Next Version of Windows expected to have big Hardware needs



Information technology managers are beginning to determine how their future plans can accommodate Microsoft Corp.'s next major upgrade of Windows, code named Longhorn, slated for release in 2006.

One question with major implications for agency upgrade plans is: What hardware will be able to handle Longhorn? Microsoft officials say they will answer that question in May, when they are scheduled to meet in Seattle with PC hardware manufacturers.

In the meantime, industry analysts are predicting that Longhorn will need every bit of the power and processing capacity of the average desktop computer in 2006. Some say that could mean a 5 GHz microprocessor, 2G of main memory, a PCI Express bus and a widescreen display. The desktop would also likely need a constant Internet connection.




Source:

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004...3-03-22-04.asp

IF Moore's Law hold true and we see two more doublings of processor power before this versonod Windows is released, the we can expect to see PC's with speeds of upwards 14 Ghz and accompanying hardware. At this lever, it would seem that the 5 Ghz required by the new OS is really quite minimal.

Even if we see only one doubling of power before the release, then processors would be at about 7 Ghz + and although this would of course require new computing upgrades for businesses, IT departments should already be planning for such upgrades despite the new OS's due to other software requirements.

Either way, it seems that Microsoft is keepng up with trends and while I would enjoy an OS from M$ that was not so resource hungry, I am sure that here is a trade off betwen productivity, features and resource use.

Don't be too overwhelmed ny the big numbers in computing power, We all used to use a Pentium (I) 33 Mhz with 6 Mb of Ram and that was great for the time...really only 12 years ago. My how time flies.

I say 7ghz will be the max by 2006. Its already 2004 and only at 3ghz really. And thats top of the line.

When I say 7ghz i mean max norm. Like gerneral gamers and gernal computer usrs.

Which I wold say is about 1.5ghz atm. And 256mb of ram.

So maybe longhorn will only require 2.5ghz and 512mb. Lets hope so. :)

And probally just a 64mb grahpics card, 4x apg.

Never know though. ;)

PCI Express for Video Card, DDR2 for Memory, SATA2 for Hard Disks, etc... hope Longhorn will support all these new technologies. :)