Comments

CorTed wrote on 10/25/2007, 8:55 AM
Nice article Bob. We all want smaller, but remember with smaller comes less features...

Ted
Bill Ravens wrote on 10/25/2007, 9:03 AM
If "features" includes DRM, then a resounding YES!
Perhaps M$ would be well advised to think about market segments for software features. For example, two top level segments, I can think of, are consumer and business customers.Clearly, those engaged in video production have entirely different needs from those interested in surfing Youtube.
Chienworks wrote on 10/25/2007, 9:15 AM
Features? Hmmm. What features do i want from an OS? Oh, right, i want it to let the system operate. That's pretty much it. Oh yeah, i had that with DOS, as i recall.

Now, true, there's something to be said with integrating things like a windowing environment, network, hardware support, storage, etc. into the OS. That's fine. Those are the sort of things where you think, "i should hop on over to Best Buy's software section and buy a program to let me use my network card." But for most anything beyond that, that's not OS stuff.

Kinda makes me wonder, of that hefty price tag for Windows, how much of that goes for features that a user never uses, or might infact prefer not to have installed because it's actually a detriment to the user experience and gets in the way of Just Getting Things Done?
BrianStanding wrote on 10/25/2007, 12:21 PM
My biggest gripe about Windows has always been that Microsoft assumes that every user wants to install and run EVERYTHING, and then makes them jump through all kinds of byzantine hoops to turn it back to the streamlined system I wanted in the first place.

It would be so much easier if the standard MS install defaulted to a bare-bones setup, and then ASKED you what extras, if any, you wanted to install.

If this article is right, maybe they're finally getting around to that concept.