Comments on: Gartner: Windows is collapsing

CNET News.com's Ina Fried wonders just what has been going on while she has been in Latin America. Did Microsoft's profit engine just flame out?

[mwooge]

White Paper Rewrite

I've been saying for years that Microsoft needs to completely re-write Windows, from scratch. Don't worry about backwards-compatability (which can be handled by libraries). Don't include decades of orphan code which has been retained from one version to the next because no one knows it's there, or because they're afraid it might be needed.

They know how Windows should look, how it should work, what it should do, what to avoid, how to be virus-proof.

With a white-paper rewrite, MS Windows could again be sleek, fast, and small.

[alwayztheskeptik]

Filipe needs a job. Please help.

Fil0403 could really use a job where he can put his quick wit and command of sarcasm to effective use. And let's not overlook his vast knowledge of computers and gaming. (He's big on video games.) Since Portugal's main industry is producing bad tasting wine, I really don't see how his talents would be best utilized there. Let's see if we can find him employment in a first world country where he can work with the tools that he is most comfortable: an easy chair, a bag of Fritos, and a joystick.

[t8]

The real challenge for Windows

The real challenge for Windows is the change to Web apps, mobile devices, and faster connections.

An OS with all the bells and whistles just seems like unneeded bloat.

In 5 years I expect to do my computing on my mobile running Android and accessing Web apps. I take the phone to work and dock it into a station to access a keyboard and monitor and dock it when I get home. In between I still have my computer with me, but with the small screen and limited keyboard.

No way in the world am I going to put MS Office on that thing. It is the 21st century for pete sake.

Big PCs will eventually be looked upon the same way we see those big brick cellphones of the 80s. Mark my words.

[AppleSuxLeo]

Android on a phone...

Will surely replace a home PC for gaming , video editing etc. Yea , right. These "demise of the PC" types are just morons...no...make that idiots.

[t8]

Duh!

Fat PCs will still have a market for developers, but for most they don't need that grunt and weight. They will let the cloud do that for them.

Most computer users are not developers.

Duh!

[AppleSuxLeo]

Nice to hear from an actual user...

these other nimrods that post on here don`t even own Vista. They just repeat some garbage Mr TurtleNeck planted in their puny little minds.
Apple has droves of Mac users with the spinning beach-ball and regular wireless disconnects due to bugs not sorted out by Apple. Yes its true...I listen to call-in computer shows and not everyone with a computer problem uses Windows.

[SystemsJunky]

Very True

I own a Mac, but I use Vista Ultimate on it flawlessly. I dont have a single app that didnt come with OS X and everytime I fire it up to use quicktime pro, I get the spinning beach ball of death. Hey at least it prettier than a blue screen. Macs are not flawless, anyone who tells anyone that they are "trouble free" are either a)only using safari. b)have napolean complex..or c) braggin that they have a mac, even though they really dont get us it for real work. (Email and Word aside)The simple truth is they are all machines, each has its own personality and the problems they posess are all left up to interpretation of the users perception..

[AppleSuxLeo]

SystemsJunky

Very well said !

[Renegade Knight]

One Issue with Windows...

It took record time to get from XP to Vista and now they are announcing Windows 7 in 2009? It's hard to see how the short time frame will help 7 when the long time frame didn't help Vista.

[dosplus4]

Feed The Lions?

It will be a long time if ever that Windows OS collapses. Windows will not become food for the Lions, as in the days of great Gladiators' and the meek Christians.

Apple will always be number 2-3 for desktops.
Even though the iPhone has definitely got even blackberry beat hands down. Apple's niche market will continue to grow with its handhelds.

Linux for some strange reason has no Pizazz!
Why, I can't put my finger on yet.
Maybe because its dependability keeps it about as sexy as a beautiful woman wearing a flour sack.

Though Linux has rescued my windows folders and files numerous times, she never will be allowed in my bedroom. Only in my workshop. Linux reminds me of Windows wearing a tool belt.
Again, no Pizazz....

Open source software has breathed life into the Windows Platform.
Again, though, wear would we all be today with out Sun Microsystems products? Particularly Java? Or Flash?

Now those two (Java and Flash) they do have plenty of sex appeal!

[salemdoc]

windows needs a new start

Seems to me that Microsoft can't innovate because it needs to be backwards compatible so old software can run. Why not scrap it all like Apple did and run the old versions in an easy to use virtual environment.

[Bobby0749]

Agreed.... but not Microsoft

There must be some investors willing to shell out 50-100 million to start a new company to develop the sucessor operating system to those from Microsoft. I have always been a dedicated MS customer (I have a Zune v1) but after getting Vista Ultimate to replace XP I was very disappointed and will switch to Apple for my next pc. Instead of something new and radically differient we got a rearrangement of the deck chairs on the Titanic. It is hard to believe that so much time spent by so many programmers costing so much money could turn out such a piece of unexciting, garbage. I think a two car garage filled with great programmers could have done better starting from scratch.

[jmgb]

Vista

The only thing Windows should do is apologizing for creating such
a thing as Vista.