Comment Re:Hardware isn't Progressing (Score 4, Insightful) 554
Minimum requirements are perceived by many as a measure of efficiency. If Microsoft were to increase the minimum specs, everyone would be whining about how bloated Windows is. The operating system should NOT be a major consumer of a system's resources. A system's resources should be maximally available to conserve battery power (on mobile platforms) and for running software in general. For the Linux crowd, being able to run on ancient crap is a badge of honor.
Normally I'm not in the habit of praising Microsoft. However, the fact that they have been able to expand the capabilities of their OS as much as they have from where Vista was and still hold the line of system requirements is commendable. It certainly doesn't help drive new PC sales, but it's an impressive credit to their development teams.