Longhorn "average" system specs...

DarN

Regular
w0000t!
Microsoft is expected to recommend that the "average" Longhorn PC feature a dual-core CPU running at 4 to 6GHz; a minimum of 2 gigs of RAM; up to a terabyte of storage; a 1 Gbit, built-in, Ethernet-wired port and an 802.11g wireless link; and a graphics processor that runs three times faster than those on the market today.
Whoa there!
 
There's no way the average hardware level is going to scale that high, not even by the stupendously pushed back release date they have right now.

Hopefully, they don't mean that's what the OS is going to need to function properly, as opposed to an erroneous prediction of performance trends.

I don't need my OS requiring a gig of ram or 2 Ghz, that's for my apps to use. I also don't need motion-blurred window frames and morphing taskbars and a desktop that maxes out a 128MB framebuffer.

There's not one thing they've demonstrated yet that a fully 3d desktop can offer that justifies the massive amount of overhead and resource use just for a bump-mapped taskbar.
 
DarN said:
w0000t!
Microsoft is expected to recommend that the "average" Longhorn PC feature a dual-core CPU running at 4 to 6GHz; a minimum of 2 gigs of RAM; up to a terabyte of storage; a 1 Gbit, built-in, Ethernet-wired port and an 802.11g wireless link; and a graphics processor that runs three times faster than those on the market today.
Whoa there!

The only thing I think we may have a huge problem with is the cpu. The other stuff might be a tad pricey to achieve in a 2006 timeframe, but I think they are possible.
 
3dilettante said:
There's no way the average hardware level is going to scale that high, not even by the stupendously pushed back release date they have right now.

Hopefully, they don't mean that's what the OS is going to need to function properly, as opposed to an erroneous prediction of performance trends.

I don't need my OS requiring a gig of ram or 2 Ghz, that's for my apps to use. I also don't need motion-blurred window frames and morphing taskbars and a desktop that maxes out a 128MB framebuffer.

There's not one thing they've demonstrated yet that a fully 3d desktop can offer that justifies the massive amount of overhead and resource use just for a bump-mapped taskbar.

AMEN

RainZ
 
I think this tells us the release date will be pushed back to 2007/8 - by then the hardware requirements won't look quite so silly.
 
when i had the win95 beta's the pc specs m$ touted were outrageoous too.... i mean 16mb of ram !!!!

-dave-

i-i-r-c win95 wasnt even tested properly on machines with >32mb , which is why it's v-mem commit algorithms were wierd . .
 
What exactly would Longhorn be doing that would warrant 2 GB of memory?

System management can be computationally intense, but blowing through a gig or more of memory before actually doing anything is way too much.

Unless the windows themes default to Unreal3, Microsoft is taking the already unbelievable code-bloat in their OS and quintupling it.

As for a 4-6 Ghz dual core chip, it's nice to know that all those cycles will be put to good use raytracing the recycle bin.
 
if that's true it only show that MS still produce bloatware.

I hope a good alternative OS comes by (no linux isn't good, BeOS was but is no longer developed it seems)
[forgot to mention SkyOS is looking gooooodd :) ]
 
I thought OS's should be efficient?

The only reason I use a modern OS is because accessing software and configuring software/hardware is a lot easier through a modern OS than a CLI.

Future OS should try to make things faster, easier and more secure.

Not bloated, resource intensive and confusing. :?
 
There has got to be a way to find the line between usability and pointlessness.

As long as we're displaying our desktops on a 2-d screen, the benefits of a 3d OS are going to be severly limited. A GUI is supposed to informative, there's a certian point where graphical excess simply adds noise that makes it harder to gather information at a glance.

How the hell am I going to find the my computer icon if the desktop theme is set to "hall of ray-traced mirrors"?
 
What makes me wonder is the need of a 1GB ethernet port.
One doesn't "need" or "require" any kind of connections, if i wanna connect my PC to another PC i will decide which connection i need, if i need 1GB then i'll use it, but it shouldn't be a requirement.
And will Internet access EVER get that fast? :rolleyes:

This is all a big :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: for me. Although now that i think about it, if this thing really is to be released in 2010, these will probably be average-y specs, since my PC already has 1GB Ram and can hold 4GB.

It's 5-6 years from now after all...
 
There's a link over at ArsTechnica with some leaked longhorn screens.

They show a nifty effect where windows cast shadows on what's behind them. This I see as helpful, as it adds a visual cue that is unobtrusive and helpful in focusing on a foreground object if there are a lot of windows.

However, if they better find more effects besides that for Longhorn. Somehow, I feel that something similar--if a little rough--could be hacked into windows right now. There's no way window shadows would increase resource usage by anything.
 
3dilettante said:
Somehow, I feel that something similar--if a little rough--could be hacked into windows right now. There's no way window shadows would increase resource usage by anything.
I'm sure it could, since XP already introduced hardware-acclerated 'depth' shadows on the mouse pointer.
 
Microsoft is expected to recommend that the "average" Longhorn PC feature a dual-core CPU running at 4 to 6GHz; a minimum of 2 gigs of RAM; up to a terabyte of storage; a 1 Gbit, built-in, Ethernet-wired port and an 802.11g wireless link; and a graphics processor that runs three times faster than those on the market today.

What I'd like to know is what's considered an 'average' computer today. If they consider an average computer to be a P4 system, alright, fine. Maybe I can see that by 2008. But realistically speaking, most people still don't have P4's. And for graphics cards, they have MX440's and Ti's. If we're using that as an 'average', not until 2015 at earliest.
 
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