Microsoft: Vista will ship when it's ready

Macworld ^ | 07/27/2006 | Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service

[Panerai]

Microsoft continues to give itself room to further delay the release of Windows Vista. At its annual Financial Analyst Meeting on Thursday, Kevin Johnson, co-president of Microsoft's Platforms & Services Division, said that while Vista development remains on track for now, Microsoft won't ship the OS until the company thinks it's ready.

"There is no data that says we're not going to make the November business availability," Johnson said, speaking to analysts and media on Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, campus. However, he said that the company continues to evaluate Vista "milestone by milestone" and will ship the product "when it's ready" rather than according to a hard and fast schedule.

Microsoft has said Vista will be available to business customers through volume licensing in November, with consumers getting the OS in January 2007. However, in reports following Microsoft's fourth-quarter earnings call last week, some financial analysts wrote that they are already counting on Vista's consumer release to slip further into 2007 and have adjusted their earnings projections to reflect this prediction.

That said, Johnson said the next milestone for Vista, Release Candidate 1, should be available before the end of September.

Vista, with its multiple versions, has "something for everyone," Johnson said, but Microsoft plans in particular to promote the purchase of its higher-end, or "premium" versions to consumers.

[theDentist]

Maybe the delay is because they're tightening up all those security flaws...

[The_Reader_David]

Multiple versions and 'something for everyone'? Sounds like Microsoft has *not* found new wisdom in their approach to Vista, and it will be as much of a horror as their previous OS releases.

[aft_lizard]

I would rather them delay and get it right than to rush it and get it wrong.

[kingu]

I have four laptops, four desktops - and that's just at home. The concept of buying a license for each computer, fighting through migration, and then fighting the constant stream of bugs, the fixes for the bugs and the fixes for the fixes atop of the buggy verification software - it is just moronic.

Eight copies of Office, eight copies of Vista, eight copies of whatever - when most vendors happily offer a site license for five installs or more, it is just a nightmare just dealing with the stupid packaging and ensuring that each license is applied to the right machine (and kept in a packet with the computer so that when things crash, it can be re-set...)

I don't mind the hassle as much at work, but I don't want to come home and do the same damn thing.

The temptation grows, by the day, to just switch everything to Unix and just be done with it.

[kingu]

I would rather them delay and get it right than to rush it and get it wrong.

The truth is that they'll delay to get it right, it'll get close, and then someone will give into the pressure, release the software early, and we'll all be waiting for the next update to fix it. (Which will be rushed...)

[theDentist]

I agree, but with an OS so complex, you know there's going to be HUGE holes and gaffes in it. Then a whole new round of virus' and trojan horses to deal with... (sigh).

[jdm]

"I would rather them delay and get it right than to rush it and get it wrong."

Do you have 40 years? By then, no one may be using this product we call software!

[HAL9000]

"I have four laptops, four desktops - and that's just at home. The concept of buying a license for each computer, fighting through migration, and then fighting the constant stream of bugs, the fixes for the bugs and the fixes for the fixes atop of the buggy verification software - it is just moronic."

This is another situation where Apple customers have a big advantage over Microsoft customers. Apple sells a hassle-free "family-pack" for major updates of Mac OS X. The retail price for a single copy of Mac OS X is $129, but the family pack costs $199 and allows home users to legally update up to five computers. I'll be purchasing the family pack for my home computers when Mac OS X 10.5 is released.

"The temptation grows, by the day, to just switch everything to Unix and just be done with it."

As you probably know, Mac OS X is Unix-based.

[Turbopilot]

I have yet to see a "killer app" or service that would make me want to upgrade to Vista, or even desire it preinstalled on a a new machine, so the delays don't bother me. AFAIK the new file system isn't going to happen, at least any time soon, Aero Glass sounds like an unnecessary resource hog that I'd immediately disable, and unless MS has really changed the way they configure for security I'd bet that my current XP systems are more secure than a fresh default Vista install would be.

I think I've posed the question before but don't remember any responses - why would a person want to upgrade a system to Vista? Why would a person prefer it to XP on a new system?

[Echo Talon]

hmmm something about Windows from macworld...

[js1138]

Why would you consider updating old computers? Vista is for new hardware. It pretty much requires new hardware.

[grey_whiskers]

"When will it be finished?"

"When it is finished!"

But face it, Bill Gates is no Charlton Heston.

...speaking of which, since it was the Sistine Chapel and all...

"you are Linux, and on this kernel I will build my operating system, and the Hell of Gates shall not prevail against it."

Cheers!

[willyd]

I think you hit the nail on the head...computers are already so fast that they can easily handle the average users tasks, so there is no reason to upgrade. Why would you ever need anyhing more than XP offers? (stiffling laughter). Networking is easy..plug and play has been done. Now to get some cooler graphics, you have to buy a new computer. I didn't see anything on the MIcrosoft web site that made me want to go out and get this.

[D-fendr]

You, and most users, won't upgrade to Vista for the OS, but for the applications that require Vista in order to run their latest version.

That will be some time after Vista is released, but the day will come; Microsoft will make sure of it.