“Since the euphoria of PDC 2003, Microsoft’s handling of Windows Vista has been abysmal. Promises have been made and dismissed, again and again. Features have come and gone. Heck, the entire project was literally restarted from scratch after it became obvious that the initial code base was a teetering, technological house of cards. Windows Vista, in other words, has been an utter disaster. And it’s not even out yet,” Paul Thurrott writes for Windows IT Pro. Microsoft “has turned into that thing it most hated (read: IBM), an endlessly complex hierarchy of semi-autonomous middle managers and vice presidents of various levels and titles, many of whom can’t seem to make even the smallest of decisions. The company is too big and too slow to ship updates to its biggest products. It’s collapsing under its own weight.”
“For Windows, specifically, the situation is dire. As I’ve noted in the past, the Windows Division retains, as employees of the software giant have told me, the last vestiges of the bad, old Microsoft. This is the Microsoft that ran roughshod over competitors in order to gain market share at any cost. The Microsoft that forgot about customers in its blind zeal to harm competitors. The Microsoft, that frankly, all the Linux and Apple fanatics always imagined was out there, plotting and planning their termination,” Thurrott writes.
“So what went wrong [with Windows Vista]? What didn’t go wrong? When Bill Gates revealed in mid-2003 that he was returning to his roots, so to speak, and spending half of his time on what was then still called Longhorn, we should have seen the warning signs. Sadly, Gates, too, is part of the Bad Microsoft, a vestige of the past who should have had the class to either formally step down from the company or at least play just an honorary role, not step up his involvement and get his hands dirty with the next Windows version. If blame is to be assessed, we must start with Gates. He has guided–or, through lack of leadership–failed to guide the development of Microsoft’s most prized asset. He has driven it into the ground,” Thurrott writes.
“Promises were made. Excitement was generated. None of it, as it turns out, was worth a damn. From a technical standpoint, the version of Windows Vista we will receive is a sad shell of its former self, a shadow. One might still call it a major Windows release. I will, for various reasons. The kernel was rewritten. The graphics subsystem is substantially improved, if a little obviously modeled after that in Mac OS X. Heck, half of the features of Windows Vista seem to have been lifted from Apple’s marketing materials,” Thurrott writes. “Shame on you, Microsoft. Shame on you, but not just for not doing better. We expect you to copy Apple, just as Apple (and Linux) in its turn copies you. But we do not and should not expect to be promised the world, only to be given a warmed over copy of Mac OS X Tiger in return. Windows Vista is a disappointment. There is no way to sugarcoat that very real truth.”
Thurrott writes, “You’d have to be special kind of stupid to look at Windows Vista and see it as the be-all, end-all of operating systems. It some ways, Windows Vista actually will exceed Mac OS X and Linux, but not to the depth we were promised. Instead, Windows Vista will do what so many other Windows releases have done, and simply offer consumers and business users a few major changes and many subtle or minor updates. That’s not horrible. It’s just not what was promised. Because it failed so obviously with Vista, my guess is that Microsoft is a bit gun shy about major OS releases and will be for some time. And that’s too bad. Windows Vista was Microsoft’s first chance since Windows 95 to reach for the golden ring. It may be another decade before they try again.”
There’s much, much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Karma is a bitch. About the only thing Thurrott fails to mention — perhaps he couldn’t bear the thought of it — is that the successor to Mac OS X Tiger, “Leopard,” will be out around the same time as Microsoft’s Windows Vista. In fact, it’ll probably be released before Vista. Thurrott doesn’t detail how Windows Vapor, er Vista, will surpass Mac OS X (Tiger, we presume), but one can only imagine that Microsoft would easily best Apple in the “sucks” category. Thurrott was probably referencing “malware infestations” and/or “user frustration level,” two areas where Vista will certainly surpass any version of Mac OS X. Also, the degree to which Microsoft copies Apple cannot be equated with the one or two things Apple may have seen in Windows and improved upon (Command-Tab or Fast User Switching in Mac OS X for two possible examples). The fact remains today as it has always been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future: Apple leads. Microsoft follows poorly. As usual.
Advertisements:
• Get the new iMac with Intel Core Duo for as low as $31 A MONTH with Free shipping!
• Get the MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo for as low as $47 A MONTH with Free Shipping!
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• Apple’s brand new iPod Hi-Fi speaker system. Home stereo. Reinvented. Available now for $349 with free shipping.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
Related articles:
Apple confirms ‘sneak peek preview’ of Mac OS X Leopard at WWDC 2006 this August – April 18, 2006
Did Apple maneuver Microsoft into their troubles with Windows Vista? – April 03, 2006
Microsoft employees call for heads to roll over continual Vista slips – March 27, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Albatross, er Vista could slip even more – March 27, 2006
Harvard prof: Microsoft Windows users ‘may simply end up with a more and more inferior OS over time’ – March 27, 2006
60-percent of Windows Vista code to be rewritten – March 24, 2006
Microsoft reorganizes moribund Windows unit – March 23, 2006
Microsoft’s inability to ship Windows Vista leaves door open for Apple – March 23, 2006
Tech writer: Forget booting Windows on Macs, now is the time for Apple Mac to take back share – March 23, 2006
Microsoft Vista fumble could lead to score for Apple Mac; Mac OS X Leopard may beat Vista to market – March 23, 2006
Analysts: Apple could benefit from Microsoft’s latest Vista slip – March 22, 2006
Forbes: Microsoft’s Vista slips again – Steve Jobs must be waking up a happy man this morning – March 22, 2006
What’s the difference between Mac OS X and Vista? Microsoft employees are excited about Mac OS X – March 22, 2006
Vista delay causes Windows-dependents slump in pre-market trading; Apple rises – March 22, 2006
Enderle on MS Vista slip: ‘I personally can not recall Apple ever getting an opportunity like this’ – March 21, 2006
Microsoft delays Windows Vista again – this time until January 2007 – March 21, 2006
Episode 2 of Microsoft Windows Vista, Bill Gates CES keynote video spoof now online – January 07, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista, Bill Gates keynote video spoof debuts online – January 06, 2006
NY Times’ Pogue on Gates’ CES demo: Most of Vista features unadulterated ripoffs from Apple Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Analyst: Windows Vista may still impress many consumers because they have not seen Apple’s Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Gates: ‘People tend to get overfocused on one of our competitors’ – January 05, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista compared to Apple Mac OS X – December 05, 2005
Gartner: Ignore Microsoft Windows Vista until 2008 (why not just get Apple Mac OS X Tiger today?) – November 12, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Vista strives to deliver what Apple’s Mac OS X already offers – October 10, 2005
Thurrott: Microsoft’s Windows Vista Beta 1 vs. Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger – August 29, 2005
Thurrott: many of Windows Vista’s upcoming features appeared first in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 26, 2005
Microsoft’s Ballmer: It’s true, some of Windows Vista’s features are ‘kissing cousins’ to Mac OS X – September 19, 2005
Microsoft suffers from malaise, key defections, Windows Vista struggles, lack of towels – September 16, 2005
PC World: Microsoft innovation – an oxymoron – September 15, 2005
Microsoft debuts Dashboard Widgets, er, ‘Microsoft Gadgets’ – September 13, 2005
Apple to unleash Leopard on Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn; Mac OS X 10.5 due late 2006 – early 2007 – June 07, 2005
Windows tech writer Thurrott: ‘In many ways, Mac OS X Tiger is simply better than Windows’ – May 07, 2005
Bill Gates jokes about Mac OS X ‘Tiger’ and calls Apple ‘the super-small market share guy’ – May 03, 2005
Thurrott: ‘Longhorn is in complete disarray and in danger of collapsing under its own weight’ – April 27, 2005
Windows czar Allchin says Apple copying Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn – April 27, 2005
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
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
Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn will bear more than just a passing resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – April 15, 2005
The Age: ‘Apple’s Mac OS X at least a generation ahead of Windows XP, iMac G5 clearly the best’ – December 15, 2004
Silicon Valley: Apple CEO Steve Jobs previews ‘Longhorn’ – June 29, 2004
Apple CEO Steve Jobs: Mac OS X Tiger ‘is going to drive the copycats crazy – June 28, 2004
Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs previews Mac OS X 10.4 ‘Tiger’ to ship in the first half of 2005 – June 28, 2004
Apple takes dead aim at Microsoft, ‘Longhorn’ with WWDC Mac OS X 10.4 ‘Tiger’ ads – June 28, 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
Apple leads; Wintel follows as usual – November 11, 2002
G Spank says: “…Windows 95 was ahead of OS 7-8-9, simply because of the window minimizing system and overall speed.”
I appreciate that you admit this is your opinion. But, Pleeeasse. I am so tired of that “speed myth” being regurgitated.
The only things I remember Windows NT/95 doing faster than my OS8.6 PowerMacs was crashing and/or turning blue. OS8.6 was a fine production OS. Quite stable by comparison, and certainly not lacking in usable/useful features.
OSX was initially a giant step backwards for performance/features. Especially performance — but I still can’t easily print a Finder window.
I didn’t even consider using OSX over OS9 until 10.2 (Jaguar). Even then, much of what I needed to do required or ran better/faster in classic. That remained true with 10.3 (Panther).
10.4 is finally fast enough where I don’t miss OS9 at all. Of course, finally having native versions of software helps.
Memory plays tricks. I guess our opinions/memories differ.
No I agree that OS X was much slower, but the tradeoff for me was worth it. OS 9 could be at times highly unstable. Yeah I know, it was all the users fault (isn’t that the exact same argument Windows users use?) but the fact was that in order to keep OS 9 relatively stable you needed to nerd it out and constantly zap your PRAM, etc. etc. In those days windows friends that legitimately used OS 9 would say the machines were crash crazy, and they were RIGHT. I used to run a WIndows machine alongside my Macs back then, and I was impressed with the speed – and it cost less. I still have a place in my heart for that Windows machine. If OSX never came out, I woulda switched completely to Windows – based on being more productive for less. Of course, when OS X came out, I saw a very bright future, even though it was slow, I knew it was such a leap ahead I decided to go completely Apple at the time. One of the better decisions I made…
Yes, you can get Control Strip functionality in OS X: it never went away. It’s now the right-hand end of the menu bar. A much better use of screen space than in OS 9, where you’d end up hiding the thing half the time.
I agree with every point “huh?” had to make about improving some OS X features by “copying” them from the Windows world.
I think OS X is very inconsistent with the way it manages application windows. For example, if you close the System Preferences window it automatically quits the application, but it does not do this with say, iPhoto.
This is critical for every Windows user, none of them, none, realize that an application is not Quit-ed simply by closing all its windows. Apple needs to make this a user preference.
Finally, I think OS X should copy the keyboarding functionality of Windows. It is not impossible, but it requires learning some very arcane keyboard commands to traverse the Finder or any other application menu with your keyboard. Windows is much more friendly with this.
For example, ALT-F in Windows always brings up the File menu. In OS X you first have to hit CTRL-F2 and then move the selection to File so that then you can scroll down to the desired function.
It isn’t often that OS X requires more “clicks” than Windows to get something done, but with keyboarding access Windows does have, most of the time, a “less clicks” advantage.
I know old habits are hard to break, but I think it’s time the Mac web realizes that Thurrott is not an enemy. Let’s face it, the guy has probably bought more Apple hardware in the last year and a half than most other end users, and he almost always evaluates them fairly.
He may still be a Windows guy, but he’s smart enough to call a (bent, broken, rusty) spade a spade. Particularly as he interacts with Windows — in all iterations — as well as Mac OS X and Linux on the same desktop, he’s beginning to see the fallacies that are inherent in Windows.
Give the old man a break. He calls good technology good, and bad technology bad. It’s not his fault Vista will very likely suck.
Cheers,
adam
MW: “much,” as in “There is way too much anger on this site.”
@ Peter >
Except for one small thing…
Aliases in MacOS has always worked, whereas Shortcuts in Windows were (and may still be) an accident waiting to happen.
Why?
A Mac alias points to a file id: delete the original file, the alias no longer works.
For a considerable period of time, and it may still be the case now if I could be bothered to check, the Windows shortcut was referenced by time/date of file creation. If you deleted or moved the original, and there was another file with the same time/date combination in the same folder, the shortcut would re-point itself to the wrong file.
{reprint}
Who wrote this article… said: “and what has he done with the real Thurrott?!?!?” –
“O.K., I’ve finally figured it out!
“Thurrott” is not a person. No,
“Thurrott” is a franchise. Kind of like “Santa Claus” or the “Tooth Fairy”.
You see, somewhere in India (probably Bangalore), there is a sweat shop of “writers” that stamp out the various “Thurrott” articles on this and that. Sometimes (purely by chance) the Indian, sweat shop “writer” is competent on things relating to Macintosh. Result: the article makes sense. Mostly though someone dimmer than a pen light, writes the articles saying things like Bill Gates invented the Macintosh.
I’m glad it finally came to me; “Thurrott’s” seeming multiple personalities was driving me nuts!”
I really don’t care what Thurrott thinks, what he writes, or what he says.
Microsoft collapsing under its own weight, Gates has driven Windows…into the ground
This storm has been brewing since at least 1994.
What’s absolutely remarkable is how long it’s taken this to catch up with MS, and how bad things had to get before people finally started to notice.
When this is all over, it’ll make for one hell of a business case-study.
The so called developers at MS doesn’t have any pride at all. what’s with the aqua inspired/copied gui? if you are working at the largest software company in the world, shouldn’t you be making kick ass apps? not just copy someone who has 2.3% of the global market?
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> they must sleep really well at night!
Apple need to get its act togheter even though it’s lightyears ahead of MS, how about making apps look the same? Looking forward to 10.5
BLAME GATES?
Okay, this is funny, he suggests Gates should have stepped DOWN completely….
So, the Windows team…
Wait a minute.. what is MS without Bill Gates?
Oh yeah. A fat sweaty salesman touting a 5 year old OS.
Watch that stock soar.
Actually I agree with Thurrott on this. MS has always been about destroying the opposition. Not just beating them but total all out annihilation. In this way they made few friends and lots of enemies. Nobody deals with MS through choice it’s either neccessity or fear. Once the empire starts to crumble Gates ‘friends’ will desert him and his enemies will multiply.
What goes around comes around etc.
Gates and Ballmer are the problem not the solution.