Online, everyone has a view on Vista

Tuesday's announcement that Microsoft is delaying the launch of its much-anticipated Windows Vista has spawned some crowded virtual water coolers.

Around the Web, there are some warnings that the new January 2007 release date will put holiday PC sales in serious jeopardy. Other people say retailers are better off getting through the holiday mania and other planned Christmas-time product launches, so they'll have more time to help customers with the new operating system.

Some are critical of Microsoft, saying the move is disappointing consumers, partners and stockholders. Still others commend the software giant for taking the extra time to launch a solid product right out of the box. And that all just scratches the Net surface.

News.com Poll

With Vista unavailable for the holidays, do you expect to buy a PC in 2006 or wait until 2007?

I'll buy when I need one, regardless of Vista's availability.
If PC makers offer a free upgrade for Vista during the holidays, I will buy this year.
I don't want to deal with an upgrade, so I'm waiting until 2007.

View results

From the everyday PC user to the specialized financial analyst, here's a glimpse at Internet reaction to news of the Vista postponement:

"I was upset at missing the back-to-school market. Now we're missing the holiday sales market. All of those laptops and PCs are going to have XP on it. What percentage will upgrade to Vista? Well, I guess that's the little dream that I need to give up on...With the convergence of high-tech media, this holiday season would have been an explosive nodal point to get Vista out for a compounded effect...People need to be fired and moved out of Microsoft today. Where's the freakin' accountability?"
--Mini-Microsoft

"Since I generally buy a new PC every year or so, and 2006 is the year, the chance that I would upgrade my other PCs (desk and lap) to Vista pretty much is a dead issue. I generally take advantage of the holiday pricing unless something really special comes along. XP it will be for a while to come."
--Crazy D's Spot

"I've learned that dates in the software industry are likely to slip and I'm glad that our management is still paying more attention to product quality and customer and partner feedback than trying to meet some date. Yes, it's painful. Yes, it's embarrassing. But we have been through product slips before (before I was a Microsoft employee I was a beta tester on Windows 2000 which slipped years after the first test CDs arrived) and I'd rather have a slipped date than a cruddy product."
--Scobleizer

"Novell and Apple are the only commercial market competitors for Windows. They have reason to sprint into the market to attempt to capitalize on this delay by gaining market share. Microsoft however can take its time to make sure the product is amazing because anything less than breathtaking at this point will hurt Microsoft more in the long term than any few sales that will be lost because people couldn't have Windows Vista for Christmas."
--Jerome on Technology

[sergiobevi]

Holiday season? It's Apple's all the way...

Relax people...thanx to Apple, there will be plenty of new toys to
play with this holiday season... No Vista??? Leopard will kick it
right in the teeth!!!!! Do like I did just 8 months ago, do
yourselves a favor and switch... the iMac is the best consumer PC,
bar none.

[sergiobevi]

Holiday season? It's Apple's all the way...

Relax people...thanx to Apple, there will be plenty of new toys to
play with this holiday season... No Vista??? Leopard will kick it
right in the teeth!!!!! Do like I did just 8 months ago, do
yourselves a favor and switch... the iMac is the best consumer PC,
bar none.

[open-mind]

I already bought VISTA

Sorry, I mean I bought all of its features.

It came with a free computer and printer for only $575.

http://www.pcconnection.com/ProductDetail?Sku=6317201

[simcity1976]

You got ripped off

I could of got a much more powerful pc with monitor for that price.

[open-mind]

I already bought VISTA

Sorry, I mean I bought all of its features.

It came with a free computer and printer for only $575.

http://www.pcconnection.com/ProductDetail?Sku=6317201

[simcity1976]

You got ripped off

I could of got a much more powerful pc with monitor for that price.

[renegade600]

what if its a scam

Just a thought. I am wondering if this might be a way to boast profits. There will still be alot of computers sold during the holiday season. These computers will have xp. Then Microsoft will release Vista in January when computer sales have slowed. Alot of those new computer users will upgrade for the sake of upgrading. That means in a two to three month period Microsoft will sell two operating systems to be use in each individual computer.

Hopefully, there will be free upgrading to Vista when they purchase a new computer during this holiday season.

But then Microsoft is really an honest company who will be using that delay to cross their t's and dot their i's making sure things are right for the release of their new os. So theres really no scam...

[renegade600]

what if its a scam

Just a thought. I am wondering if this might be a way to boast profits. There will still be alot of computers sold during the holiday season. These computers will have xp. Then Microsoft will release Vista in January when computer sales have slowed. Alot of those new computer users will upgrade for the sake of upgrading. That means in a two to three month period Microsoft will sell two operating systems to be use in each individual computer.

Hopefully, there will be free upgrading to Vista when they purchase a new computer during this holiday season.

But then Microsoft is really an honest company who will be using that delay to cross their t's and dot their i's making sure things are right for the release of their new os. So theres really no scam...

[itispals]

50-50

Microsoft understands its current position very much. It knows Google has created a wonderful reputation, similarly Apple. Now rather than attempting to launch an OS with bugs & damage its reputation further, it is a good move to strengthen the product and then release it to the market. It is the PC manufacturers who would be hurt. The risk involved in this move is that, If inspite of this wait, Microsoft comes out with an OS, which needs patches with in few weeks, the result would be disastrous.
http://buckleupnow.com/2006/03/22/new-tech-news-leopard-vs-vista/

[technewsjunkie]

It's going to need patches even after the delay

So we a have a Microsoft employee defending Windows and another
guy saying that this delay will prevent any immediate patches wo
Windows/Vista.

Rose colored glasses.

[itispals]

50-50

Microsoft understands its current position very much. It knows Google has created a wonderful reputation, similarly Apple. Now rather than attempting to launch an OS with bugs & damage its reputation further, it is a good move to strengthen the product and then release it to the market. It is the PC manufacturers who would be hurt. The risk involved in this move is that, If inspite of this wait, Microsoft comes out with an OS, which needs patches with in few weeks, the result would be disastrous.
http://buckleupnow.com/2006/03/22/new-tech-news-leopard-vs-vista/

[technewsjunkie]

It's going to need patches even after the delay

So we a have a Microsoft employee defending Windows and another
guy saying that this delay will prevent any immediate patches wo
Windows/Vista.

Rose colored glasses.

[thedreaming]

More Waiting

We've waiting this long for it, we can wait a little more, especially if we end up with a better product, it'll be worth it.

[thedreaming]

More Waiting

We've waiting this long for it, we can wait a little more, especially if we end up with a better product, it'll be worth it.

[curtegg]

Think this article sums it up nicely

Microsoft fails to deliver again :-)

http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/22/vista-microsoft-
ballmer_cz_dl_0322microsoft.html?partner=alerts

[curtegg]

Think this article sums it up nicely

Microsoft fails to deliver again :-)

http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/22/vista-microsoft-
ballmer_cz_dl_0322microsoft.html?partner=alerts