After a discussion in the office at lunchtime, my hypothesis is that Vista will require 512Mb memory and SATA-2 to function sensibly.
I also think that by the time it makes it out of the door virtualisation chips from both Intel and AMD will be shipping for the desktop and platform independant drivers will becoming up fast on the landscape.
Windows plan underscores Microsoft struggle
By Ina Fried
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: February 2, 2004, 4:00 AM PST
While many customers applauded the move, some analysts said that the decision may be more than an act of goodwill. According to recent surveys, about one-quarter of all PCs run Windows 98 or older versions of Windows. “Better to have people stay on Windows 98 than to start investigating things like Linux,” said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Jupiter Research.
Update March 19th 2006
Will 512 mb be enough memory? Some think not:
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=1158
Come on Mr AB from Torquay, so just how many people will be able to upgrade to Vista without buying a whole new PC?
May 20th “The Times”
THE much-hyped next-generation of Microsoft software, Windows Vista, ran into controversy yesterday after analysts said that the system’s full range of tools would be available to less than 5 per cent of Britain’s PC market…
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9070-2188681,00.htmlÂ