Windows 7 already getting features cuts and becomes Vista "plus"
By Jonathan Schlaffer
There you have it. Windows 7 may not save us after all. It’s not that Vista is bad but it could be so much better. Microsoft was hoping that was Vista SP1 would do only it didn’t. The industry was hoping that Windows 7 would be the “anti-Vista” as it has been called by some but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen either.
Allegedly the first feature to get cut from Windows 7 is DirectX 11. While DirectX 11 may be optional at some point, it won’t be shipping with the operating system. It turns out that manufactures which sell desktops and laptops with the awful awful horrible useless integrated graphics want no part of that particular requirement.
The Inquirer reports that half of PCs are sold with integrated graphics and one company sells nothing but which whined to Microsoft about it. If DirectX 11 was a requirement for Windows 7, one quarter of PCs made wouldn’t be able to run it. Tough.
It’s true enough that a majority of PCs need to be able to run Windows. Current integrated graphics chips from the likes of Intel, ATi and nvidia are capable of running certain DirectX 9 effects just fine. They falter when it comes to any type of gaming but DirectX 9 was required for running the Aero Glass interface and effects.
It’s high time that manufacturers were forced to included better graphics chips with the “default” configuration of their computers. Microsoft should force it down their throats. The companies might grumble, complain and whine about it but Microsoft is in a position to force it. A majority of consumers want Windows. Manufacturers want to sell PCs.
Therefore, Microsoft should force DirectX 11 on them because, I (and a few people I know) are tired of telling people wishing to play games, that their graphics chip is too lousy and that there were stupid for buying a PC in such a configuration to begin with.
The computers without such support could be sold with Ubuntu or… something. I’m willing to take the middle road though, make DirectX 10 a requirement for Windows 7. Together, we can put an end to mediocre integrated graphics, for good!
A feature has already been cut from Windows 7. Imagine all the other stuff that’s going to get cut at “crunch” time. WinFS, MinWin kernel, anyone?
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February 10th, 2008
Have you lost your mine Jonathan. How can chip maker,s get it right if MS cant. If MS is going to play king of the hill then it needs to start there. Forcing chip maker,s into something isn,t going to fix anything. We would need Win.7 if Vista had been done right. Hell look at all the DX versions XP supported. So why blame the chip makers? Let get the story right MS needs to get their shit right then the chip maker,s would have a foundtion to build on.
February 10th, 2008
lol. I am awestricken by people like you who are already complaining about a cut feature that was reported by a quite-often unintelligible and unreliable “source”. Not to mention, it IS M1 with Windows 7. Things get cut. I said it on my blog and I’ll say it again; there is absolutely no comparison between things getting cut in Windows 7 M1 and everything that went to crap in Longhorn client. Vista really isn’t this horrible OS it has been made out to be. It has/had its kinks but so has every other MS OS before it. Oh well. I guess that whole “Microsoft: Save the World or go home” saying is truly applicable, huh? lol. If you’re interested to read my opinion on the same article, please check out my blog entry regarding it: http://uxevangelist.blogspot.com/2008/02/windows-7-rumor-982479274983th.html
February 10th, 2008
I don’t know what the specs of DX11 are, but i would be pretty upset if me new 8800 gts (g92) wasn’t good enough for windows 7. So making DX11 a requirement just to run it would have been a bad idea. Including DX11 (but not requiring it) would be ok with me. that way if you don’t need anything more than a $500 computer you’ll be ok, but if you build a DX11 monster, then you’ll be taken care of as well.
Minwin the next feature to be cut? I doubt it. I actually think this is going to be the main highlight of windows 7.
WinFS? I don’t know if i need it or not. if it keeps track of folder sizes so that the seconed you open explorer you can see how big a folder is, then i would want it otherwise i don’t care.
As for vista itself, I love vista. I don’t ever want to see XP again. While flip 3d might be overkill, the DWM is a nice feature because its soo much easier on the eyes when you move windows on the screen.
February 10th, 2008
WinFS never was a part of Windows 7 and will be not in Windows 7. WinFS was canceled and no longer in development. All new search-oriented features of Windows 7 (they`re coming) will be based on next versions of WDS (Windows Desktop Search).
February 12th, 2008
“It’s not that Vista is bad”
It just made every worst tech list from last year, forces you to buy a new machine to run it’s bloated code at a speed slower than XP. Now you want everyone to pay more for video hardware they may never need.
I’m curious. Do you buy a more powerful car stereo and turn up the volume so you can’t hear the bad muffler?I would be pissed in the extreme if I’m forced to pay a premium for our business machines, that have no need for enhanced graphics. You are starting to worry me, if you read your article and think it makes sense.
February 13th, 2008
“It’s high time that manufacturers were forced to included better graphics chips with the “default” configuration of their computers. Microsoft should force it down their throats.”
That is a ridiculous statement.
I don’t play games on my PC, and there are millions like me who are quite happy with cheaper, integrated graphics cards.
Why should manufactueres be forced to include more expensive graphics cards? What happened to consumer choice?
February 14th, 2008
“What happened to consumer choice?”
Great point, so how do I get Vista without the built in DRM? Can I get Windows 7 (when released) without the DRM ?
May 13th, 2008
Need to upgrade again? no thanks.. :/
MoiN