Who loves Vista? Memory makers for one

Whenever Microsoft releases a new operating system, computer users find themselves transported to a higher plane of consciousness.

But more important than that, it gives the memory manufacturers a chance to make money and Vista will be no exception.

Vista, the version of Windows coming in the second half of the year, will require that PC makers put more memory on their machines, said Tom Trill, director of DRAM marketing at Samsung. Microsoft is recommending that PC makers put a minimum of 512MB of DRAM on each PC but is strongly advising that manufacturers and consumers really think about going instead for 1GB. Now, bargain computers now come with 256MB.

Many future Vista PCs will also come with hybrid hard drives. These drives, which consume less energy than standard drives, include flash memory chips as a necessary component. (Flash is not the same as DRAM, but Samsung makes both and can switch factory lines from making one type to another, said Trill.)

Memory also plays a role in a technology that allows consumers to load Vista on old systems. EMD, or External Memory Device, lets the memory in a flash memory card function like extra DRAM. If you have a PC with 256MB, putting in a 512MB memory card will let your computer run Vista, in other words.

"A CPU from 2003 is probably fast enough to run Vista but the PC might not have enough memory," Trill said. EMD could also let users postpone a hardware upgrade.

In all, worldwide revenue for DRAM in 2005 came to about $25 billion, according to various analysts.