I think many of you MISS THE POINT
OF COURSE the hardware requirements for Longhorn are going to be HUGE.
OF COURSE it will be vulnerable to hacks and require constant service pack maintenance and a good anti-virus program.
The reason is simply this: too many livelihoods are at stake, besides the obvious ones (Billy-boy and M$).
COMPUTER MAKERS: Computer makers have to "herd" customers into buying new computers, keeping that 2-3 year turnover happening. That's difficult to do these days, seeing that personal computers are already incredibly powerful. My Pismo, circa 2000, can run Panther flawlessly, surf the net just fine (wirelessly), do any word processing/database/spreadsheet work I need it to, host 1.6 GB of iTunes music, and play DVDs. For most users, that's more than enough--and the only way you can get such people to upgrade is by coercing them into it. Make things they do now require new software to remain compatable, then drag them into buying new hardware.
SERVICE & SUPPORT: These people need to eat as well. A stable, mature operating system is less likely to break down or create problems than a new, buggy one. Why do so many people still use 98? It works. Get a newer Windows system running on a client's machine, and the phone to your service center never stops ringing--nor does the cash register.
SOFTWARE DESIGNERS: Nothing empties more pockets than software upgrades that require a new machine or at least a new OS to run properly, or at all. The promise of greater productivity is all the "carrot" you need when being beaten by that "stick." And can you imagine the absolute BOON to virus protection software companies when this thing comes out?
There is an entire dysfunctional, codependent infrastructure that has to be maintained here. The LAST thing service centers and virus software designers want is a STABLE and/or SECURE Longhorn. The buggier and looser, the better.
Mac fans don't always appreciate this, having well-built systems that get replaced every 5 years instead of every 2, never needing tech support of any kind, and not even owning one shred of viral protection software for OSX systems. We don't really endure the same parasitic relationships. We boil it down to just one--the user and Apple. And while Apple is not flawless, the system works for me.
My last virus infection? The "Scores" virus, affecting my 512KE floppies. 1989. My last HD crash? Overloading the 40MB drive on my LC, 1994. This is what Mac support people have to deal with--they get less work per installed user than the Maytag Man.
I won't even begin to tell you the constant stream of problems associated with the HP Pavillions and the Compaq Presario laptops from my previous employment. Yikes.
