It seems that Microsoft is lowering minimum system specifications for Windows XP. At first a minimum of 128MB was required, but now they changed it into 64MB. PC's with 64MB (and quite some other requirements) can get the label "Designed for Windows XP".
The first "Windows XP-ready PCs" have poked their heads above the parapet, but strangely enough they're not from the usual suspects. Nor, indeed, are they very exciting. A small section which appeared on the Microsoft site over the past couple of days lists manufacturers Lan Plus, Micron, Premmio, Systemax and Oki, the latter with the exquisitely-named Oki If Stations, which we presume are aimed at the Japanese market only. |
According to Microsoft's Windows Logo Program System and Device Requirements, WinXP Personal (i.e., the consumer flavour) has a minimum requirement of 64 megabytes, in line with Win98 (we do still mention it then) and WinME. WinXP mobile is also specced to run in 64, while the requirement for the Professional version is 128. You'll be wanting a gig of RAM for the Itanium one, it says here.
There's nothing wrong with lowering system specs, but I don't wanna know how "fast" WinXP wil run on 64MB. Using 64MB on Windows 98 isn't all you've ever dreamed of, so the next generation won't be either I guess...
But hey, people who can afford to BUY WinXP also can afford an additional 128MB (as they're really cheap nowadays)...
Source: The register
