Turning the pages, for Vista users only

"Turning the Pages 2.0™ runs with Internet Explorer on Windows Vista or Windows XP SP2 with .NET Framework version 3, on a broadband connection. We have detected that you do not have the necessary software. You may also need to check that your hardware meets the 'Vista Premium Ready' specification": that was the friendly error message I got when I tried to access the new version of the British Library's Turning the Pages service, which allows one to look at digital versions of some of the BL's greatest treasures.
Is this a result of the BL's cosy relationship with Microsoft, the Bl being used for the British lanch of Vista? What next? Will users with laptops that don't run Mr Gates' latest operating system be banned from the reading rooms?

Comments

[Hazel Edmunds]

Tom, I had to try this since you've had a problem I've not encountered and "Turning the Pages" is one of my favourite "when I've got a moment between jobs" websites. I had no problem at all - no nasty, or otherwise, messages. OS = XP and browser = AOL.
No-one has *yet* checked the OS on my laptop in the reading rooms but they'll get a shock if they try since I'm still happily using Windows '98SE (and the machine will not upgrade any further!)

[Tom]

Thanks for the comment Hazel. I should have made it clear, this was with the new Turning the Pages 2.0...the old one still works.
But the question I and others (see Chris Armstrong's comments for example) are asking is is it right that public money should be spent on developing something platform-specific like this?