To those MDN readers who tire of our coverage of Windows tech writer Paul Thurrott, please forgive us. Our recent wall-to-wall Thurrott coverage will be winding down soon, but we just could not pass this one up. Plus, it bodes very well for Apple’s Mac platform. You see, Thurrott is at WinHEC (Windows Hardware Engineering Conference) 2005 this week which ends tomorrow. We kind of wish it’d never end as the disappointment over Microsoft’s next version of Windows, code-named “Longhorn,” is pervading the entire conference and driving Thurrott to despair.
Today Thurrott writes for Connected Home Media, “At last year’s WinHEC 2004, Microsoft showed off its Longhorn OS and made promises about shipping it in late 2005. It showed off hardware advances, such as auxiliary displays for notebooks and Tablet PCs that would let you access email, calendar, digital music, and other services while the machine was closed and powered down. The company touted small-form-factor Tablet PCs that would straddle the increasingly blurred line between PDAs and ultra portable notebook computers.”
Thurrott writes, “Flash forward to this year’s WinHEC 2005. Longhorn is in complete disarray and in danger of collapsing under its own weight: Since WinHEC 2004, Microsoft hasn’t shipped a single public beta release of the product, which is now delayed until late 2006. Now, we get a new build of Longhorn, finally, but it’s surprisingly similar to the version we got last year. In fact, it’s almost less exciting, because it looks more like the existing Windows version—Windows XP—than the year-ago version did. You can literally see the backtracking.”
Thurrott writes, “Microsoft once again showed off auxiliary displays and small-form-factor Tablet PCs. Neither technology is any closer to shipping: They’re expected to show up in late 2006—yep, about the same time frame as Longhorn—which means we might be lucky enough to see them again at WinHEC 2006 next spring. You know, if I actually show up for that one.”
Full article and readers’ comments here.
MacDailyNews Take: Analysts and pundits have been wondering how effectively Microsoft will be able hold off Apple for the next year-and-a-half until Longhorn debuts. Thurrott has been one of Longhorn’s biggest cheerleaders, but is now describing Microsoft’s Longhorn project as being in “complete disarray and in danger of collapsing under its own weight.” Earlier today, he wrote that Longhorn “has the makings of a train wreck.” Other media outlets are sounding similar themes and writing such things as, “many of Windows Longhorn’s features have been in Mac OS X since 2001” and “Longhorn so far looks shockingly like a Macintosh,” for just two examples. If so, where is the light at the end of Microsoft’s tunnel? Is there a light? If Apple can just get the word out to the general public by whatever means possible, Apple’s Mac OS X platform stands to benefit big time. Now we know why Microsoft brought in a former Pepto-Bismol brand manager to be the new Longhorn chief.
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Related MacDailyNews articles:
Thurrott: Longhorn ‘has the makings of a train wreck’ – April 26, 2005
Thurrott: Longhorn demos ‘unimpressive, fall short of graphical excellence found today in Mac OS X’ – April 26, 2005
Microsoft employees leaving due to (and blogging about) malaise smothering company – April 25, 2005
eWEEK Editor Coursey: Longhorn so far ‘looks shockingly like a Macintosh’ – April 25, 2005
Due in late 2006, many of Windows Longhorn’s features have been in Mac OS X since 2001 – April 25, 2005
Apple’s Tiger debuts Friday while Microsoft’s Longhorn is burdened with one delay after another – April 25, 2005
Nearly every segment of the PC food chain needs Longhorn to succeed – April 22, 2005
Microsoft’s new mantra: ‘It Just Works’ ripped straight from Apple’s ‘Switch’ campaign – April 22, 2005
Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Microsoft’s Longhorn: ‘They are shamelessly copying us’ – April 21, 2005
Apple shows off Mac OS Tiger in Microsoft’s backyard while Microsoft previews Windows XP ad push – April 19, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X reality vs. Microsoft’s Longhorn fantasy – April 19, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn will bear more than just a passing resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – April 15, 2005
Analyst: ‘Microsoft’s Longhorn is going to have hard time upstaging Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger’ – April 13, 2005
Analyst: Apple in ‘position to exploit Microsoft missteps, claim leadership’ with Mac OS X Tiger – April 13, 2005
Apple’s Schiller: Mac OS X Tiger ‘has created even more distance between us and Microsoft’ – April 13, 2005
Will Mac OS X Tiger add fuel to Apple’s recent momentum in the computer business? – April 13, 2005
Why doesn’t Apple advertise Mac OS X on TV? – April 12, 2005
Analyst: Tiger proves ‘Apple is light years ahead of Microsoft in developing PC operating systems’ – April 12, 2005
Apple to ship Mac OS X ‘Tiger’ on Friday, April 29; pre-orders start today – April 12, 2005
Apple Announces Mac OS X Server ‘Tiger’ to ship Friday, April 29 with 64-bit application support – April 12, 2005
Analysts: Apple’s new Tiger operating system could really impact Mac sales – April 12, 2005
Piper Jaffray raises Apple estimates on Mac OS X ‘Tiger’ release news – April 12, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X ‘Tiger’ vs. Microsoft’s Windows ‘Longhorn’ – March 31, 2005
New Microsoft Longhorn chief was former Pepto-Bismol brand manager – March 18, 2005
Microsoft’s Longhorn fantasy vs. Apple’s Mac OS X reality – September 14, 2004
Is Microsoft’s stripped-down ‘Longhorn’ worth waiting for? – September 10, 2004
Silicon Valley: Apple CEO Steve Jobs previews ‘Longhorn’ – June 29, 2004
PC Magazine: Microsoft ‘Longhorn’ preview shows ‘an Apple look’ – May 06, 2004
Microsoft concerned that Longhorn’s look and feel will be copied if revealed too soon – August 25, 2003
Windows ‘Longhorn’ to add translucent windows that ripple and shrink by 2005 – May 19, 2003
Alternatively, Apple could get Motorola to ramp up G4 chip production again, build some very tasty dual-processor boxes in China/Taiwan (double-height MiniMac?) and ship them with ‘wTiger’ – OS X with a ‘Windows Classic’ mode in place of the OS 9 Classic mode.
Think of what happens with Quicktime… each time a user launched their Windows version of Word they would get a start-up screen asking if they wanted to ‘Cross-Grade to OS X Word for Peanuts?’
Hey I thought NT was supposed to be the new technology solution and XP was based upon that work. Yet more MS misinformation then if they are still stuck with a bloated unflexible stone age OS that can’t easily be upgraded. No surprise there then.
interestingly… Apple’s backwards compatibility wasn’t hugely important.. it was generally accepted that some things just wouldn’t work in OS X.. in fact, to this day, many people do not know that emulation exists in OS X.. they just start DL-ing updated OS X apps.. or buy new versions which are OS X native..
BW compatibility in Windows is incredibly crucial. You have milllions upon millions of people who will not accept that Office 98 doesn’t run in LH. That would just be ludicrous.. No one.. sorry mS.. no one wants to pay for Office 12 when they’re just using Office for writing essays and the odd PPT…
..
Interesting that this discussion about M$ Goliath falling has led to potential chances for Apple to beat up on M$ while they’re down. Perhaps more interestingly, a cNet columnist raises the same idea:
http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-6213658-1.html?tag=nl.e501
Anyone know about CodeWeavers’ CrossOver office for Linux? Reading the recent posts has suggested to me that if Apple can emulate this (open-source?) technology to create some Windows application compatibility to put on top of an Intel/AMD version of the Mac OS X (Jaguar?), Apple could get its revenge on M$. It could be the late 70’s all over again!
BooYah!
>>>>> windows-bashing, mac-bashing, masturbation…what’s the difference? <<<<<
I enjoy windows-bashing and masturbation … that’s the difference. Thank you for asking. I feel better, now.
Interesting that this discussion about Goliath falling has led to the exciting possibilities of Apple kicking M$ while it’s down. Perhaps coincidentally a cNet columnist
raised this same idea yesterday:
http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-6213658-1.html?tag=nl.e501
The recent posts on this thread bring CodeWeavers’ CrossOver Office for Linux to mind. Perhaps Apple can engineer some sort of Windows application compatibility, and place it on top of an Intel/AMD version of Mac OS X (Jaguar?). This could be huge for Apple if it can pull this off sometime during the next year and a half. It’ll be like the late 70’s all over again!
Oh, sorry for the repetition. I thought my first attempt at the post didn’t catch. Anyway, I hope someone at Apple is reading all this. Maybe they’re already working on the type of solutions discussed here.
If you think Apple does not have *already* all OS X versions running on Intel and AMD based computers you should twice.
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It is just a safe business issue. Although PowerPC and IBM collaboration seems to be OK wise companies simply do not put all their eggs in one basket. And Apple is a wise company.
Even if Longhorn craters, I don’t see a drastic change in the marketshare (unless somebody pushes hard). Corporate users would probably be happy using XP for the next 10 years as long as it keeps running. And MS keeps patching it.
so when does the negative Thurrot come back?
It’s the Titanic vs a medium sized hovercraft. The only turn the Titanic can turn is downwards, while the hover craft can shift and turn at any given moment as the terrain changes. Apple has had a long term plan for at least 4 or 5 years and it is just now coming about and will sustain and has nowhere to go but up. All the myths and misconceptions have been sunk along the way and I believe now that the core framework is finished and matured, that the icing is yet to come. I’m not Steve, but if I was, I would push and push to eat Longhorns lunch and make their somewhat improved GUI and features look sick when next to OS X next release in early December 2006. They should change the name Longhorn to Platypus because it is such a conglomeration of whatever they can piece together. Those late nights in the closet with the Powerbook and Tiger are starting up the realization factor in Paul Thurrott(I now will use his first name). Its effects are already apparent.
Is Offline…
donnie don’t say his name 3 times…
I hate to be the bearer of bad news…but has anyone thought that microsoft ‘could’ be intentionally sandbagging to get all of the bad news/pr now and in a couple of months BLOW everyone away?
Don’t drink too much of the Apple Kool-Aid.
I take mine in small moderate doses.
Just imagine, Microsoft actually realises that they MUST do something big and actually do it !!!
Just beware of too much berating. We could all be using Longhorn in the future !!
Slap me…
Slap me quickly!!
That new G5 just came out. Apple Store UK is showing it anyway.
The correct name for Longhorn is not “Copland,” it’s “Windows XP Service Pack 3.”
Wow. Good stuff here in the comments. Lots of good feedback.
The worse thing would be if Apple didn’t take advantage of this. I don’t see them being so stupid, especially with Steve Jobs making some pretty strong comments about MS (blatantly copying, etc.)
I have to believe Apple has SOMETHING in the works on this. Is it a port of OS X to the PC environment? I like the idea of having Panther on there, and not Tiger. Are they going to push the Mac platform hard? It seems to me, pushing OS X on the PC platform makes most sense and will get more bang for the buck. Especially if they can make a Classic Windows mode somehow.
It’s amazing the parallels with Longhorn and Copland. I wish some computer magazine would chronicle the similarities in the developments of Apple’s ill-fated OS and MS’s new ill-fated OS. At least Apple (wasn’t it Gil Amelio at the time??) realized it was screwed if it didn’t do something FAST. Luckily, they seemed to make the right choice by buying NEXT, getting a workable OS (I remember that BeOS needed a lot more work to work on the Mac) and Steve to boot. My guess, Microsoft isn’t smart enough to see the lesson there and will continue on their current track. And that may lead to their fall, or at the very least, people will finally start realizing that the emperor has no clothes.
Microsoft’s innovators work in the Marketing and Legal departments.
I don’t think MS is sandbagging. I think they’ve bitten off more than they can chew.
The difference between Apple and Microsoft is like the difference between innovation and domination. Can you dig it?
Wow!!!! First “Longthorn” was a train wrack, now it’ll collapse under its own weight? MicroS$#t’s paycheck to this whore must be really, really late!!!!
MDN – Great take! Very factual – carries a lot of weight.
I personally do not mind the links to Paul Thurrott’s ramblings. By using Paul’s name in the titles of your articles, you provide us readers a warning to not view the story. If some choose ignore that warning and are upset by the “train wreck” they see, well they made their decision to read the article. You can’t say you didn’t warn them.
Keep up the great work – and thanks!
B-Sabre,
You’re correct. As the transition to XP in the corporate world is only begging to happen now. They are usually 3-5 years behind the general consumer markets for stability purposes.
So for them XP “is” new.
Tyk.. look at the Mac Mini…
They wouldn’t release a Mac Mini if they were planning on lisencing or selling the OS for x86.. unfortunately.. 500 bucks isn’t too bad.. i guess