When did Microsoft hire Simon Cowell?

[Simon]

I was at talking to a Windows user and was puzzled when they told me that the operating system gave their system a performance score of 3.2.

I admit, I haven't used Windows since XP, but by all the Gods, why this is even needed in any OS is beyond my understanding. First, if you need someone to insult your hardware, visit any gaming forum they will do it with a big cheesy grin on their face. Second, I can appreciate monitoring or benchmarks, but this is no help whatsoever, and rates your hardware on weird scale of 1.0 to 7.9 based on 5 hardware items. Third, then they give you the lowest of the 5, not an average, but the lowest.

If something like this existed in Linux, I would remove the application. Like I said, system monitoring and benchmarks makes sense. Windows Performance Rating is program to kick the user in the groin and tell them to go buy a "real" computer.

[life0riley]

This is called the Windows Experience Index. On Windows Vista and later versions you can right click My Computer and select Properties to display.

Microsoft defines it here.
What is the Windows Experience Index?

Apparently it can be altered.
How to Change Your Windows Experience Index Rating

[ronw]

If you were cynical, you would think it is a ploy to get people to buy a new computer (it's a tiny fraction of people that would crack open their computer to do a hardware upgrade). Result: Another Windows license sold and your hardware buddies get a sale.

[Simon]

"Can you run it" or system requirements lab would be a far better for Windows users to gauge the quality of their performance. I like the Locker Gnome video on that about spoofing it and he brings up a good point. Dishonest salesmen could use it to sell older crappier computers. I informed my friend that the score seems to have no sense of reality. I will also share that video with them on their Facebook page. lol

[life0riley]

I was at talking to a Windows user and was puzzled when they told me that the operating system gave their system a performance score of 3.2.

I admit, I haven't used Windows since XP, but by all the Gods, why this is even needed in any OS is beyond my understanding. First, if you need someone to insult your hardware,...

Wow! I must have been tired yesterday morning. I didn't see that you already linked to the Windows website for the Windows Experience Index. duh

I have a Windows 7 VirtualBox guest that exists only to run two applications. The Windows Experience Index scored it a 1.0! I only use it to do my finances and health care reimbursements, and doing this is not really an enjoyable experience for me, so maybe the 1.0 makes sense.

[Simon]

LOL I still have my Windows XP CD shelved ... somewhere around here... I was using the VM for one app NetFlix. But now I just use my PS3 to watch. For laughs, I tossed my old Windows 98 on the VM and told my roommate Frank I had upgraded to yet another advanced OS. However I don't think it will be much longer before Linux becomes the standard OS, with the growing popularity of Android and Chromebooks on the rise.