Vista, on track or not?
Robert Scoble chimes in on the rumors that Vista's ship date has slipped again. I think Robert is finally wising up to the ways of the world when it comes to quoting release dates. Doing such a thing usually ends up doing more harm than good. What I don't get is why people are making such a boo hoo over this anymore. The fact is, Vista's launch date has slipped, yes - we all know it and Microsoft has acknowledged it. It is what it is people. At this point it really doesn't matter when it is released, the important thing is that Microsoft gets it right when they finally do release it.
As much as I am an Apple supporter, I think it is vital for the industry that there be competition, and options for people. OS X is not going to be everything for everyone, so those people in the enterprise are more than likely going to keep running Windows and that's just the way it is. If they are going to run Windows, then they need it to not only work, but have it be bullet-proof. It would be a good thing for everyone, including Mac users, given the level of interoperability I am seeing for both home users and in the enterprise. I would personally rather see Vista delayed another year (or more) if it means getting it right. In my opinion, that means putting back the features that have been stripped out in the name of hitting a release date. A release date is something that should be an approximation at the beginning of a project, but not written in stone. You can't account for unforeseen circumstances and on a project of this magnitude, I think most people could clearly understand the reason for using something like the Scrum methodology. It's too late to scrap the whole thing and start over from scratch as some people have suggested. I too think that maybe the next version of Windows needs to start from a complete re-write, but for the time being, you can't expect MSFT (or any other company in their shoes) to completely discard what they have been working on. I think the shareholders might have a little something to say about that if it were to happen.
I say the heck with these "analysts" that don't have a clue. Who really cares what they think? These folks have no crystal ball, are not clairvoyant, and are more often WRONG than right. If an investor needs to get facts about a company, just ask the company PR person or go to the website and stop relying on "analysts" that don't know any better than Skippy next door who spends all day reading blogs (not that there's anything wrong with that). ;-) I think the best thing for people to do at this stage is stop the flame throwing and start offering suggestions on how to improve things. If you can't do either, just sit back, hold tight and go along for the ride as Vista evolves into a gold master. After all, your world hasn't come to a stop because you don't have Vista right?
[ via the Scobelizer ]
Vista, on track or not?:
Gartner is saying that Windows Vista may be delayed again. Microsoft reacted, ComputerWorld says in an article that gives both sides of the story (Microsoft says that Gartner is wrong).
More on Memeorandum.
A bunch of people have been emailing me asking for my opinions. I'm staying out of this one cause I've learned over and over that I can't accurately predict shipping dates in the software industry. I will say that I'm enjoying the latest builds of Windows Vista and things are looking good, so I have no reason to doubt Microsoft's spokespeople on this one.
Again, I'd rather pressure the Windows team to get it right, and don't ship unless it's ready. Dana Epp, security expert, says the same thing.
They are talking about it over on Channel 9 too.
Update: Ed Bott says that Gartner isn't very accurate with its own predictions on software dates.
