jeffanderson.us|Blog

Recently there has been some buzz as to what Microsoft has up their sleeves for Windows 7, the next version of Windows after the somewhat botched Vista release. Some of the features seem to be mostly evolutionary from those of Vista. Most of the features, though, have yet to be announced. So, what should Microsoft focus on after they get Windows 7 out the door?

Its already been established that Vista requires at minimum a 1.0GHz Pentium III and 1.0GB of RAM. For the sake of argument, it should be assumed that Windows 7 will require on the order of 50% more resources and indeed most computers sold today far exceed 1.5GHz and 1.5GB of RAM. Assuming most people would rather upgrade their hardware rather than upgrade their version of Windows its safe to assume that only computers less that 3 years old or so are running Vista. If that assumption holds true for Version 7 due out in 2010 then it can be assumed Version 7 will be installed on hardware no more than 4 years old. This puts us at sometime in the 2006 time frame for useful computers running Windows 7, right before the big emergence of Intel’s dual core, 64-bit offerings. Microsoft has stated that Windows 7 will be both 32- and 64-bit.

But what about after Windows 7? What will computers look like by the time Microsoft gets around to Windows 8? If the math above holds true, and Windows 8 again becomes the evolutionary product of Windows 7 as Windows 7 will be for Vista, then again we can see a 50% increase in minimum system requirements. Computers with 2.2GHZ CPUs and a little over 2.0GB of RAM with 20GB of hard drive space are common place even today. But taken as these would be the minimum requirements for Windows 8, its doubtful most users of those types of computers would bother. By the time Windows 8 could possibly be pushed out the door in Redmond, around 2014 or so, Intel and AMD should have at least 32nm CPUs with at least 8 cores clocked to at least 3GHz. Two terabyte hard drives would probably be the norm, as would at least 4GB of RAM.

Windows 8 needs to be the point at which Microsoft overhauls their entire operating system. They should include technologies that are only today being toyed with and modeled in computer labs. The following is a list of bullet points Microsoft should take into consideration when designing Windows 8.

Fresh Design. Microsoft should throw out the codebase for Win32. They should start over. Microsoft has no doubt learned a lot the last 25 years on how to design operating systems that people can use. What Windows needs most greatly right now, however, is simply a fresh reboot and clean install. Microsoft should take the time to design the flaws out of current Windows OSes when putting together the new OS.

64-bit. While you’re at it Microsoft, write Windows 8 in 100% complete 64-bit code. Do not include any compatibility with 32-bit software at all. This will take out a lot of “legacy” libraries and functions that could or could not provide hackers with nice little security holes no one decided to fix up. Take advantage of the current CPU designs when thinking about the layout of the software that will power them.

MinWin. A lot of talk has been floating around about a revolutionary new kernel Microsoft is playing around with in their labs called MinWin. It was originally slated to be included in Windows 7 but has since been dropped. Include this in Windows 8, again taking into consideration complete 64-bit and multiprocessor design.

Virtualization of Legacy Windows. Sure, when you release a full 64-bit incompatible Operating System many users will be forced to upgrade to the latest and best 64-bit user software. But what happens when you release a $400 Operating System and users want to continue running games and applications written in 32-bit? Offer a complete subsystem of 32-bit Windows as a virtual machine running under Windows 8. It doesn’t matter whether this is XP, Vista, or 7 but make sure its stripped down and fast. Using a virtual machine in this manor would allow Microsoft to offer compatibility with 32-bit programs under the 64-bit software is released and upgraded.

Modular Architecture. Design Windows 8 so that each module of Windows 8 is truly modular. Offer a Base Operating system that is fully functional and can be used with no further add-ons by 90% of your user base, then offer something like an AppStore where users can download and install free or paid/subscription modules that plug into Windows 8. For instance, Professional business users don’t have much need for Aero or Media Center functionality. But they might want full disk encryption. Offer all of these as add-ons instead of authoring, marketing, and distributing multiple versions of the same software. Along with this feature would be the ability for Microsoft to deliver content and applications digitally, either through a download service or Cloud computing technologies still in their infancy.

Driver Model. Along with fixing up the kernel and making it 64-bit, the driver model also needs to be tweaked. As it is now users usually have to download tens of megabytes of driver files just to get some hardware working. There is no reason hardware drivers should be that bulky. Unless, hardware manufacturers need to bundle further applications in order for users to take full advantage of the hardware. As an example, a user has a Creative soundcard. It allows he or she to control many different aspects of his or her sound card. All of these functions are only available via a Creative software package that must be installed alongside the drivers. Microsoft needs to take a tally on what kinds of features hardware manufactures are implementing in their drivers and software, and offer solutions that allow the drivers to hook into the MS provided software, such as the sound mixer, to enable those functions and features without having to resort to installing megabytes upon megabytes of additional software.

Patching. Windows Update has come along way to providing users with increased awareness of keeping a system up to date. It allows Microsoft to post patches and supplemental software available to users and facilitates the download and installation of those patches and additional features. Microsoft should rethink these slightly, and tweak the method at which they supply software updates. Currently, an update consists of an .exe file that is downloaded, executed, and usually simply runs and script which copies the newer patched files over the older files. Most of the time this kind of patching requires the user reboot the computer. If a user has not updated his or her computer in some time, he or she might need to reboot multiple times in order to get the new software installed correctly. Linux users know that reboots only really need to happen when something on the kernel level has changed, such as an update to the kernel itself. Microsoft can take this approach in their design and implementation of Windows 8 to allow updates without needing to completely reboot the computer.

Security. Security has been a major issue in Windows since Windows PCs began connecting to the Internet. Viruses, spyware, adware, malware, even annoyances such as popups have plagued users for almost as long as the Internet has been popular. Microsoft would do well to build in technologies in Windows 8 to battle these nuisance programs.

In conclusion, Microsoft has the ability to turn around some of the stigma its gained because of Vista. It can supercharge the user experience and offer brand new performance advantages over current versions. It has the chance to clean up its code and thwart current practices of intrusion. If Windows is going to remain the market leader in years to come it needs to embrace the latest technology.