7 replies to this topic

[Neon]

If yet another Windows release date falls by the wayside, would anyone care?
That's the question that Microsoft watchers are asking, as Microsoft comes into the home stretch with its Windows Vista release.

ADVERTISEMENT Researchers with the Gartner Group issued a customer note on May 1, claiming that Microsoft will ship Windows Vista in the second calendar quarter of 2007, rather than in January, as Microsoft recently promised.

Microsoft officials are denying Gartner's report, claiming the company is still on track to deliver Vista to volume licensees in November, and make the product available through all channels in January.

"We respectfully disagree with Gartner's views around timing of the final delivery of Windows Vista," said a Windows spokeswoman. "We remain on track to deliver Windows Vista Beta 2 in the second quarter and to deliver the final product to volume license customers in November 2006 and to other businesses and consumers in January 2007."

More pressing than questions as to exactly when Microsoft will roll out Vista are others about the effect – if any – another delay would have on Microsoft's various constituencies. Would consumers, business customers, PC makers, software vendors, channel partners, or even Microsoft's competitors, actually be affected if Vista slips another quarter or more?

"Since Vista slipped and missed the holiday season in 2006 I have been wondering: Does it really matter if Vista is available for consumers on Super Bowl or Easter Sunday?" said Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft. "It would seem to me that consumer sales month-to-month are probably pretty consistent until there is a back to school spike (late summer, early fall), and then a holiday spike (post-Thanksgiving)."

Jupiter Research analyst Joe Wilcox also wondered whether anyone would be upset by another Vista delay.

"The question to ask is: Who will care if Microsoft misses the date again," said Wilcox. "I've been saying since the (March) delay that from a sales perspective, January might as be July, that January release builds in room to move the date again, if needed."

Microsoft officials admitted in March that Microsoft would not be able to launch Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 before the end of calendar 2006, as they had hoped. Company officials cited both quality issues and marketing concerns as the reasons behind the Vista delay.

Microsoft testers still are expecting Microsoft to ship the next Vista Community Technology Preview (CTP) to more than two million testers later this month. That CTP, which testers originally expected in April, is known as the "Vista Consumer CTP." Following the delivery of that milestone, Microsoft is expected to release a few more test builds of the product before releasing the final code to manufacturing this fall.
"In general I am not as pessimistic as Gartner, but I am not as optimistic as Microsoft," said analyst Cherry. "I am a little concerned about some of the predictions based on the software (builds) we are seeing now — each build is more stable than the previous build -- but there is still a long ways to go. If we don't see substantial stability improvements in May when we get Beta 2 then I will be worried."

Wilcox agreed, adding that Gartner's latest calculations made sense.

If Beta 2 hits this summer, Microsoft would need about five more months of testing, based on previous history, before it released the product to manufacturing, he said. But based on the state of the latest builds, Microsoft may actually need more than five months to finish off the product, Wilcox said.

If release to manufacturing (RTM) slips to December or January, Wilcox said, "add eight more weeks for availability on new PCs, which is more likely March. Broad availability puts you in April or second quarter.

[simon]

is this the only os that has this many delays ?

[ShadowFox]

no this is the one we have fallowed so closely though... I'm sure all them had delays like this... but I think this one has more set backs but wow look at what they are accomplishing O.o

[stevenaxe]

Bullshit, Vista isn't getting pushed back again, at least as of this moment, or according to what Gartner says.
Vista is on target as of now, with B2 coming at WinHEC and a solid progression foward.
And yes, this is an unlikely case where the OS gets pushed back so much. The reason for all these delays is because so much wanted to be added, they realized they couldn't do it so they scrapped it and had to start all over and came into problems as a result of this.

[Nvyseal]

Lets let them takes as much time they need and get it right, rather than have to install a service pack 6 months down the road

[Neon]

I ain't that fussed. I just got it off Microsoft Watch. All i want is an OS.

[ACiD BuRN]

I'm pretty happy with Windows XP and when Vista comes, I'll take it . In this matter I'm very patient

[ShadowFox]

I'm with dave let them push... we like our betas