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Vista and the shadow of another delay
July 13, 2006 4:00 AM PST
Vista has been dogged by delays. If the update ships as now scheduled, it'll arrive about five years after the last version of Windows was sent out--a long time for fans and corporate customers to wait.
In March, Microsoft had to announce that it was postponing the broad delivery of Vista to January 2007. It was another black eye for the company, which had even cut back on a number of key features to try to make a 2006 release.Now Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has shed some doubt on the new delivery date, reportedly telling Microsoft software partners in South Africa this week that there was a 20 percent chance of another Vista delay, depending on feedback from beta testers.
To find out what people on the street make of it, we asked our Vista Views panel, made up of ordinary readers, these questions: Is this the last straw? Does this change your planning--if you've done any--for Vista?
Wallace Wang
Despite the delays, any business willing to switch to Vista right away is foolhardy. Businesses should definitely wait until Microsoft releases Service Pack 1 for Vista and even then, they should only upgrade to Vista when they need to buy new machines anyway. There's absolutely no reason for anyone to upgrade an old machine to run Vista.
So ultimately, the delay in Vista will probably prove more beneficial than harmful. Now if Microsoft delays Vista beyond 2007, that's when everyone should be worried (except for Apple, of course).
Wallace Wang is a freelance computer journalist and author whose books include "Microsoft Office for Dummies" and "Steal This Computer Book."
Robert McLaws
Everyone has complained for years that Microsoft doesn?t listen to its customers. So why now is everyone complaining when they finally DO start listening? And why does everyone expect software to adhere to different standards than regular products? If Merck had a wonder drug for curing cancer, but your liver spontaneously combusted after two doses, would you want it on the market at the date they promised? Or would you let them wait till they worked the kinks out?Microsoft has created a HUGE ecosystem around Windows, and because of that, most businesses need to know when new versions will ship, for various reasons. Yes, there may be economic repercussions for delivering the product late. But compare those consequences to what would happen if Microsoft didn't get security or stability right this time around. We don't need to look very far...how many billions of dollars did businesses (and governments) lose in productivity, downtime, and other expenses due to Windows malware in the last three years?
Yes, everyone wants Microsoft to ship Vista already. But the world cannot afford for Microsoft to get this wrong. It?s already at least 18 months behind schedule. They've taken this long to get it right. If they feel they need another month, they should be able to have it without everyone saying the sky is falling!
Anyways, everyone is focusing on the negative side of his comments. There is a 4-in-5 chance that it will ship on time. Better odds than we had a year ago, that's for sure.
Robert McLaws is an IT consultant, community leader and Vista enthusiast. He has been running Vista enthusiast site Longhornblogs.com since 2002.
Shruti Shah
I think no matter what, people are going to buy Vista--eventually. I highly doubt that a delay of another four weeks will cause somebody to buy a Mac or switch to Linux. We've waited five years already, what's another month?
It seems like everybody is angry and upset over the delay, but the Internet is just a big echo chamber. There are about 660 million people using PCs today; it's highly doubtful that they are all complaining.
Shruti Shah, from Long Island, N.Y., is a senior in college.
Jason Cornell
Is this the last straw? Not at all. They need to ship it when the product is ready. Running the beta I have seen great strides as they release more builds. The latest build I now run as my primary machine and have very few minor issues.
Does this change your planning--if you've done any--for Vista? No. Corporations won't roll Vista out for at least a year after the release date anyway so this doesn't matter to us at all.
Jason Cornell has more than seven years of consulting experience, primarily in Microsoft software. He has worked on design and integration of Windows-based set-ups for health care, higher education and media customers.
Brian Lambert
At this point, any delays are unimportant. Vista has been delayed so much in the past, that I'm beginning to lose interest in the whole ordeal.I think it is ridiculous that it has been delayed this long--other operating systems are released far more frequently. Microsoft has dropped the ball by letting Vista fall so far behind. I think at this point they are playing catch up.
I was very interested in buying Vista to put on my laptop I bought a year ago. Now, it's been delayed so much, I might just put off buying Vista and wait until I get a new computer in a few years.
I'm still interested in seeing what this new operating system will
introduce. New technology is always exciting, but it's disappointing
when it's well overdue.
Brian Lambert is a law student at Southern Illinois University.
Gary Knigge
Although I am already researching how and when Vista will be implemented on our campus, I am by no means anxious to be the first kid on the block with wide deployment of the new operating system. There are no key business systems that would be delayed by a delay in the ship of Vista. I would find a delay personally disappointing, as I am always curious about new technology. But I see no significant organizational impact, as long as the delay is not more than a few months.Gary Knigge is an IT support person at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, specializing in Windows desktop support for faculty and staff.
Leigh
I originally planned in 2002 to hold off my purchase of a new PC until Vista was released. Am I ever glad that I gave in waiting earlier this year in February! I can only wonder if other potential new buyers of PCs continue to wait and get angry, and even buy Macs instead, thinking they're on the cutting edge?Leigh is a systems specialist for an online retailer who has been working in general business development for a number of Australian Web sites over the past seven years.
Brian Clarke
I think it is doubtful that Microsoft will delay Vista again. I've tried Beta 2 and it seems mostly done except for some reliability and compatibility issues.
If they did delay it again, I would not be happy, but it wouldn't push me to go buy a Mac!
Brian Clarke, a student at Shippensburg University, says he has reinstalled Windows more time than he cares to remember.
Kevin Faaborg
This is not a big surprise for me. I was not expecting Vista to make the original deadline to begin with. I'm going to be surprised if it even makes 2007 at this rate.
They should just say "It's done when it's done, all 'expected' dates are wiped from the books, we will release a date once we have the final version set to be released." And not sooner.
Kevin Faaborg works in basic hardware and software guidance for a large financial corporation, but he has experience in more computer sales-based jobs.
Callum Jones
Personally, I think it is a good time to delay it. With Conroe coming out, people need time to settle on the hardware, gather all their money and then buy Vista.
If Vista ships same time as Core Duo 2, then users have a ultimatum between superfast hardware or a shiny OS. Many will choose the first option.
Callum Jones is a student in Perth, Australia, who is interested in the field of Windows/Linux SMB Network.
The Vista Views panel is being brought together by CNET News.com to discover what people on the street think about Microsoft's new operating system.
We're looking for a range of perspectives--from beta testers to business buyers to home PC owners.
Interested in joining the panel pool? Here's how it works:
Whenever key Vista news breaks, we'll e-mail a question to contributors. Sometimes, we'll ask a yes/no question and use the answers for a simple poll. Other times, we'll look for more in-depth feedback on Vista events. It doesn't matter whether you send us two pages or two sentences--we value your comments. And if you don't have an opinion on a particular story, or you don't have time to respond, that's fine too.
The feedback will often reach our readers. Our writers may quote panel remarks in stories. Or we may pull together comments--your two cents--in an article of their own. Occasionally, we'll ask contributors to take part in a weekly podcast to discuss their views with News.com editors and industry experts.
We want to know what our readers think, as Microsoft gets ready for one of its most important launches in years. If you haven't signed up yet, send us an e-mail to vista-views@cnet.com.
Reader comment from John Kneeland:
"Ideally, it would mean that Microsoft will focus less on adding new junk and instead focus on making the existing junk work well."
Read more Vista panel comments on this topic here.
Piecing together Vista
Videos
Peek at Vista
New features are designed to appeal to nonbusiness users. February 22, 2006
Windows' chief answers questions from News.com readers. January 27, 2006
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The latest Windows blog postings on News.com.
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have switched to Mac OS X years ago. Most people who are stuck
on Windows do so out of fear of the unknown - they are quite
happy sitting in their Win9*/ME/NT/2000/XP virus ridden,
malware infected world, thinking this is the way computers have
to be. Most Windows users are not in a great rush to move over
to Vista if it means having to upgrade their hardware. However,
when buying new hardware I'm sure that most will want to stick
with Microsoft, beacause it's what they are familiar with. The
ironic thing is that they think they'll be making a leap into the
future when in reality they're moving to a level of computing
that Mac users have been used to for over half a decade.
Powerbook with OSX says their next PC will be a MAC. iLife alone
makes it worth every penny. Businesses can afford full time tech
staffs to keep their bug ridden Windows working, home users
cannot. It is a no brainer at this point. Want a home PC, get a Mac!
this message on one. I also use a Windows box and have for at
least 15 years. I also use various unix boxe and have for around
20 years. What I find remarkable is that none of these operating
systems have made me sexier, smarter, more virile, or even
taller! I mean, if an operating system can generate such idiotic
vitriol as we've seen the in Mac v. PC world then you'd think
they'd have to do something really special! But no, my
computers just sit there and do what I tell them to do.
I recently did some research and it turns out that computers are
really just tools! Think of that! Each one is best suited for a
different set of tasks and each has its strengths and weaknesses
with no one tool being superior to all others in all cases. In fact,
it seems that the usefulness of the tool is more an indication of
the person *using* the tool rather than the tool itself. Which
makes me wonder about the kind of person so wrapped up in
their tool that they treat it like a religion.
this message on one. I also use a Windows box and have for at
least 15 years. I also use various unix boxe and have for around
20 years. What I find remarkable is that none of these operating
systems have made me sexier, smarter, more virile, or even
taller! I mean, if an operating system can generate such idiotic
vitriol as we've seen the in Mac v. PC world then you'd think
they'd have to do something really special! But no, my
computers just sit there and do what I tell them to do.
I recently did some research and it turns out that computers are
really just tools! Think of that! Each one is best suited for a
different set of tasks and each has its strengths and weaknesses
with no one tool being superior to all others in all cases. In fact,
it seems that the usefulness of the tool is more an indication of
the person *using* the tool rather than the tool itself. Which
makes me wonder about the kind of person so wrapped up in
their tool that they treat it like a religion.
have switched to Mac OS X years ago. Most people who are stuck
on Windows do so out of fear of the unknown - they are quite
happy sitting in their Win9*/ME/NT/2000/XP virus ridden,
malware infected world, thinking this is the way computers have
to be. Most Windows users are not in a great rush to move over
to Vista if it means having to upgrade their hardware. However,
when buying new hardware I'm sure that most will want to stick
with Microsoft, beacause it's what they are familiar with. The
ironic thing is that they think they'll be making a leap into the
future when in reality they're moving to a level of computing
that Mac users have been used to for over half a decade.
Powerbook with OSX says their next PC will be a MAC. iLife alone
makes it worth every penny. Businesses can afford full time tech
staffs to keep their bug ridden Windows working, home users
cannot. It is a no brainer at this point. Want a home PC, get a Mac!
this message on one. I also use a Windows box and have for at
least 15 years. I also use various unix boxe and have for around
20 years. What I find remarkable is that none of these operating
systems have made me sexier, smarter, more virile, or even
taller! I mean, if an operating system can generate such idiotic
vitriol as we've seen the in Mac v. PC world then you'd think
they'd have to do something really special! But no, my
computers just sit there and do what I tell them to do.
I recently did some research and it turns out that computers are
really just tools! Think of that! Each one is best suited for a
different set of tasks and each has its strengths and weaknesses
with no one tool being superior to all others in all cases. In fact,
it seems that the usefulness of the tool is more an indication of
the person *using* the tool rather than the tool itself. Which
makes me wonder about the kind of person so wrapped up in
their tool that they treat it like a religion.
this message on one. I also use a Windows box and have for at
least 15 years. I also use various unix boxe and have for around
20 years. What I find remarkable is that none of these operating
systems have made me sexier, smarter, more virile, or even
taller! I mean, if an operating system can generate such idiotic
vitriol as we've seen the in Mac v. PC world then you'd think
they'd have to do something really special! But no, my
computers just sit there and do what I tell them to do.
I recently did some research and it turns out that computers are
really just tools! Think of that! Each one is best suited for a
different set of tasks and each has its strengths and weaknesses
with no one tool being superior to all others in all cases. In fact,
it seems that the usefulness of the tool is more an indication of
the person *using* the tool rather than the tool itself. Which
makes me wonder about the kind of person so wrapped up in
their tool that they treat it like a religion.
that 4 of them mentioned the mac specifically in their comments.
While the delay may not concern them much, it does seem that the
Mac OS is on the back of their minds in relationship to getting a
new OS for windows. If they feel that way, it kind of makes you
wonder what the pressure level in Redmond is.
way should be taken as being representative of what people think
in general. I'm a Mac OS X fan, but most computer users out there
have no idea what an OS is, and frankly don't care. In many ways
we're lucky . . . I certainly prefer that the Windows minions stay
put, and that the growth in Mac OS X comes from new computer
users.
Mac in some form or another. Apple has been pumping out
updates while Redmond has been floundering. OS X is stable,
virus-free, user-friendly, elegant and available now! A new Intel
Mac can even run Windows with Apple's free Boot Camp (which will
probably be rolled into the next OS update - which will, of course,
be out BEFORE Vista).
Redmond... we have a problem.
that 4 of them mentioned the mac specifically in their comments.
While the delay may not concern them much, it does seem that the
Mac OS is on the back of their minds in relationship to getting a
new OS for windows. If they feel that way, it kind of makes you
wonder what the pressure level in Redmond is.
way should be taken as being representative of what people think
in general. I'm a Mac OS X fan, but most computer users out there
have no idea what an OS is, and frankly don't care. In many ways
we're lucky . . . I certainly prefer that the Windows minions stay
put, and that the growth in Mac OS X comes from new computer
users.
Mac in some form or another. Apple has been pumping out
updates while Redmond has been floundering. OS X is stable,
virus-free, user-friendly, elegant and available now! A new Intel
Mac can even run Windows with Apple's free Boot Camp (which will
probably be rolled into the next OS update - which will, of course,
be out BEFORE Vista).
Redmond... we have a problem.
sub-par design, delays, weakenesses, shoddy security, slow
system performance and their simple satisfaction with a "cloak"
of wallpaper tossed over windows XP is something Micorsoft has
known for years that these customers will tolerate.
I wish my Consulting clients were as undemanding as Microsoft's
customers, who cant even "say SH*T, with a mouthful".
You would think that after waiting years for an XP update, and
tolerating random bug fixes coming out weekly and monthly for
5 years, that some of these people would say "enough" but it is a
testament to the lowering of our country's intelligence, and of
society at large, thanks to MSFT, MTV, TV, and the inability for
people to see and avoid when something is bad for them that
amazes me.
I got vista running on my Athlon 64 PC at home and it is far
from being revolutionary in any way, but is instead a nuisance
with the warning popups and hesitation, 5X those of XP. This is
a white elephant OS. If seeing and using Vista doesnt push you
to buy a Macintosh with OSX, then you are destined to jump over
the cliff with the rest of the lemmings.
A waste case if there ever was one. So much hoopla, for a Zero %
Improvement in Windows design.
How to spend $8-9 billion and still seem to be clueless, MSFT
and its customers get the 1st Place booby prize.
BTW, you forgot to blame Microsoft for global warming, the Iraq war, increases in the price of tea in China, and France's loss in the World Cup...
sub-par design, delays, weakenesses, shoddy security, slow
system performance and their simple satisfaction with a "cloak"
of wallpaper tossed over windows XP is something Micorsoft has
known for years that these customers will tolerate.
I wish my Consulting clients were as undemanding as Microsoft's
customers, who cant even "say SH*T, with a mouthful".
You would think that after waiting years for an XP update, and
tolerating random bug fixes coming out weekly and monthly for
5 years, that some of these people would say "enough" but it is a
testament to the lowering of our country's intelligence, and of
society at large, thanks to MSFT, MTV, TV, and the inability for
people to see and avoid when something is bad for them that
amazes me.
I got vista running on my Athlon 64 PC at home and it is far
from being revolutionary in any way, but is instead a nuisance
with the warning popups and hesitation, 5X those of XP. This is
a white elephant OS. If seeing and using Vista doesnt push you
to buy a Macintosh with OSX, then you are destined to jump over
the cliff with the rest of the lemmings.
A waste case if there ever was one. So much hoopla, for a Zero %
Improvement in Windows design.
How to spend $8-9 billion and still seem to be clueless, MSFT
and its customers get the 1st Place booby prize.
BTW, you forgot to blame Microsoft for global warming, the Iraq war, increases in the price of tea in China, and France's loss in the World Cup...
Home users that are happy with what they have won't upgrade either, but those users that buy a new machine will.
In the end, the user still has the choice. Don't listen to the media or microsoft or apple. Make up your own mind as to what computer and OS you want to use and ignore the hype from all fronts.
Home users that are happy with what they have won't upgrade either, but those users that buy a new machine will.
In the end, the user still has the choice. Don't listen to the media or microsoft or apple. Make up your own mind as to what computer and OS you want to use and ignore the hype from all fronts.
Age, and experience DO matter, so hearing from barely pubescent
readers is a little unfair ... no matter how intelligent they are.
I would love to hear from people who have lived, worked, and
breathed in this industry for at least 15 years. Not 2, or 0.
Age, and experience DO matter, so hearing from barely pubescent
readers is a little unfair ... no matter how intelligent they are.
I would love to hear from people who have lived, worked, and
breathed in this industry for at least 15 years. Not 2, or 0.
David
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.media-press-release.com/search/Commercial-Van-Insurance/" target="_newWindow">http://www.media-press-release.com/search/Commercial-Van-Insurance/</a>
David
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.media-press-release.com/search/Commercial-Van-Insurance/" target="_newWindow">http://www.media-press-release.com/search/Commercial-Van-Insurance/</a>
But, my friend, that is exactly what is happening.
I got so fed up with XP, that I did buy Macs for my self, for the Wife, and so on. When Vista comes out I will get it when my employer pays for the laptop and the software, I my self will no longer be purchasing MS software, because there are better things out there, and that's the truth.
People are switching to Mac and Linux. If Apple was smart, they would re-lease OS X for all PCs, since they run now on Intel, what would happen to Vista and Microsoft ?
I love my Mac, not a single crash, top of the line File System and new upgrades are just around the horizon, I can run all kinds of demanding programs without a sneeze, G5 Rules.
Without it, and IBM there would be no Xbox 360.
No way anyone can tell me that XP is better or Vista, I installed Beta 1 (disappointing and slow), then I wanted to try Beta 2, that wouldn't even install, I got errors and I gave up and threw the disk away.
Office 2007, Please.... you guys screwed the menus up big time.
Oh, and $100 for a near-annual bump from 10.x to 10.y? That's not my idea of smart consumerism...
But, my friend, that is exactly what is happening.
I got so fed up with XP, that I did buy Macs for my self, for the Wife, and so on. When Vista comes out I will get it when my employer pays for the laptop and the software, I my self will no longer be purchasing MS software, because there are better things out there, and that's the truth.
People are switching to Mac and Linux. If Apple was smart, they would re-lease OS X for all PCs, since they run now on Intel, what would happen to Vista and Microsoft ?
I love my Mac, not a single crash, top of the line File System and new upgrades are just around the horizon, I can run all kinds of demanding programs without a sneeze, G5 Rules.
Without it, and IBM there would be no Xbox 360.
No way anyone can tell me that XP is better or Vista, I installed Beta 1 (disappointing and slow), then I wanted to try Beta 2, that wouldn't even install, I got errors and I gave up and threw the disk away.
Office 2007, Please.... you guys screwed the menus up big time.
Oh, and $100 for a near-annual bump from 10.x to 10.y? That's not my idea of smart consumerism...
To say Apple is the answer...they may not have any problems now with Malware or viruses but OSX is far from bullet proof. No software is...it is nearly impossible. If Apples market share were to significantly increase then the problems will come with it too. Not only would the problems increase, but instead of dealing with an OS monopoly you would also be locked into a hardware platform as well.
The only reasonable answer is the PC platform running a 'nix OS.
I stil use Slackware Linux and love it, Suse is good too.
Sun Solaris is a good advanced OS for networks, way better then Windows as far as network stuff goes, and Solaris will work on PCs as well, don't even need to buy anything they sell.
Since they only have 3.x% of the market, they have the luxury of doing what they do best...What is that you ask? Ripping people off for PC hardware with an Apple logo. I'm typing this on a MacBook Pro running Vista Beta 2. It runs better than OS X. Since running the 10.4.7 update, its been thew most unreliable POS version of the OS ive ever used. To say that the mac is problem free is bull. Well, maybe not for a home computer but in a huge company they are nightmares...TONS of hardware problems - i've sent back almost 20 brand new DC G5's for things like, faulty power supplies, bad DVD-R's, Crappy memory..We dont have nearly the same problems on our 600 PC's that we have on 180 macs...OS X is nice, I am a fan of both windows and os x, but come on...Face it..OS X will not get far...MS will sell 70 million+ copies of Vista in the 1st month of its release...And so far, as I stated, ive had positive experiences on a the few machines i have installed Vista on...OS X? this morning, I had to go through 10 different versions of restore cd's to find the right one for that particular machine...Thats BS...