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Currently writing about iPhone Development, GWT, Ajax, Leopard, and Java.
Rethinking the Vista Launch: 64-bit Only
Saturday, August 16, 2008
After buying a brand new computer with Windows Vista, my brother couldn't get iTunes to install. Eric didn't understand it - he specifically downloaded the Vista version - so of course I get called for help. A few minutes of family support later, I figure out the problem: Eric downloaded the 64-bit Vista version of iTunes, but his computer runs 32-bit Vista. (His Core 2 Duo processor, like all new Intel chips, is 64-bit.) Another visit to Apple.com solved the problem, although I anticipate my tech support line ringing often in the upcoming month.
This incident, taken with the hoarde of other Vista issues, makes me think the folks in Redmond made a key technical mistake...
Microsoft should launched Vista as 64-bit only
No 32-bit version, just 64-bit. Here's why:
This incident, taken with the hoarde of other Vista issues, makes me think the folks in Redmond made a key technical mistake...
Microsoft should launched Vista as 64-bit only
No 32-bit version, just 64-bit. Here's why:
- Show off Vista. Vista is only usable on the latest hardware. From a performance perspective, computers with 64bit chips are more likely to have the horsepower to run Vista with full, non-degraded graphics. Supporting the least-common denominator only caused Vista to perform poorly & earn its current reputation.
- Mitigate driver hell. 64-bit only would have given device manufacturers one target platform. Putting resources into 32-bit driver development only slowed things down.
- Reduce the number of customers. 64-bit only would have greatly reduced the potential userbase for Vista at launch. This is a good thing. Less users upgrading their 32-bit boxes and running into driver hell would have helped Vista's image. Vista would have been the cool OS you'd save up and buy a new computer for, not the crappy OS that ruined your old computer and made you want to buy a Mac. By the time a mass of users began upgrading, the early growing pains would be over.
- Eliminate customer confusion. My brother would have never downloaded the wrong Vista version of iTunes, since there'd only be one version available. Less customer confusion = less family technical support, and less family technical support leads to more early adopters recommending Vista.
- Push the ball forward. The world is moving to 64-bit, it's just taking a while to get there. Launching Vista with 64bit only would have accelerated the process. It's about time Microsoft became an industry leader again, and this would have helped.
