Windows Vista!
Windows Vista is due late this year and the recommanded requirements have been released. I made a few clicks to build a Dell system to meet those requirements (Dual core processor, 2 gigs of RAM, 256 mb video card) and the price went up to little over 3000$ CDN. I have to admit I did not try to optimize the solution, but it seems to be a high retail price just to run the new operating system. I’m certain the graphic effects on the desktop will be very nice, but do average office users need all this eye candy?
I bought my desktop system three years ago and it still performs all the tasks I need (I’m not a huge gamer). Why would I go out and spend 3000$ just to get all their new fancy stuff? Why would a company spend so much on hardware for employees when they can currently get a desktop that can do a lot more than office work for less than 600$?
Hardware prices dropped a lot recently, but I don’t expect the high end hardware to drop enough to be affordable by christmas. I know a thing for sure, I will stick to Gentoo for a long while.