« Dark clouds threaten Mac security | Main | Now you can spend virtual cash »
May 03, 2006
Microsoft's uncertain Vista
Here in the world of the Windows PC, Bleeding Edge long ago learned to live with uncertainty. Take shipping schedules for instance. IT analyst Gartner is predicting that the new Vista operating system will not meet its most recently delayed ship date of - let's see now - November for the corporate version, and January for retail customers, and will instead ship three months or so later. Gartner says Vista is "too complex" [but, hmmn, not as complex as it was supposed to be when they started stripping features out of it to meet another revised shipping date back in the distant past].
Microsoft says it's not too complex at all, and it will so too meet the published schedule. And surely, you know, they've eventually got to meet ONE of their deadlines. Possibly.
Robert Scoble, who clearly inhabits a similarly uncertain world, says he doesn't have a clue whether it will or it won't, but he'd rather it didn't if it was so complex that it didn't work terribly well.
Ed Bott says Gartner has more than once found speculating on Microsoft shipping dates a little more complex than they expected, and this one is stewed rhubarb.
David "Riches" Richards will be brushing off that story that got up Scoble's nose ... the one where he claimed that 60 per cent of the Vista code base would have to be rewritten, because it was, umm, too complex. And Bleeding Edge will remain serene in our contemplation of the uncertain world. As the Buddha observed in his analysis of Microsoft, all knowledge is inadequate. Besides. We aren't planning on installing Vista until we're completely sure it's pain-free, and we can afford any necessary upgrades. Which could be years away. And besides. Windows XP is perfectly adequate.
Posted by cw at May 3, 2006 10:07 AM
Comments
Iam a mac user who converted from windows because of all the security problems. BUT now iam certain ive been infected via a nasty it has used my mac to send emails from address book. Found this out when i got a failed email return from someone i did not send an email to and was the email i got from someone i didnt know. Know i dont know how to get rid of it as do not know any mac program to do so. Is there one and what do i do???
CW: I doubt you've got a virus, Sam. If it's a random email, it's more likely someone's spoofed your email address to send spam.
Posted by: Sam at May 3, 2006 03:16 PM
Thanks CW, you have saved me some money. I was thinking of becoming an "early adopter" of Vista (temporary insanity?), but I can't really think of a reason to do so now. Maybe when they release Vista SP2 I'll reconsider.
Posted by: Blackwatch at May 3, 2006 11:39 PM
Vista does really have quite a few good features, although alot of them are just down right annoying (mostly where they constantly ask you to do things then tell you your computer is gonna be hacked if you turn it off). I have to say that I definitely will be upgrading to Vista as soon as it comes out. Being a Vista beta tester, it's pretty clear that it will be out right on time as all the features are pretty well finalised and there aren't any real major bugs left.
Posted by: poedgirl at May 17, 2006 03:26 PM
Windows IT Pro Now, Microsoft plans to release a DVD of Vista Beta 2 and Office 2007 Beta 2 to attendees of the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) on May 23. Meanwhile, users who wish to obtain a DVD version of Beta 2 via the company's public Web site will have to wait until May 27. Microsoft expects to eventually deliver this version to millions of people.
This may only be speculation, though a public preview of Beta 2 of Vista is most likely going to find its way to the public in the not too distant future.
Poedgirl, comparing Vista Builds 5308, 5342 & 5381 there has been major changes in these builds in the LUA/UAC, the latest 5381 build is dramatically different from 5342 in the constant security prompting that you speak of, I expect that due to the constant refinements in the LUA/UAC in Vista we will see a few more developments in this space as this is the first time we have seen this particular variation and I doubt that it will be the final implementation.
I agree whole heartily with you about purchasing Vista. I may end up doing what I did at Harvey Norman on August 28th or was it the 8th back in 1995 when Windows 95 was released, I queued up at midnight to get myself a copy. I never had an inclination to do such a thing when XP came out. (And I must say I never thought I would think this about Vista either).
Posted by: Stephen at May 17, 2006 10:28 PM