Windows is collapsing: Gartner

[hari]

A new analysis from Gartner warns that Windows is on the verge of collapse under its own weight and that if Microsoft doesn't do something quickly it is a matter of inevitability that a more able competitor will eventually dethrone it. In a presentation at a Gartner-sponsored conference in Las Vegas, analysts Michael Silver and Neil MacDonald said that the software giant needs to react as it faces serious competition, having previously not responded to the market.

Here's looking into Gartner's analysis of Microsoft's `woes'.

MacDonald pointed out that server demands are evolving in different directions, making multiple kernels can be one possible approach for Windows. He says that Windows is already too bulky and complex and that simply adding on more complexity will lead to the downfall of the OS. The pair advice that Windows create multiple versions focusing on individual customer niches.

This is something that Microsoft is already doing to some extent as it offers multiple Windows SKUs, however, Gartner believes that the software giant needs to go at least a step further.

Commenting on Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows Vista, the pair said that most users do not understand the benefits of Windows Vista or do not see Vista as being better enough than Windows XP to make incurring the cost and pain of migration worthwhile.

The monolithic nature of Windows - although Microsoft talks about Vista's modularity, Silver and MacDonald said it doesn't go nearly far enough - not only makes it tough to deliver a worthwhile upgrade, but threatens Microsoft in the mid- and long-term.

The duo urged Microsoft to adopt virtualisation with the product, saying they feel it is the future of the industry. Users want a smaller Windows that can run on low-priced -- and low-powered -- hardware, and increasingly, users work with "OS-agnostic applications," the two analysts said in their presentation.

Silver and MacDonald also called on Microsoft to make it easier to move to newer versions of Windows, re-think how the company licenses Windows and come up with a truly modular operating system that can grow or shrink as needed.