Category: Uncategorized

Here’s the question on my mind today:  if you’re considering buying a new PC, will you wait to buy a new PC with Vista preinstalled, or would you buy a new Windows XP machine this year that’s Vista ready?

A few months ago, I noted that many popular configurations we see today on general purpose PCs meet the minimum general hardware requirements for Windows Vista, which as noted on the wiki includes…

• CPU: Intel x86-compatible 32-bit or x64-compatible 64-bit microprocessor (Dual Core systems will be supported)
  
• Motherboard: ACPI-compatible firmware is required
  
• Memory: At least 512 megabytes
  
• Graphics Card: A DirectX 9–compatible GPU that is capable of supporting Windows Vista, with 64 MB of graphics memory
  
• Hard Drive space: At least 1.5 gigabytes

A somewhat lower bar than originally reported in the press. 

Today the Seattle Times reported the an overview of the Windows Vista Capable PCs program. The program to help make the transition from Windows XP computers to Vista is noted on the Microsoft Partner site:

“Windows Vista Capable PCs must meet all the criteria for the “Designed for Windows XP 32-bit or 64-bit” logo. In addition, the PCs require a combination of essential hardware that will define sufficient overall Windows Vista performance — a triumvirate of CPU plus memory plus graphics. PCs should have a modern CPU which includes at least 512 megabytes of memory, and a DirectX 9 class graphics processor.”

Vendors such as ATI Technology and Nvidia have posted lists of Windows Vista Ready parts and cards. I’ll guess that consumers will see similar notices from PC OEMs in the not so distant future: PC Magazine reported on some Vista-ready PCs last month, and Dell’s just announced their new Core Duo notebooks that will offer an upgrade path to Windows Vista:

“Dell Product Manager Robert Thompson said some of the notebooks would come with Windows Vista Ready logos that would indicate they would be upgradable to the upcoming version of Microsoft’s operating system. He said the upgrade cost had not yet been set.”

“OK… That’s all great but which PC should buy?”

At home, the good news is that most of the PCs used by our family meet the minimum bar. Our children’s PC is equipped with an older embedded 32MB graphics chip, so that one may remain a Windows XP machine (especially as it runs all of their games and educational software, much in Windows 98 compatibility mode). I’m often asked by friends, family and people at the bus stop this very question, and I’ve answered it more often than ususal since the release schedule for Vista was announced. My answer is always the same:

• First, upgrade what you have. Make the most of what you have today by upgradng your PC, either by adding more RAM, a new (or second) hard disc drive or video card. People are amazed just how easy it can be to upgrade PCs manufactured in the last couple of years.


• Later, buy the most PC for your money. Once you decide to move your old machine to the family room, buy the most PC you can that fits your budget, and in the right time frame. Sometimes it depends on when you plan on bringing a new PC home. 

For us, I would spec any new machine with a minimum dual core 2.80GHz processor, 1GB high speed SDRAM, an 80GB HDD, a multi-format CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) and a 256MB graphics card. Good news is that system today is under $700. (I also found current deals on the web offering systems that meet the minimum bar for Windows Vista for under $500.) Add another $100 to upgrade to a larger LCD monitor, at least 19″.

Better news: the way component pricing moves, seasonal discounts & incentives are offered by manufacturers and Moore’s Law, I’ll most likely be able to get an even more powerful computer with >3GHz processor, larger HDD and more RAM for the same investment. Or less. 

eWeek reports today that Toshiba released their new HD DVD players in Japan. That makes Toshiba the first CE manufacturer to release a next-generation DVD player.

Toshiba said its new HD DVD machines, which will compete with rival Sony Corp.’s Blu-ray technology, will sell for about 110,000 yen ($940) in Japan. Sony aims to offer Blu-ray-based players in the United States for around $1,000 in July.

MSNBC has photos from the launch, and notes that “Toshiba is promising a cheaper HD DVD player for the U.S. market at $499, but won’t offer it in Japan because of the different nature of the markets…”

You can see Toshiba’s HD DVD player available for pre-order on Amazon for $499…

Tags: Toshiba, HD DVD.

Today eWeek reported that “Web developers [will get] an extra 60 days to continue making preparations’ for the IE update that changes the way the browser handles ActiveX controls. From eWeek:

Michael Wallent, general manager of the Microsoft Windows Client Platform, confirmed that the changes will be included in a cumulative IE security update that’s on tap to ship on April 11 and said the 60-day extension would apply only to a “small set of customers.”

Wallent, who hosted the call with lead program manager Kellie Eickmeyer, said some enterprise customers have requested more time to ensure that applications that require ActiveX controls work without major disruptions.

More information on this update can be found in KB #912945.

Now, nobody likes it when they find their network port has been shut down by IT, so this weekend’s cartoon by Jerry Holbert of the Boston Herald is quite funny.

There’s been a great deal of discussion over the past week following the VON conference about Qwest “net neutrality,” where consumers would have unfettered access to broadband internet services that don’t block traffic. Sure, you may pay for a tiered service (based on upload and downstream speed) as some ISPs offer today. But take a look at the blog entry I wrote about this yesterday on DVR services which includes a passing reference to John C. Dvorak’s recent column.

As Forbes notes in their article on network neutrality as a result of the VON conference last week, Qwest CEO Richard Notebaert said “I don’t think we ought to block anything on our network, and we won’t,” when the speculation that “the telcos will try to degrade the quality of competing services, such as voice-over-Internet Protocol market-leader Vonage.” (from Forbes) 

In ZDNet’s IP-telephony blog, there’s an interesting quote from Russell Shaw:

Not unexpectedly, we are seeing the analysts buy into this as well. Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett says that mandated net neutrality would “likely trigger a host of unintended consequences. Mandated ‘Net Neutrality’ would further sour Wall Street’s taste for broadband infrastructure investments, making it increasingly difficult to sustain the necessary capital investments.”

Now, consider Yahoo’s announcement yesterday to dump the Yahoo Plus service, when they said “it has become clear that Plus was not an essential service for Yahoo users.” OK, this premium service provided was a broadband-optimized portal, with premium video content and radio among other assorted bits. And it appears that there’s not a significant and contributing business for Yahoo to continue it: I would guess that if it was a barn burner on the profit front, they would continue to offer the premium tier.

So, a kind of natural selection of services and tiers. Customers don’t like it? Rethink the strategy. I would guess that we’ll see some of the benefits of the Plus service be available to all customers at no additional cost over time.

Will telcos and cable providers react the same way and simply provide commercially attractive offers that the market buys? Sure, that’s what happens today. If I work at it, I can get my high speed data provider to provide me incentives (matching the price of the competition) to stay with them rather than churn out and switch to their competitor. Locally, we already see the ads promoting the cost savings and bandwidth increases enticing consumers to switch from one ISP to another… just like the phone companies did in the past and mobile companies still do today.

It used to be that I paid a huge amount for long distance across the States and to Canada, Europe and other countries, but now I enjoy “free” long distance calling with in the States (it’s a small flat fee built into my basic services) and international calling seems to costs less than interstate calls were just a few years ago.

Just like phone services of the past, I’ll guess that internet broadband access will follow a similar path: as there is competition, consumers will also find tiers of service that meet their needs, ones that allow VOIP, video conferencing, streaming video content, high bandwidth on-line game with no premiums or blocks to access.

How frustrating would it be one day to come home and find that your phone service has been blocked? Or that your viewing of the latest Hollywood blockbuster stops suddenly because you max’ed out your monthly bit quota? How quickly would you reach for the phone and churn out to a competing service? Faster than you can say “Net Neutrality,” I’ll bet.

Consumers may not need a mandate from the government for Net Neutrality as their dollars will help chart the courses of pricing, access and service tiers. And to support choices, ISP and backbone competition should be encouraged and supported.

See also Jeff Pulver’s blog with Von coverage.

Tags: microsoft, consumers, ISP, network neutrality, VON.