Goodnight XP, goodnight Vista, hello Midori
By now its clear that Windows Vista isn’t going to win over users. Even if they are using it there will always be a divide between Microsoft and users. The company was determined to kill XP, the best operating system the company ever made. Now that’s it’s gone we need to look to the future.
For all intents and purposes XP is no longer available. So that leaves Vista. A cobbled together mess of code with UAC on top. While it’s not as bad as some say and there may even be reasons to like it, it is far from great.
To maintain its growth and to keep people from moving to Linux or Mac, Microsoft needs to come out with a great operating system. That may come in the form of “Midori.”
According to ZDnet, Midori is built on top of research done in the Singularity project. Singularity is an attempt by Microsoft to create a completely new built from scratch operating system. It has an entirely new Microkernel, process management and a made over task and resource allocation manager.
Singularity will never see the light of day. But since Midori is basically a testing version of a commercial operating system, that’s not really a problem. For now, both are simply text based operating systems but the core technology is there.
Singularity and Midori do away with all backwards compatibility. This is good. However, if Microsoft does release Midori at some point then there will be a while where Windows and Midori will have to be sold side-by-side until most software and devices are supported in Midori.
Since this is very early it’s not clear when or if Midori will be released. If it is then it will hit after Windows 7. Don’t expect Windows 7 to be much better than Vista as MinWin has already been pulled or at least scaled back.
Look to the future, look to Midori. Here’s hoping Microsoft can market it correctly. I would suggest it hire the same ad agency that handles Apple.
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July 1st, 2008
“Look to the future, look to Midori. Here’s hoping Microsoft can market it correctly. ”
If it is innovative, lean and mean …forget it. If its bloated filled with DRM and needs 2GB RAM to operate properly…then thats what it will be. After all Windows 7 will be based on Vista according to MSFT, so why would Singularity/Midori be any different? Because it is a new code?
It would be a safe bet that whatever MSFT releases it will contain DRM within its operating system, thus the requirement for high hardware requirements. And the requirements of the entertainment industry…..
Besides MSFT needs to get on board now with its partners, OEMS, software and hardware manufacturers in order to release Midori along with Windows 7 in the stated 2010 release. So it would be safe to say Midori is Vaporware at this point.
July 2nd, 2008
Now that XP is no longer available to purchase, then surely people who really want XP, and there would appear to be many, will now have only one other option left to them and that is to install a pirated copy. To me this sounds like a very childish course of action by Microsoft telling the consumer what they should or shouldn’t have, encouraging piracy and resulting in a loss of revenue to themselves whilst continually bleating on about products that may be available in a few years time.
July 2nd, 2008
Vista’s failure was inevitable what with the mountains of legacy garbage that came with it. I’m actually surprised a failure didn’t happen sooner, and can only imagine the thousands upon thousands of hours MS must have been putting into sustaining XP all this time. At SOME point Microsoft MUST abandon it’s legacy code base if a future operating system of theirs is to survive. They need a clean break, but where to draw the line in the sand is hard to imagine.
July 4th, 2008
Backward compatibility is the main reason Window has any users left. There are already other OSes that work well without all the limitations. Microsoft is too big and incestuous to be nimble and responsive.
Hindsight says it would have been better for all concerned if the Justice Dept. would have forced the Windows division to be spun off.
The idea that Microsoft doesn’t break with legacy code is just wrong. Pop in a Win 95 or 98 program or piece of hardware in an XP machine and see how it works.
July 6th, 2008
Ken said: “Backward compatibility is the main reason Window (sic) has any users left.”
Uncharitable souls might say that’s true, given that Windows is definitely compatible with backward users
July 19th, 2008
Vista is not good. Too bad to Vista. XP win. You waste money on Vista. All people will have go back to Windows XP forever. People will sue Vista. XP is best for oldest and newest gaming to bring oldest memories back. Remember XP will never die! Shame on Vista!