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Microsoft Unveils 'Vista Premium' Requirements

Graeme writes "Microsoft has finished what some are calling the true minimum requirements for Windows Vista: the finalized requirements for the 'Vista Premium' certification program. The program is used to influence OEM designs, and it gives an idea of what Microsoft thinks Vista really needs to run well, and what they think is in the horizon. The Ars report hits the highlights, and there are some surprises in there, such as a delayed requirement for HDCP. Ars suspects that the slow ramp-up is due to the pact to not use the Image Constraint Token."

20 of 287 comments (clear)

  1. Why, oh why ... by gerddie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Protected Video Path" (PVP) support, including HDCP.
    ... why do they never listen.

  2. They missed by mkw87 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    the requirement of need a freaking separate hard drive just the whopping size of the install.

    --
    Arguing with an engineer is like wrestling a pig in mud. Soon, you realize the pig is dirty, and he likes it.
  3. Haven't we been here before? by Mr.Fork · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Remember when everyone at work was running NT4 and we went to Windows 2000? Or when home PC's went from Win95/98/ME to XP? Remember all the hype and hysteria about the requirements back then?

    We've been here before and I remember a couple of distinctive impacts of upgrading:

    1. My desktop was a lot more stable.
    2. The computer OS and games actually ran a little faster.
    3. Need I remind everyone who's feeding us this info on Vista? The MEDIA. Nuff said.

    We've all been there, (many times now MS-DOS,win3.1/NT4-Win95/2000/XP), done that. Bring on VISTA baby!

    --
    Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. - Peter F. Drucker
  4. Business needs this? by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I can't believe that Microsoft expects business and government to be moving in the direction of Vista anytime soon. All the "bells and whistles" of Vista seem very much targeted at consumers, I just don't see any of it being something that justifies even thinking about upgrading any business workstation installations.

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    1. Re:Business needs this? by realmolo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, yeah. But Vista *does* introduce a lot more Group Policy settings in an Active Directory environment. Network administrators can control *a lot* more stuff via Group Policy, which is nice.

      But it isn't much of a reason to upgrade. Hell, I doubt that all that many businesses plan to upgrade any time in the near future. Ever since XP came out, hardware has been "fast enough" for ALL of the typical business software that most companies run. Hell, even some of the late "pre-XP" Windows 2000 machines are fast enough that upgrading them probably isn't worth it.

  5. The Operating System doesn't require it at all... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Microsoft (the corporation) requires it of OEM's to get the Vista Premium sticker.

  6. Aero feature by vldragon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It seems many of these specs are for the areo feature. Am I the only one that thinks the whole aero craze is over the top. Is it really that important to be able to see through some of your windows and have them displayed in "3d"? Most likely when I load Vista I look at that feature, say ohh thats neet, then turn them all off mostly because its just a waste of reasorces. Any one else feel the same way?

    --
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    1. Re:Aero feature by Bill+Dog · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No. These days you need pretty high-powered graphics cards for games, but when you're not playing, what else is there for the GPU to do? It might as well loaf through drawing a few 3D transparent windows, in between tapping its fingers.

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    2. Re:Aero feature by jawtheshark · · Score: 5, Insightful

      when you're not playing, what else is there for the GPU to do?

      Put itself in a low-energy 2D mode and consume less power? That would be useful!

      --
      Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
  7. Re:FTFA - USB??? by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 5, Insightful
    USB 2.0 ports throughout

    Don't they mean USB 2.0 High-Speed ports? The USB 2.0 "full speed" scam should have never been allowed to exist in the first place.

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  8. Re:You can see where they're going by LoudMusic · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's also noteworthy that Vista requires OEMs to have some kind of networking ability. While this is a given by today's standards, I find it very curious that an operating system REQUIRES me to have it.

    Just because it requires you to have the hardware doesn't inclusively mean you can't firewall connections to *.microsoft.com:* ;)

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  9. Re:Not me. by vertinox · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Or when home PC's went from Win95/98/ME to XP? Remember all the hype and hysteria about the requirements back then?

    Um.... I went from Windows 98 to Win2000. Stability of NT with Game compatibility of win98. (Just without all the bluescreens)

    Everyone who knew anything about computers should have known to put Windows 2000 pro on their computer when it came out and not WinME or Win98.

    WinXP got domniance because it was just put on new computers that came out and you couldn't get Win2000 anymore.

    However XP had some major glaring flaws (mydoom anyone?) and Win2000 worked just fine for anything I needed included games. Of course these days I use XP because it came with the system and there wasn't any point downgrading because since it was from a vendor all the drivers came with the box and were Winxp certified. (some of the newer hardware gives me grief in finding drivers for my old boxes)

    So... I might get vista some day if it comes with a computer, but I seriously doubt it will be any better than Winxp or 2k as far as mind blowing features. It will of course get eventually better because MS will drop support for 2k and XP, but I don't see any rush to upgrade until SP1 or 2.

    --
    "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
    -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
  10. Bring it on! by Neptune0z · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Im predicting that around 2008, we're gonna see a hugh surge in interest of alternative OS's like linux and *nixs; Coincidently this is gonna occur just slightly after everyone's gets their hands on Vista only to discover that all the DRM'd crap has severly limited what people can do. And their really gonna be pissed of when they discover that everything on their system is just being leased or rented and not really owned by them... Being of sound mind, and a reasonable person; I can see where M$ is headed with all this...Needless to say I wont be installing it EVER (period). Microsoft seems to have forgotten a basic economic principle; in the end the consumer will decide what to consume... Bring it on guys! We're ready...

  11. Re:You can see where they're going by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That 100$ laptop also looks very interesting for those in those "rich" countries who still dare to be poor...

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  12. Re:You can see where they're going by honkycat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think that's because they want to combat the idea that Apple OS is the place to go if you want pretty pictures and nice sound. Apple has control over their own hardware, so they can control that whole experience. Microsoft wants to be sure they don't become known for the OS being used on those crappy machines with poor graphics and sound. By "encouraging" hardware vendors to provide this support, they ensure this won't be a problem.

  13. Re:FTFA - USB??? by eggoeater · · Score: 2, Insightful
    From Wikipedia:

    USB 2.0: Revised in December 2002. Added three speed distinctions to this standard, allowing all devices to be USB 2.0 compliant even if they were previously considered only 1.1 or 1.0 compliant. This makes the backwards compatibility explicit, but it becomes more difficult to determine a device's throughput without seeing the symbol. As an example, a computer's port could be incapable of USB 2.0's hi-speed fast transfer rates, but still claim USB 2.0 compliance (since it supports some of USB 2.0).

    You're correct. It should specify high speed or specify they have to implement the FULL standard. In reality this isn't much of a concern. I haven't seen a NEW computer in over 2 years that wasn't all USB 2.0 high-speed.

  14. Re:Actual vista premium requirements by canuck57 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Our Microsoft sales rep takes our CFO out to a very nice lunch/dinner/trip

    It might also depend on how much stock he has in your company. Say you have to upgrade some 5000 portables at 3 grand a pop. Got $15 million plus, licensing extra for PCs?

    The best part of it is Linux gets it's best growth when this happens. People take their old PCs and load Linux on it to find it is stable and runs well. The only thing that will turn them off is that the toys and games they are used to are not there. Astute business people will ask why does an order entry clerk need DVI or high definition audio and the fancy options? Maybe some will ask, how does Vista justify the cost? Many will realize Linux is going to look good in business giving more life to older systems. Others will stay on XP. Each subsequent version of Windows (server or workstation) is taking longer, and longer to dominate showing the market is getting wiser.

  15. Re:Windows ME all over again by amliebsch · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why do I get the feeling that Vista is nothing more than Windows Millinium Edition all over again?

    Because you get your news and opinion from Slashdot.

    --
    If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.
  16. Re:Why don't they give it the name it really deser by obnoxiousbastard · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We used to laugh and make fun of programmers that couldn't write tight, fast and efficient code.

    Now they promote them.

    My old boss used to call it code bloat and would heckle me mercilessly if my code modules were bigger than 32K.

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  17. It's horrifying by uptoeleven · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Users who want the "premium experience" (read: Aero interface) will need 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and plenty of RAM for that DirectX 9.0-Capable graphics card.

    What on earth is it doing using up a Gig of Ram, a 1GHz processor, goodness knows how much video RAM? A 3D game - for sure needs that kind of processing power, but an operating system for goodness sake? Whatever happened to writing efficient, non-bloated, elegant code? What's wrong with writing something that doesn't use more and more and more memory? Why is it that a knackered old heap running KDE or Gnome or whatever looks prettier, works faster and has funkier graphical add-ons than MS bother with? Most of the world uses Windows, why don't they bother making it half-decent?

    Sorry I know the answers to this, it just infuriates me that most companies, most users are expected to put up with such mediocre pap. And I have a hangover so I'm right :)