Comments on: Microsoft: Windows 7 to boost solid-state drives

At WinHEC 2008, the software maker will talk about better solid-state drive support and performance on Windows 7.

[Lerianis]

Isn't this more something that the device MAKERS would have to take care of, in all honesty? Windows 7 can only do so much, it's the DRIVERS that will be the deciding point as to whether Windows or any other operating system is able to support solid-state drives well.

[skrubol]

SSD's emulate hard drives, and hard drives generally don't have specific drivers. I'm not sure if Windows can use a specific driver for a hard drive while still allowing the drive to emulate a standard drive, and working with standard SATA interfaces.
Also, Windows read/write optimizations and caching patterns are based on a disk model. SSD's do not behave the same way, so those optimizations can actually become a hindrance.

[Penguinisto]

Lerianis: Not really. Right now, Linux supports more devices than any other OS. This happened not because hardware makers woke up one day and thought "hmm... maybe we should all write for Linux now".

Instead, it took a concerted effort from the Linux community - to reach out and make inroads with hardware makers, and to do for Linux what hardware makers don't do for them.

A bit of insight into how and why can be had here: http://broadcast.oreilly.com/2008/10/how-linux-supports-more-device.html

Microsoft needs to do more of this. They do some, but more often than not, they rely on hardware makers to do the job instead. Sure, marketshare helps make this happen in most cases, but as the balance continues to shift away from Microsoft and towards Linux and OSX, MSFT is going to have to stop demanding, and start accommodating.

[wolivere]

I actually have found linux personally to not support as many devices. Looking in my stash of devices I have Adaptec Raid controllers that do not work. I have a canon SCSI 35mm negative reader that will not work. I have an NEC SCSI Cdrom that wont work.

"but as the balance continues to shift away from Microsoft and towards Linux "

That has been the herald since the 90's. yet Linux at the desktop is stagnant not even breaking 1%. On the server side they are doing well at replacing UNIX, and SUN, but have not eroded much of the MS world.

And as the article stated they have issues with companies that do not work with them to write drivers. And yes this project is doing well, but over the past 10 years I can not tell you how many great Linux projects I have watched die on the vine.

Lastley if a vendor makes a driver the screws you up, you have a someone to call someone to sue someone to complain about. When the NVIDIA driver issue surfaced with Ubuntu with poor EDID probing the corrupted some LCD panels EDID requiring EDID reprograming or RMA'ing monitors.

When I went searching all I got was "known" issue... errr not good enough.

I am sorry I am of the other belief. If you make hardware you better make drivers for it. You as the hardware maker understand your hardware.

Like I said its nice they have 300 volunteers working on this project. But I will be happy if 2 years from now its still around.

[JasonCe]

"Penguenisto", please go spread your FUD on slashdot. Everybody knows that Windows has way more device support than any other OS in the universe.

I am sick and tired of people like you trying to use public posts like these to push your personal ideology onto other people. If you like Linux (and please if you want to cover it up, choose an alias that doesn't have "penguin" in it), that is fine. But don't spread FUD about other platforms, just make your platform better.

[Penguinisto]

@ jasonCe: prove it.

@ wolivere: Seriously - when an OS can run on anything from ARM procs to z-Series mainframes, and support a vast number of devices (and yes, far more than Windows), of ages ranging from teh 1980's to today and beyond? Sorry, but your assertions don;t stand up to facts.

PS: you can't sue MSFT either if your device isn;t supported. In fact, you can't sue them for anything their product does (or does not do).