Microsoft announces Vista requirements

[digitalwanderer]

Has this been posted here? I just saw it posted by Scott W over at EB and don't remember reading it before...

According to a page on the Microsoft Web site, "There is no reason to wait till Microsoft launches Windows Vista before you deploy PCs." The company then lays out the following guidelines for what constitutes a Vista-capable PC:

- A "modern" Intel, AMD, or VIA Technologies CPU

- 512MB of RAM or more

- A DirectX 9-class 3D graphics card

Such a system will provide what Microsoft calls a "good" experience with Vista, though it might not provide you with the high-end Aero Glass UI.

EDITED BITS: Oh jeeze, this is from March!

Well, at least that explains why I don't remember it...

 

[SugarCoat]

was gonna say thats pretty old news.

 

[pascal]

512MB of ram, fast cpu and DX9 card to run an OS.
And edit small 50k word documents.
Hmmmm ..., doesnt sound good.

Specially when I remenber doing the same thing in early 90´s with a 486/16mb/os2warp at work.

 

[AlNom]

I wonder if they'll keep Notepad or wordpad.

 

[Guden Oden]

Specially when I remenber doing the same thing in early 90´s with a 486/16mb/os2warp at work.

I did the same thing in the late half of the 90s on a 14MHz Amiga, and I thought PC OSes were bloated and sluggish in comparison just as much as I do now... Hooo boy, I had no idea how bad it was going to get in the future!

Half a gig for the OS, that's rediculous.

 

[Kaizer]

I wonder if they'll keep Notepad or wordpad.

Yes, but with a new AutoComplete-feature that suggests the complete sentence, as you are typing, from a complete library of published literature.. Gotta use the extra power for something...

_
K

 

[digitalwanderer]

Well I installed Ubuntu yesterday and have decided to learn Linux, just in case.

 

[Blazkowicz]

Well I installed Ubuntu yesterday and have decided to learn Linux, just in case.

it's not like good old NT 5.x will stop working (afterall I used 98SE till last year), and by the time Vista is out and patched maybe ReactOS will be usable?

 

[Skrying]

Half a gig for the OS, that's rediculous.

During every day use I recommend at least 512MB for just about every OS I've tried in the last year. I dont see how 512MB Visita, especially considering all the fancy effects, etc is really that "ridiculous."

I guess I'm crazy, or just realize that the majority of programs these days use lots of memory while in use.

 

[DudeMiester]

I wouldn't even use XP with less then 512MB. For Vista I'm going to get 2GB, just to be sure!

 

[Blazkowicz]

I've been with 256MB for a few monthes, as my mobo with sdram slots died and going through the hassle of again getting one on ebay that support 0.13µ athlon XP was not fun anymore for me. and it's fine for what I do (firefox, gaim, emulators, games up to 2002)

what I miss is the ability to play far cry (and doom3 runs but I won't bother).

 

[Farid]

XP is already barely working with 512MB, so I kind of doubt that Vista which rely a lot more on virtual machine and the like will do fine with that little amount of RAM.

Well I installed Ubuntu yesterday and have decided to learn Linux, just in case.

Hey, don't forget to mention the person who sold you on Linux!

 

[digitalwanderer]

Hey, don't forget to mention the person who sold you on Linux!

I wasn't gonna name names until I got my openGL working right...

 

[Kaotik]

Those are what MS requires for one selling computer to call it "Vista Ready" - however if you read closer, there's another link to "minimum requirements", which are 800MHz CPU, 512MB RAM and SVGA card capable of 800x600

 

[pascal]

I did the same thing in the late half of the 90s on a 14MHz Amiga, and I thought PC OSes were bloated and sluggish in comparison just as much as I do now... Hooo boy, I had no idea how bad it was going to get in the future!

Half a gig for the OS, that's rediculous.

Can you say that again?

Lets say that you want a screen with four times as many pixels as before, and that you want a CPU eight times as fast as before, then 4x8x14=448MHz 68020 CPU or equivalent.

We are simply wasting resources today with hot, noisy, expensive, ineficient hardware/software PC model.

 

[SugarCoat]

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/capable.mspx

A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC includes at least:

1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor.
1 GB of system memory.
A graphics processor that runs Windows Aero (At LEAST DX9 capable).
128 MB of graphics memory.
40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space.
DVD-ROM Drive (does not have to be internal).
Audio output capability.
Internet access capability.


Adequate graphics memory.
64 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor less than 1,310,720 pixels. (aka less then 1280x1024)
128 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at resolutions from 1,310,720 to 2,304,000 pixels. (aka 1280x1024-just over 1920x1080)
256 MB of graphics memory to support a single monitor at resolutions higher than 2,304,000 pixels. (aka ginormous dell monitor native resolutions)
Meets graphics memory bandwidth requirements, as assessed by Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor running on Windows XP

I woulda went with a 2GHz AMD or 3GHz Intel P4 request myself if you were going to ask for such high system and v-ram requirements already. Soooo many people still squeeze life out of 64 and 32mb cards let alone all the users with 256mb and 512mb physical memory.


Theres also an upgrade advisor beta to tell you what to get replaced if anything. Doesnt work on Win X64 (support for this OS by MS blows!).
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeadvisor/default.mspx