Until now, Windows install disks have only grown in size with each release.
The Vista installation DVD is well stocked, and about 2.6 GB of data is deposited on the hard disk of a new computer even before it runs for the first time. With Vista's successor (code named Windows 7), a simple CD might be enough for an operating system once again. For the first time, Microsoft might just be placing a really big bet on the concept known as "software as a service". This means that all additional programs will no longer be automatically installed during the setup process.

Familiar fixtures such as Windows Media Player or the image editor Paint could be completely pushed to an Internet-based installation routine, and what's even more interesting to note is the possibility that they could become paid extras. Sources on the Internet are thick with news of Microsoft's Live Services being upgraded for email or online file storage, and that these could be released as add-ons for Windows 7.

Microsoft has been embroiled in a long¬standing dispute with the EU because of the way that Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player are so closely tied in to the
operating system. It already sounds strange that the company is now considering splitting Windows, which is almost a monolith.

But the move could also have a few advantages for users. For example, you might no longer have to load an older or less powerful computer with applications that you do not need. Microsoft also seems to be following the advice of industry watchers.
Recently published research by IT consultants at Gartner shows that there is need for immediate action.

In their study titled "How and Why Windows Must Change", they demand a radical restructuring of the operating system. Their basic premise is that Windows is
far too complex, and therefore Microsoft cannot react quickly to technical developments and cannot even implement simple requests made by its customers. The analysts Brian Gammage and Andrew Butler conclude with a simple statement: Windows must be broken down into separate parts.

In a statement to CHIP Germany, Microsoft disputed the findings of the Gartner study, but it is already taking steps in the direction suggested by it. With the Live Mesh service, users' data is stored only on the Web, and can be retrieved from any computer anywhere in the world.