But there's still the retail upgrades

Post #16,511 by warmachine 11/4/01 8:09:59 PM Reply	But there's still the retail upgrades The scenario you describe only applies to new PCs. It will mean retail upgrades will reject most attempts to upgrade with the myriad, existing hardware. Unless you're saying Microsoft won't bother with retail. Intel won't stand for Microsoft controlling hardware to this level. Microsoft could buy or bribe some other company but surely no rival has the required manufacturing capacity. Microsoft Outlook - one, big, macro virus portal.
Post #16,515 by CRConrad 11/4/01 8:45:42 PM Reply	Worrying quote from Tom's Hardware Guide: "warmachine" writes: Intel won't stand for Microsoft controlling hardware to this level. Microsoft could buy or bribe some other company but surely no rival has the required manufacturing capacity. Well, according to this bit from Tom's [link\|http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/01q4/011031/xpvsp4-15.html\|Athlon - Pentium 4 comparison test]: In comparison to the past, the Athlon XP can profit from Windows XP, probably more than Intel CPUs. It seems that AMD helped Microsoft get the optimum out of its new CPUs. ...AMD? Christian R. Conrad The Man Who Knows Fucking Everything
Post #16,523 by Andrew Grygus 11/4/01 9:36:16 PM Reply	Intel is already defeated - totally. With the last PC spec (PC 2001 issued jointly by Intel and Microsoft) came the footnote that this would be the last joint spec. From here on out it is up to Microsoft and Microsoft alone to issue PC specs. This is already history. With XBox, Intel tried to hang tough, so Microsoft went and based the design on an AMD chip. Only by giving away the farm was Intel able, at the last minute, to get the XBox back from AMD. No, Intel is totally defeated as far as Windows PC specifications is concerned. What they want just doesn't matter (why do you think they're backing Linux?). As to retail upgrades - they will be a dead-end line. To meet the requirements for "protection of copyrighted content" Microsoft is negotiating with the RIAA/MPAA, they need to get rid of all existing PCs. The current Windows line will probably be enhanced for retail upgrades one or two more times (to bring in revenue), but upgrades will be missing much of the new multimedia capabilities because old PCs can't meet the "content protection" requirements. The pressure will be to upgrade to a new PC to get the latest Windows. Remember where we're headed, anyway - Microsoft Windows on Microsoft hardware. XBox is just the begining. In a few years Microsoft will be able to dictate to consumers exactly when they have to go out and buy a new PC. They'll issue a couple of backwards compatible upgrades, then declare one that requires new hardware. [link\|http://www.aaxnet.com\|AAx]
Post #16,536 by boxley 11/4/01 10:57:40 PM Reply	no prob, my next home box is an imac tshirt front "born to die before I get old" thshirt back "fscked another one didnja?"
Post #16,545 by cforde 11/5/01 1:56:11 AM Reply	Yep, made that decision over a year ago My 8(!) year old IBM PS/VP is still crawling along (albeit with CPU, memory and disk upgrades). The 17" monitor is still going too. But my next machine will carry an Apple logo. Have fun, Carl Forde
Post #16,661 by inthane-chan 11/5/01 4:10:28 PM Reply	...missing the new multimedia capabilities... Just FYI, MediaPlayer 8 will ONLY be availible on Windows XP. All prior OSes will stay at revision 7.1, and will be updated as possible, but not as so to break the "security" availible in MediaPlayer 8. It's actually public knowledge, which is why I can say it here, but by the same measure, I'm not exactly privy to Billy's and Bally's secret mechaniations, despite being two floors directly below them. "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Welcome to IWETHEY!