Update: It looks like Windows 7 will be going modular. Whether that's just to sell extra features or to solve the bloat problem remains to be seen.

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There's an en masse revolt per se against the bloatware of Vista. People who intend to stick with Windows XP, at least for now. Sooner or later, most of them will feel forced to upgrade, whether it be for new software, games, or lack of support.

This begs the question: What is being added to the basic OS that we really need?

The Home Analogy

OSes are often compared to cars, but I'd liken them more to a house. A house has a foundation, walls, a roof, entrances and windows to the outside, plus a bunch of plumbing and wiring to make things work inside of it. Once you move into your home, you settle in and deal more with your stuff inside than the home itself.

You notice your home most when it has problems, like a leaky roof or fire hazards. You should feel relatively safe within your home, although you may install smoke detectors and/or an alarm system.

A great home should make you feel comfortable, need little maintenance and has enough room for your daily activities. You should be able to paint and decorate it as you wish, choosing gaudy or subtle furnishings on your own whims. Sooner or later, after the thrill of moving in is gone, it becomes the sturdy backdrop and you pay more attention to you HDTV and other toys.

Just One More OS?

What I'm trying to say is your OS should take a background, desktop role. There hasn't been any revolutionary OS developments for about a decade, so the OS makers are trying to sell you on flashy new looks and features you rarely need, want or even use. Some people do treat their OS like a toy and they may be happy with the new gloss, but for most of us it's just bloat.

What we need is a lean, mean OS that has the underlying features so we can forget about it and just enjoy using our PCs. An OS that does away with the old cruft and stops trying to reinvent the wheel. Or perhaps reinvents it one last time to get rid of those ugly square corners that were added because someone thought they looked cool.

It's very unlikely that OS will get made.

Microsoft and Apple wouldn't see real money in it, profit from upgrading the OS is much easier than creating new and clever applications. And the open source crowd loves fiddling with software toys more than anyone: Linux (and the various BSD flavours to a lesser extent) will forever be in flux.

There are some smaller OS projects out there trying to achieve this very idea, but the two main barriers are device drivers and the various APIs for existing software (IE: DirectX) which Microsoft has a virtual lockdown on.

Stick with XP

It's nice to dream, but the perfect subtle OS isn't likely to be made. Maybe, just maybe Microsoft will come to their senses with Windows 7. Meanwhile XP will be the standby version that most of us will continue to use.