It's starting to look ever more likely that the consumer version of Vista, the next iteration of Windows, will be now be arriving later than Microsoft's most recently promised delivery date of January 2007.
Following on from our CTS news story of two weeks ago - CTS - 2006 :: Windows Vista to be delayed again, according to MS - further evidence has come from PC Advisor. It says that Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer was apparently hinting as much this week in Tokyo - in a [little-reported] news conference.
According to the PC Advisor article, headed, Vista launch could slip further - Ballmer delivers shock news for consumers, the MS CEO said,
We think we are on track
for shipping early in the year. We've talked about the month, but we
get a chance to critically assess all of the feedback we'll get from
this beta release then confirm or move [the launch date] a few weeks
We put the beta out today [May 24 - HEXUS adds], so we
should start getting feedback right away
The other thing, frankly,
which we are discussing with NEC and other hardware partners is when
they would really like it – early January, late January,
February – so it depends on when the next roll-over, the next
turn of the machine cycle will be and that would be the best time to
ship it based on beta feedback
As a little reminder, among other things, the HEXUS CTS news story of May 11 said,
Is Vista - the latest
version of Windows - going to be delayed even further? Well, we can't
say for sure but, judging by the sting in the tail of the last
presentation of the day given yesterday by Microsoft at the Computer
Trade Show at Birmingham's NEC, the answer is probably, "yes".
The Microsoft presenters seemed to be inferring that mass-market availability of Vista - already delayed until January of next year - may turn out to be later still.
The limp excuse-cum-explanation for the further delay is that resellers and system builder would themselves prefer it to arrive later! This, it was reckoned, was because they'd be saying to themselves, "At the start of January I'm on holiday; then when I return there will be a big backlog; after which I'll have to do my tax returns...".
Our view is that this isn't a reason that many people are going to be taken in by
The Microsoft presenters seemed to be inferring that mass-market availability of Vista - already delayed until January of next year - may turn out to be later still.
The limp excuse-cum-explanation for the further delay is that resellers and system builder would themselves prefer it to arrive later! This, it was reckoned, was because they'd be saying to themselves, "At the start of January I'm on holiday; then when I return there will be a big backlog; after which I'll have to do my tax returns...".
Our view is that this isn't a reason that many people are going to be taken in by
So, just remember where you heard it first. And know that when you read anyone bad-mouthing what we at HEXUS write, they've usually got an axe to grind or don't know what they're talking about. Either that or they simply don't want the truth known.
As we at HEXUS so often say, "All stories come true in the end" - and, when we say that, of course, we immodestly mean that is the case if we're the ones that write 'em!
Got anything to say about Steve Balmer's alleged comments? If so, you know we'd love to hear them in the HEXUS.community. Likewise if you want to say anything about our original news story from CTS, the discussion thread for which is here. [Okay, that's quite enough trumpet-blowing! - Ed]
HEXUS.links
PC Advisor - Vista launch could slip further - Ballmer delivers shock news for consumers
HEXUS.news - CTS - 2006 :: Windows Vista to be delayed again, according to MS
HEXUS.community - CTS - 2006 :: Windows Vista to be delayed again? (discussion about the news story)
ArsesRUs - bad-mouthing HEXUS and the CTS news story
Microsoft's CTS presenter David Overton - bad-mouthing the CTS news story on his blog (he also makes an appearance on ArsesRUs and in the HEXUS.community)
