[LEMONS] 9.27.2001
Many users, however, will have to add more memory if they want to run Mac OS X: It requires a minimum of 128 MB of RAM, which is more than Apple included in most of its consumer models until recently. The operating system runs even better with twice as much memory. (Fortunately, RAM is at record low prices, with many vendors now offering 256-MB modules for $50 or less.)
Henry Norr, as usual, has a thoughtful column on Mac OS X. But something that he doesn't explicitly say is that XP is going to be a giant memory and hardware hog as well. This is, as I've said before, a good thing. Why? Because one reason for the tech slump is that consumers don't currently have a real reason to upgrade their hardware. Pretty much everything is fast enough. XP and OS X are going to take over. When they do, users will have to buy new hardware, period. This will stimulate the economy on a massive scale.
I'm not, and never have been, one who believes in planned obsolescence, or technology for the sake of technology. But OS X is better. It's remarkable. I'm sure XP has similar virtues. Overall, I think that these two releases (XP comes out, oddly enough, on my birthday) will be a very good thing for the technology industry and the economy as a whole. I can't believe I'm writing this, but what's good for Microsoft is good for the country. At least in terms of the economy. In terms of fair trade, technology, and privacy, I'm still not a big fan.
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