“It seems that Microsoft is already giving up on Vista and is setting up business users to switch from XP to Windows 7,” Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols writes for eWeek.
“Technically, Vista is pure misery. It eats system resources like an elephant does peanuts, Windows applications break and its so-called improved security is a joke. I know it. You know it. Even Microsoft’s most devoted yes-men know it–although they won’t admit it–and perhaps Microsoft knows it as well,” Vaughan-Nichols writes.
Vaughan-Nichols asks, “What else can explain why Microsoft is now leaking news about Windows 7, the next version of Windows?”
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft said on Wednesday that “Windows 7” is still in the planning stage and will take three years to develop. And that’s before it starts slipping, Longhorn Vista-style. Moo. If you’re a freshman in college, you’ll have your bachelor’s degree (at least) before “Windows 7” ships (you know, the one that Microsoft hopes will finally be able to compete with Mac OS X Tiger, released April 29, 2005).
“Could Vista have missed its shot? Yes, yes, I know, how can I say this when there are tens of millions of copies of it out there? Easily. It’s one thing to drop copies of Vista Home Basic and Premium on Best Buy customers who don’t know any better. It’s another thing entirely to get CIOs and IT managers to spend—or should I say waste?—billions on Vista,” Vaughan-Nichols writes.
“For now, whether Microsoft likes it or not, XP, and not Vista, is the Windows those businesses will continue to use,” Vaughan-Nichols writes. “And the companies that want to move on to a truly better operating system? They’ll be moving to Linux or Mac OS.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft’s unending string of unfulfilled promises will be their ultimate downfall. More and more people are realizing that if they want something that works like a Mac, they should Get a Mac.
> It seems an odd choice of number, being 3 behind OS X
If Apple wasn’t stuck on the “X” (10) thing, Mac OS X Leopard would be Mac OS 15. Actually, maybe Mac OS 8 and Mac OS 9 should have been 7.7 and 7.8, so do a minus 2. But I’ll defer the version numbers to Steve Jobs and the marketing folks, who did a very smart thing getting the modern Mac OS to be version 10. I wonder what significant milestone will be required to get it to version 11. Hopefully, it won’t be the fact that we ran out of marketable big cat names.
RIP Microsoft as an OS company. I see a restructuring where the OS business is spun off, Office business spun off, remaining software and hardware spun off. Microshit is yesterday’s news. Vista is a bonafide failure – the sales numbers are a fallacy.
Clunker’s post even paints a much darker picture. The whole Yahoo deal is probably Ballmer’s dumbest, moronic plans that ever was spewed from that tongue-swagging piehole. I hope all of this spells the end of this software shithole of a company.
I think Piper Jaffary’s estimate of doubling market share by 2011 is conservative. I see 15%, and 20% shortly thereafter.
When Windows 7 comes out of Ballmer’s ass, it will be too late.
@DS – improving upon an OS is a matter of course… the issue here is how much improvement is required. Mac OSX stands on its own… we don’t need Vista to mock… we do that just for the sheer pleasure of it…
@ Clunker – wow… if what you say is true, MS really could implode…
@ shawnpetriw
It’s not vapourware, it’s ‘vision’.
> Windows 7 is code name for Windows Vista SP1
Actually, Microsoft should repackage the planned Windows XP SP3, add a few cosmetic changes, and call it Windows 7. That’s the only way Microsoft will have “Windows 7” ready in the next three years. The Windows-using drones will be happy to pay for anything that’s not called “Vista.”
@clunker
You’re on the right track, but you forgot
– make the Xbox 360 reliable
– make Silverlight (or whatever their Flash competitor is called) a success
– make the Zune a success
– make just about whatever else they do a success
My personal prediction is that by 2020, Microsoft will be a has been. IBM today is bigger than MS will be then.
“Microsoft? Yeah, weren’t they big back in the 1990’s?”
Of course OS X is imperfect – nobody ever said it was perfect.
So you agree with me.
I’d rather keep Apple’s feet to the fire (merely a figure of speech) for better products than swoon incoherently with every new Apple release, overlook every software bug, and excuse every hardware fault.
(OS X is) still leagues better than ALL versions of Windoze
Peanut butter, dill pickle, habanero, and mayo sandwiches may taste better to you than dog shit sandwiches, but I’m not paying for either.
I had a thought, but I flushed it.
Hasta la . . .
Windows 7 is actually a poetic representation of MS’ 7 deadly sins. Just my guess.
@zfd,
Apple keeps its own feet to the fire. You don’t see innovation coming from Microsoft. Mergers and corporate takeovers don’t qualify as innovation.
zfd,
You may not pay for dog shit sandwiches, but I’ll bet you wolf them down with great gusto. Is that a dingleberry on the corner of your mouth?
ken1w,
“Hopefully, it won’t be the fact that we ran out of marketable big cat names.”
Apple needs to invest some of those billions of dollars into genetic engineering. If those whacky scientists can create new versions of feline critters we won’t have to worry about running out of titles.
And Apple could think up the names, or have a contest for the Mac faithful to do so. I’ll bet Ampar could come up with some.
MS giving up on Vista. CARS is going into hiatus. What’s happening world? Where is that rock in these turbulent times?
I presume MDN will have to do by its lonesome. Arrggg!
ken1w,
“Actually, Microsoft should repackage the planned Windows XP SP3, add a few cosmetic changes, and call it Windows 7. That’s the only way Microsoft will have “Windows 7” ready in the next three years. The Windows-using drones will be happy to pay for anything that’s not called “Vista.””
With ideas like that, you could be the next MicroSoft CEO.
Microsoft + Windows + Yahoo!
A fine combination. Not.
Oh no. Does this mean I am going to have a big ass table at work when the company “upgrades” to the next version of Windows?
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Probably will be made out of faux wood. Why not, it is a faux OS.
Peace.
I fail to understand why some Mac people take such joy in reporting news that undermines MS ? Yes they are the Goliath of the industry but they also have to make software that works with a hell of a lot of third party apps and hardware. Apple of course does not have this problem and Yes NOW OSX is a better system all around then Vista or XP but believe it or not MS will survive and thrive. I prefer Apple to have smaller market share so that I can continue to enjoy world class customer service
Microsoft + Windows + Yahoo =
HoodoSoft??
Ingesting Yahoo, while undertaking Windows 7 is bound to push back the official release to 2015.
@ LorD1776
> With ideas like that, you could be the next MicroSoft CEO.
Hey, it worked for Apple. Mac OS 8.x and 9.x could be called “service packs” to System 7. OK, they added some nice features to the existing System 7.6, but many of the changes were purely “cosmetic.” It was a stall tactic while Apple acquired NeXT and finished Mac OS X. Microsoft needs to once again copy from Apple’s playbook, while it ponders the future of Windows.
1. Vision
2. ????
3. Profit!
ZuneTang .. so what your saying is EVERYONE except finance hates Vista … and those that like it, like it because of the price, except you … thats 1 person in a company … I think your argument is upside down, and you agree Vista sucks based upon everyone elses opinion except yours ….. thanks for showing people the truth … I appreciate it.
ZuneTang said “When did Apple ever pour five years into a core product and have the fantastic and groundbreaking results Microsoft has with Vista?”
So it takes 5 years for MSoft to redevelop its core system, copy ideas that already exist .. and this is what they deliver?
If Apple took 5 years, could you imagine what amazing products they would release?
Im afraid your argument doesn’t actually make sense …. again.
I am so sick of these bashings back and forth, I am an avid Mac user, and I also use Linux, and I also use Vista / XP, been using the lot of them for years. Vista I think is rather nice, elegant looking and nicely integrated with machines if setup right. All of these OS’s have their pluses and minuses…you fanboys go ahead and continue to bash back and forth…you’ll outgrow it eventually. Myself I use them all and like them all.