NVIDIA responsible for almost one third of Vista crashes!

Source: ars technica 

Poor Microsoft. You have been hammered by almost everyone about the instability of Windows Vista. But what can you do when the largest GPU supplier writes low quality driver software that causes the whole OS to crash?

NVIDIA’s G80 architecture caused many problems throughout 2007 and the pie chart above -based on Microsoft data- confirms that NVIDIA drivers were the major cause of crashes. Not that others are as good as we would expect, with heavies like Intel and ATI causing their big share of the problems.

9 reasons you should not get drawn in the operating system discussion black hole

Since the appearance of Windows 3 and the proliferation of Microsoft’s operating system, the comparison with Apple’s Macs and operating systems is a popular and never-ending issue of discussion. A lot of ink -and now web pages- are devoted to a topic with no clear answers in sight. The equation became even more complicated when Linux entered the market in several different flavours, each with its own virtues. And not only that! Microsoft users have got in the debate process as to whether it is worth moving on to Vista or sticking to XP.

I consider the whole process of trying to convince other users as to the superiority of a particular operating system as a waste of time -therefore the ”black hole” title. And here is nine reasons:

1. Most people participating in the discussions are simple users, and by this I do not imply a low level of sophistication for applications they use, but simply the fact that the operating system is the underlying platform on which software is run for work or pleasure. So if for example you are a graphic user that uses Photoshop 90% of the time what is the difference between operating systems? Nothing, absolutely nothing!
2. Instead of arguing about a situation that you can only change with your personal choice, focus your attention on your work instead. Having an opinion is a good thing, but being a supporter of any company is not going to win you extra money. Concentrate on your work instead for extra income and satisfaction.

Is SP1 going to help Windows Vista sales?

Some Windows Vista users have already installed the beta version of Service Pack 1. Now Microsoft publicly releases SP1 RC Refresh, to be used as the final test before the final release. Unlike initial XP safety vulnerabilities, Vista has fared much better in this sector, but not well enough in others, as for example in drivers or older software installation. Many users have been sceptical about Vista and the question is whether SP1 will help its shaken image. It is difficult to predict whether the adoption rate will increase but here is some facts that in my opinion play an important role:

• When XP was introduced it was a major step up from Windows 98 SE and Millennium, both of the later unstable by today’s standards.

When is the market dominated by a single player?

This post is a direct result of recent rumours in several blogs that state that Intel’s Penryn chips might appear later in the market than originally projected because AMD currently has a very weak product line and is not a threat even for Intel’s current CPU models! Of course Intel has the last word in this, but even the rumour is enough to make me think that there are cases when users do not receive the freshest technology developments as they become available at company R&D departments. For this to happen, the particular company must be the absolute leader in its market, the undisputed number one. Here is some examples:

• Intel obviously. It dominates computer CPUs for ages now.
• Canon in photographic cameras.
• Microsoft in operating systems.
• Apple in portable music devices and music downloads.

So apart from market share how do you judge that a company is in such a strong position?