Windows Vista Goes Gold // UPDATE

I hear it's this kick-ass game, where you get to defend your system from never-ending swarms of anti-M$ hackers, and that it has some cool new features and enhanced graphics. But the question is, will run ok on my computer? Well, I doubt it will run on mine in particular anytime soon, since it's a pretty easy choice between getting a Wii, or a new Windows. But hey, that's just me. I'm sure many of you are just dying to get your hands on Windows Vista, and try out those upcoming DirectX 10-enabled games. Such as... Crysis. And, uhh... Crysis?

But seriously, Windows Vista just went "Gold" this week, as Microsoft finished work Wednesday on its long-delayed operating system. The Redmond giant said that Vista would be broadly available on January 30. A report from Yahoo! News has more details, for the OS-savvy among you.

"Windows Vista's code was released midmorning Wednesday to manufacturing - a step that allows the company to begin making the copies that will be distributed with PCs and sold at stores, said Jim Allchin, co-president of the Microsoft division that includes Windows, in a conference.

"This is a good day," Allchin said.

The release will be the first major upgrade in more than five years to the operating system that powers most of the world's personal computers. Vista boasts improved graphics, more effective tools for finding documents, pictures and other items on personal computers, and a new Internet browser, among other changes."

"This is a good day"?! Well, let me just tell you mr. Allchin, for us gamers the release of a new Windows operating system is never a "good day". Remember those games that ran just fine on Windows 98, but wouldn't start on '95? Or when Microsoft switched to Windows XP, and some gamers switched to DOSBox? Let's just hope that the transition won't be as drastic this time.

UPDATE: Speaking of DX10, nVidia released the first DirectX 10-supporting graphics cards: GeForce 8800 GTX (£500) and GeForce 8800 GTS ("just" £400). That's around $950, or 750€ for the £500 model.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)