windows 7.
A full edition (call it Ultimate if you must) with every feature and every bit of inevitable bloatware that Microsoft wants to cram into it.
A stripped, performance edition. An edition for gamers. It should focus on being incredibly streamlined from its very installation, loading as little background garbage as possible, suspending virtually every service that a performance junkie can live without, and including a DirectX version that actually delivers on prerelease promises.
2. Better pricing. No one wants to pay $300 or more for an operating system. I'd rather deal with the trials and tribulations of Linux than pay to upgrade to a bloated OS, and that says a lot because I'm a hardcore gamer. That practically requires me to run Windows, as few games come out natively for Linux and the wrappers sap performance. The "ultimate" version shouldn't cost more than $150, and the streamlined "gamer's" edition should cost around $100.
3. More comprehensive installation options. I know Microsoft was trying to make Vista easier to install by asking fewer questions, but I think during the installation it should quiz you on how you plan to use your encounter and configure its services and features to your preferences. The scattershot approach of Vista, trying to be a jack of all trades, ends up forcing performance junkies to tweak the hell out of it before they're satisfied.
4. Less intrusive User Account Control. Does Windows have to ask me if I really want to do virtually anything I try to do? I ended up turning UAC off completely to purge my system of those pop-ups that verify my every action. I know UAC is there for security and to help prevent unauthorized programs from running, but most users I know develop the reflexive, Pavlovian habit to click OK on the UAC warning that they don't even bother to read the dialog box. Maybe UAC could incorporate some learning technology, so that it eventually stops asking about stuff you do all the time, and only halts the system when something unusual happens.
5. Easier optimization. The developers should take everything that eventually ends up in TweakUI for Windows 7 and incorporate it into Control Panel, thus avoiding an extra download and letting you tweak the interface as you see fit. Make it easier to get rid of unwanted yet included extras like those abysmal Windows games and cursory programs (I'm looking at you, Sound Recorder) that do little besides take up hard drive space.
6. Ultimate Extras. For heaven's sake, Microsoft, if you advertise for months in advance that people who buy the "ultimate" edition will receive extra stuff, make it happen! Personally, I don't need BitLocker or Texas Hold 'Em or whatever the sorry selection of Ultimate Extras includes. Animated wallpaper? No thanks. Let's get some of those promised, awe-inspiring goodies available now, and when Windows 7 comes out, make bonus releases a regular occurrence. Otherwise, don't advertise them at all.
7. And finally, throw away the kernel and make a new one. Make a kernel that can run on machines that don't require multicore processors, 128 gigabytes of memory, and a one hundred billion transistor GPU to run the OS smoothly. Remember, the operating system is there to allow you to use your computer; not to slow it down to a crawl. I have high hopes for Windows 7. I'd like to see a streamlined, lean and mean code base that doesn't crash and that puts Windows Vista to shame. Hopes are one thing, though; reality might be very different.
I hope not. |
posted by Share@U @ 1:43 PM  |
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