You know I’m a Mac Guy at heart, right? So, when I tell you that I’ve got to download, install it, and figure out how Microsoft’s going to knock it out of the park with this whole Windows Vienna thing, don’t be confused. I fully expect Microsoft to ruin this, but it’s not going to stop me from oogling the new pretties all over this blog.
So, let’s discuss for a minute what Microsoft needs to with Windows 7. I’ve read a few articles about it, however I don’t hold them as gospel. The truth is, Redmond is filled to the brim with bumbling idiots. I believe, however, that with the kind of money Balmer’s undoubtedly dumping in to this product, somebody might just surface that can keep the Windows Team on track. So, let’s assume for a moment that Microsoft hussles up a Steve Jobs like character, let’s assume that with this release, Microsoft finally gets it’s shit together.
Microsoft needs to make Windows smaller. They don’t need to do it with the scalpel, either. They need to take a butchers knife to the bloody thing. They need to get rid of all legacy code, they need to clean up the codebase and chop support for every application that’s not designed by the latest developer tools.
‘But Doug – This will mean that I won’t be able to run Word Star for Windows or some other rediculiously obscure application that I cling to because I’m afraid of modern software’ – Too bad. Install Parallels. Your idiotic need to run software that no one in their right mind would still use has been holding Windows Back for a decade now. It’s time that Microsoft breaks backwards compatibility and builds a better mouse trap.
Surely, you must be saying to yourself, they need to do more than break backwards compatibility. You’re right. They need to radically redesign their operating system. From the ground up. I would say they should pull an Apple and use UNIX as the codebase, but Microsoft has a vested interest in developing their own in-house tools. Besides, MinWin probably isn’t too bad. It was a good idea; compartimentalize the the Operating System, make the kernel small and flexable. Make the User Experience built on top of that kernel as small and flexable as they can. Compartimentalize the OS, take a good hard look at their competition, and steal every single one of their ideas with merrit.
I think the conventional wisdom about a total revamp of the OS, and why many of the more astute technical pundits think Microsoft’s going in a different direction (Vista Version 2), is that this will only serve to anger the people even more than they already are. They’ll run in to migration problems and head-aches and might then switch over to the competition.
I happen to think that it’s exactly what Microsoft Needs to prevent people from switching to the competition. Microsoft needs their next operating system to outclass OSX. It needs to be brilliantly designed, it needs to position itself so that it can finally stop playing catch-up and start innovating. Most importantly, Microsoft needs to stand up and start boldy controlling the direction computer makers head with its software. It needs to challenge them to build better products, it needs to enable OEMs to build these products with a new generation of cleanly designed, functional tools and software from Microsoft, and it desperately needs to make an ecosystem of competition between five or six fierce companies trying to find the magic formula that knocks Apple down a few pegs.
It’s plainly obvious to me that if Microsoft’s game plan is just a code clean up of Windows Vista, developers are going to start taking matters in to their own hands. It’s already getting to the point where the power users are jumping ship. After a while, developers are going to want to start doing things that your OEM copy of Windows won’t be able to do. Drivers will be slow and cumbersome, system speed will degrade to the point where nothing good can be ran on it… The era of monolithic kernels should be coming to it’s end.
With Virtualization and an incredibly fast x64 platform provided by every major player in the processor market, Microsoft has an opportunity to start the glacieral process of changing the public perception of the software it designs. Instead of doing it with clever ads and superficial changes, like they did with Windows Vista, they need to change public perception by stepping up to the plate and releasing a solid product.
Here’s to hoping. I doubt Microsoft has it in them; but I hope they do. Trust me, nothing would make me happier than finding an operating system that’s better than Leopard. I’m always looking for the next big thing. But, somehow, I expect ’7′ will be the final nail in the Windows coffin. I figure, five or ten years from now, Microsoft will only be able to sell a copy of WIndows when somebody wants to run it in a virtual enviroment.
You know, I kinda feel bad about the last post I wrote regarding my laptop. With all the discussions of problems I’m having, casual readers might reckon that I’m having a negative experience with OSX on my PC. Quite the contrary, I can assure you. As a matter of fact, this experience – if anything – has solidified my firmly held belief that OSX is the best damn operating system, period. All the problems I’m having aside, I’m very impressed by OSX; It’s obvious to me that 
