Despite the title, this entry is really about the current state and future of operating systems and system hardware compatibility. Since Microsoft practically owns the OS market, Windows will be my primary focus, but I'll start out with the alternatives first.

Mac OS X: Apple has languished for years and has been consistent (gaining .2 or .3 percent in overall market share doesn't make a significant difference) in market share in relation to Microsoft. In the early days, Mac hardware was far superior, but few years ago, Intel and AMD based systems trounced the Mac platform. Apple has committed to a change to Intel based hardware for its future Macs, but will not allow OS X operating system to run on a standard PC. I feel this is a huge mistake, but I suppose that Apple is content with supplying both hardware and software, while possibly gaining only a small amount of market share (assuming things go well) for OS X. Hence, Apple based systems will remain a minute segment of the market. Disappointingly, hardware enthusiasts should look for no major changes other than faster, and more competitive hardware from Apple.

Linux: The free operating system that could cant get a firm grasp on the U.S. mainstream market. Apparently, it has a much bigger share outside the U.S., and especially in China, where even copyrighted materials are considered free for all to use. The reasons for Linux failing to take over the U.S. is lack of organization (its free and there are many distributions to choose from), lack of gaming support by the game producers (due to low market share) and the fact that Windows XP came along and changed the way we look at Microsoft and their ability to produce a stable OS.

Windows: Where do I start? Microsoft simply owns the OS market. Their newest OS, dubbed Vista, is supposed to bring clarity to your world, according to the company's website. Well, I suppose Microsoft means a less confusing interface, the need for fewer security patches and a better, more reliable experience with less hassle. We will see how Vista pans out hopefully by the end of 2006. The addition of 64-bit processor support will surely be a big selling point, although the AMD64 platform is doing nearly as well in the 32-bit mode. Besides, having a 64-bit system won't really bring earth-shattering performance to an average user who's simply looking to browse online and check e-mail.

We need to remember that Microsoft doesnt make money off of service packs and patches, but they do generate a substantial amount of revenue whenever they launch a new OS. Consumer upgrades are a large piece of their market. It's their job to convince you that you cant live without their new product, and to an extent, they do that quite well.

Hardware: I sincerely hope we have a smoother transition with Vista in terms of hardware compatibility and drivers than we had with ME or XP. Also beware that when there is a major OS change, some hardware vendors decide that new drivers are not required for their legacy (older) hardware (of course the same goes for companies that no longer exist). This way you have to purchase a new device, supposedly making them more money. When this has happened to me in the past, I make sure not to purchase from that company again. I simply find another competing product and purchase from it instead. Of course most USB and Firewire devices that do not require special drivers to function will not be affected; we are mostly concerned with internal devices, such as PCI cards and older AGP video cards.

As far as when to expect Vista, it's still very much in the beta testing stage. According to Microsoft, consumers can expect the final version to debut in August of 2006. This could change, and if it does, it will likely be later rather than sooner. In the mean time, we are not missing much. Your older PC hardware will likely choke on Vista, similar to the post XP launch. Your newer system is likely doing fine with Windows XP, and Vista will likely not be Bringing clarity to your world anyway. What I really want to know is who gets paid to think of silly slogans like that? I think Ill send my resume to Microsoft.

The bottom line here is that you shouldnt be worried that you are missing some big performance enhancement or hold your breath until the new OS arrives. As long as you are having a good experience with your computer, all is well. If you are waiting for security enhancements and are one of the many who get infected with the latest computer virus before a patch is even ready, this will likely not change; evaluating your browsing and e-mail habits will likely produce the best results, as will installing all the latest patches from Microsoft and keeping your anti-virus software up to date.

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As usual your comments are quite welcome.

- Paul