Vista : Who are ya?

I downloaded the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor (all 6.6MB of it :-S) out of sick fascination to see if my computer would be able to run Vista.

Now, before I say what happened, I already knew its on the lower limit, and, no, I wasn’t going to install it anyway. I have Linux for trippy 3D effects.

So, after downloading it, clicking through the EULA (an EULA on advisor software??), waiting for it to finish scanning my hardware and setup, it has some problems with the specs (as to be expected).

I’ve not enough RAM to satisfy Aero (or Caramel, Malteser, Mars or whatever … ), all the 3D stuff will be turned off. OK, main reason to try Vista (I would’ve got it free from my department anyway) gone out the window, then I spot that it has a problem with the free space on my hard drives.

I know Vista needs ~15GB (15GB!) to install itself to, and my HDD for Windows XP is just shy of 18GB. The advisor notes I’ve only 3GB left on the HDD and it’s not enough for Vista, which is fair enough. I then read on and find in the pic below;

40GB!!?!? Beg pardon? 40GB? No I didn’t read it wrong.

I’m sorry, but Microsoft must be joking. How can they justify 40GB for the OS when Ubuntu, office suite, graphics editors, music players, internet suites, IM clients, kitchen sink, runs with all the 3D effects enabled on a 2.6GHz Intel Celeron with 512MB RAM (64 of which is nicked by the graphics card) in an installed base of less than 3GB?

The hardware manufacturers must be laughing all the way to the bank, with MS not far behind them (especially as they’re charging us nearly twice the rate as in the US.)

Anyway, it gives you peoples out there more incentive to try Linux, or more specifically, Lapwing-Linux (when I finish it ;-) )