As it stands, Microsoft’s next mayor OS release is targeted for 2010 and being called Windows 7. There has been a lot of speculation mounting on how they can reinvent the OS and take all the wrongs done by Vista(and still doing with SP1).
Ars Tecnica is reporting that Windows might be going modular:
But just imagine a Windows 7 install that allowed you to install only what you wanted. Don’t like Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Mail, Windows Firewall, etc.,? Don’t install them or their supporting code. You’ve got to like that, if you’re a Windows user.
This could be huge for taking an OS towards being more specialized and having lower memory footprints. Most casual users don’t need/use most of the features an OS has, so it really makes sense.
What I fear: They could potentially give the OS for free or next to nothing and charge you for all the features you really need afterwards:
Microsoft can also add/remove functionality module by module. New modules could be sold post-launch, keeping revenue streams strong. In fact, modules could be maintained independent of OS versions. Microsoft could create a “Live Services” module that is maintained by a dedicated team, designed to work across multiple OSes, yet provide a completely consistent experience.
After the Leopard and Vista came out I started wondering what features should be core OS and which should be added as apps(i.e. Automator, TimeMachine, Dashboard, and their Windows equivalents if available). It’s a really tough call since most of the features are pretty solid(at least in Leopard).
Hopefully users will eventually determine that and not tech firms, since they are the ones that use it.
No matter what, I think that this is a step for the OS market since we’ll have eve more choices when it comes to getting our machines up and running.
Apple most likely take similar steps towards this, in order to reinforce their already exiting .Mac service, which are a nice stream of revenue.
(BTW: Linux distros are very modular and easy to customize. I neglect it completely cause I have never used it consistently as my desktop environment. Windows and Macs should mimic some of these Linux “features”.)
Post a Comment