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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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
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eWEEK Editor Coursey: Longhorn so far ‘looks shockingly like a Macintosh’ – April 25, 2005
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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
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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
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Analyst: Tiger proves ‘Apple is light years ahead of Microsoft in developing PC operating systems’ – April 12, 2005
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Apple’s Mac OS X ‘Tiger’ vs. Microsoft’s Windows ‘Longhorn’ – March 31, 2005
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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
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PC Magazine: Microsoft ‘Longhorn’ preview shows ‘an Apple look’ – May 06, 2004
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