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Windows XP has a built in kill switch:

Product Activation.

Product Activation was killed first. Getting a pirate copy of XP without activation is easy, and users unhappy with Vista can very easily get XP without any effort. If there's anything I know about Windows users, it's that there's /always/ a workaround.

Product Activation is only an issue if you wish to use a pirated copy.

Yeah, like they can do that. they can deny you updates, they can stop releasing software that will run on Xp, but they can't just turn it off, if they ever did, that would be the year of Linux on the desktop(tm)

Microsoft seem to think console XBL games will be a hit on the PC and making them Vista only, they're not.

I think DX10 is the only savior for Vista, they know hardcore gamers will use it. Microsoft having to push updates out that should be part of SP1 to fix file copying issues and usb speed just shows what a state Vista is in.

DX10 isn't Vista's savior. Vista will need a lot more than that. DX10 isn't a huge draw for hardcore gamers. The first part of your post kinda points that out.

And even DX10 is only for home needs. That said, how many gamers will be willing to fork out the cash for Vista + new video card just to be bleeding edge? Not many.

As far as corporate adoption, there's still nothing a properly configured active directory environment with WinXP can't do as well as Vista. I believe IT managers realize this.

the killer here isnt DX10, its a DX10-only game that everyone "must have" to the level of wow.

closest i have seen so far is hellgate: london.

but then i have not really payed much attention.

Don't bash SP1 too much. I don't like the idea of SP1 and I certainly think quality control and feature set of Vista could've been light years better considering the amount of money Microsoft has...however:

Since day 1 Mac OS (9 and below as well as OS X) gets updates throughout the product's life. The first two or three point releases contain fixes or optimizations specifically for speed. In fact a lot of issues are things most would categorize as "should've been caught." Bugs, not just optimizations.

Does this make it OK? No but Apple doesn't have nearly the wherewithal for that kind of quality control.

I think DX10 is the only savior for Vista, they know hardcore gamers will use it.

Just like DX9 was the only savior for XP? Most gamers I knew in 2001-2002 (myself included) continued to dual-boot Win98 and Win2k for our games. It wasn't until the game developers really started getting behind XP all the way that there was a mass migration, at least among my circle of gaming friends. I seem to remember the same mentality on most of the gaming sites as well.

Give Vista another year or two and the gamers will convert, granted the developers do so first. It's too early now though, with the only Vista-exclusive game software published by Microsoft.

As for business, well I know my organization won't move to Vista for at least five years, if ever. We just went 100% XP less than two years ago, and just got the SP2 rollout last year. With somewhere around 400-500 users, going to Vista now would be a big slap in the face to the budget folks when they just shelled out for an OS upgrade two years ago, not to mention the nightmare of getting our custom software to work with a new OS yet again.

I think DX10 is the only savior for Vista, they know hardcore gamers will use it. Microsoft having to push updates out that should be part of SP1 to fix file copying issues and usb speed just shows what a state Vista is in.

Aren't they also "fixing" DX10 in Vista SP1, rendering DX10-compliant hardware obsolete for software that requires DX10.1?

It's maddening enough that Microsoft reserved DX10 for Vista for marketing reasons alone (after they dropped graphics virtualization to bail out NVIDIA). Now they've obsoleted untold thousands of high-end graphics cards mere months after their introduction.

Not only are gamers pissed, but the graphics vendors and game developers are livid. Vista is a flop, both Mac and Linux are gaining momentum, DX10 is seen as unnecessary by game developers, and OpenGL 3.0 has been blessed by the graphics establishment.

If Microsoft wanted to jeopardize its grip on the hugely important gaming market, they've done an outstanding job. DX10 isn't Vista's savior. It's a perfect microcosm of everything that consumers and technology partners dislike about Vista:

Requires new hardware, driver issues, lackluster performance, arguably unnecessary, vendor lock-in, broken promises, and pushy marketing. DX10 has it all.

Vista only software is the key to pissing off customers. But then again, I have no interest in Halo2. Halo on the PC was an insult.

Now you have a really good point. Could too much Vista only stuff kill Windows gaming? If a few more publishers get suckered into going Vista only, perhaps people will get annoyed enough and go elsewhere.

I just think that it's going to be a while before too many Developers and Publishers will be willing make such a leap. There is just too big of market to ignore. That market will be using XP for their gaming for years.

I don't really consider myself a hardcore gamer. I don't have the latest and greatest computer hardware. But I'd consider myself an game enthusiast. I also typically follow the technology behind games more than the average gamer. I'm really in a wait and see mindset with the current graphic technology. I'm very glad to hear about OpenGL 3.0 but I'm extremely concerned about what's going on with DirectX.

To be honest, OpenGL 3.0 requirements are likely to be what I will pay attention to when upgrading, not DirectX. I have a feeling, a lot of gamers, hardcore or just enthusiasts, feel the same way.

Even sat and thought that is their goal - I mean, they have the XBox, a games division - what would they rather do - sell you windows or a platform which they have complete top to bottom control over - where everything that goes in and on it has to pay a royalty to them. Its Balmers ultimate wet dream.



Never under estimate the stupidity of developers and organisations; even when companies had their market being eaten up by Microsoft they did nothing to diversify their software portfolio and attempt to make their products available on other platforms.

Its like PDF - just you wait, XPS will eventually become the status quo, and we'll have Adobe crying and whining because of lost marketshare because they refused to diversify and bring their products to *NIX. The potential on alternative platforms is HUGE by unfortunately these companies are run by those who would rather waste money frivolously on corporate jets and expensive dinners than re-investing the money back into future product development.

i thought that some hacker already succeded in copying the direct x10 stuff to xp.