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"Levels" of Computers the Future?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the do-they-get-xp-too dept.

RabidMoose writes "Gamespot has an article up talking about a recent interview with Microsofts's Dean Lester about the future of PC gaming (as well as Xbox 2 tidbits). Basically, they're in contact with the big hardare producers about transitioning to a system of tagging pre-made computers with "levels". He provided a hypothetical example that a PC with a "level 5" designation might have a medium processor speed, amount of RAM, and mid-range video card, while a "level 7" PC might have a faster processor, more RAM, and a higher-end video card."

3 of 635 comments (clear)

  1. Remember MPC? by Fez · · Score: 5, Informative

    They already tried this before... There was the "Multimedia PC" (MPC) spec that had level 1, 2, 3, etc based on whether or not your PC had a CD-ROM, sound card, graphics capable of 800x600 and so on.

    This was back in the days of Windows 3.1, even.

    1. Re:Remember MPC? by jandrese · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yeah, I was going to mention this. It died pretty quickly. The problem was that applications often require certain components to be faster/better (your application may be MMC1, except you needed 8MB of RAM so you were stuck with the MMC3 designation). People who had computers that would run your software (and otherwise generate a sale) were scared away because they only had a 2xCD-ROM (leaving them at the MMC2 level). I think the hardware also changed too fast for the MMC guys to keep up (especially when 3D video cards/games started appearing on the market).

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
  2. Re:Alex, I'll take Level 6 for $200 by theguru · · Score: 4, Informative

    Quit spreading FUD. MS has not said they won't patch IE for non XP users. Don't beleive everything you read on the frontpage of Slashdot. What they have said is, they will not be releasing the enhancements that XP SP2 added to IE for non XP OS's. Security patches and hotfixes for IE will continue to be produced for non XP systems.

    Now, I have to get back to work on my level -3 laptop...