“Microsoft’s next-generation operating system, Windows Vista, could get a cool reception when it’s released late this year or early next. Corporate customers testing an unfinished version of the PC operating system complain that it’s too large, slow and memory hungry, according to surveys by ChangeWave Research. Testers say the software is super buggy, which raises questions about whether Microsoft can meet its current schedule,” Patrick Seitz writes for Investor’s Business Daily. “Also, many customers don’t see a need to upgrade to the new operating system right away. That means they’re likely to stick with PCs running older versions of Windows for some time.”
MacDailyNews Take: Don’t bet on it. They might finally decide not stick with Windows at all:
Seitz continues, “A further delay in Vista and then slack demand for it would be bad news for Microsoft, because so many of its business thrusts are tied to the new operating system, analysts say. Those efforts include getting corporate clients to sign long-term subscription licenses and buy Office 2007 productivity software. Also at stake are new business initiatives like Windows Live services, which include security and Web search, and graphics and electronic document software… Windows Vista is Microsoft’s first major overhaul to its flagship operating system since Windows XP came out in October 2001… Three-quarters of respondents say they’re not deferring PC and server purchases to wait for Vista. Only 9% say they are waiting for Vista before buying new hardware.”
MacDailyNews Take: The hunger for Vista is only a little bit less than the anticipation for Wal-Mart’s annual snow tire display.
Seitz continues, “Among features that testers dislike, 44% cite Vista’s large size and memory requirements. One respondent said Vista is ‘memory hungry’ and requires ‘upgrading almost every PC.’ Another said it ‘consumes too many system resources.’ For its latest of several Vista surveys, ChangeWave polled 1,161 executives May 16-22. The respondents included 54 people who work for companies that are beta testing Windows Vista, along with 146 who plan to test it. In addition, ChangeWave queried 961 people involved in tech spending for their outfits. Seventeen percent of testers reported problems, with the beta version of Windows Vista freezing up or crashing. One respondent said Vista ‘locks up every hour.'”
Seitz reports, “On June 7, Microsoft released to the public the latest test version of the product, called Windows Vista Beta 2. Some other early reviews also have been unkind. ‘I’ve run every Windows version in beta since Windows 95, and this is probably the shakiest that I’ve seen at this stage in the development process,’ said Joe Wilcox, an analyst with JupiterResearch. ‘I don’t see a lot of companies rushing to roll out Windows Vista,’ said Paul Thurrott, news editor of Windows IT Pro magazine. Many firms might wait for the first major revision to Windows Vista, which is due out a year after the initial release, he says.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: What are Windows users waiting for? Nothing much, obviously; if they’re even waiting for anything at all.
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Which means Windows marketshare will increase dramatically since companies buying new computers with Vista pre-installed will reformat and then install Windows XP. Microsoft can then claim 2 “Windows sold” for every computer sold.
So if it locks up every hour, is that an improvement over XP or not ?
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“Microsoft can then claim 2 “Windows sold” for every computer sold.”
Is that better than 2 girls for every boy?
“So if it locks up every hour, is that an improvement over XP or not ?”
It means you get a good doorstop with a clock in it!
Is that better than 2 girls for every boy?
Depends whether you’re a boy or a girl.
which part of ‘beta’ is not clearly understood??
the os wars will return – and i kinda like that, maybe one day there will be 1 set of apps and multiply os’s to choose, apple with osX (XI), sony will continue to add to linux it uses in ps3 and start making VAIO’s with linux, IBM will release a linux / os2 update type thing and google will finally release there linux OS with full online apps integration. Fun times ahead.
Unix/Linux is back baby!
Of course, everybody could just buy vista and carry on suffering lol
(take it with a pinch of salt!
that also means for every intel based mac sold, and windows purchased for dual booting windows only applicatins, that increases MS market share too :p
“which part of ‘beta’ is not clearly understood??”
The part that says “…this is probably the shakiest that I’ve seen at this stage in the development process.”
I have to sum this whole Vista thing up with one word for everyone. All the bad press and news about M$ not performing to expectations. Ready?
Duh.
This is all stuff we Mac users have known for years. ‘Tis why we use Macs.
Wait wait wait a goshdang minute! Are you people trying to tell me a version of Windows is bloated and memory hungry? That’s outrageous! And that it crashes? Poppy cock! Why I’m on a PC right now and
“which part of ‘beta’ is not clearly understood??”
Good point! How long has it been in beta now? Seems like it’s been a year longer than eternity.
Bill:
Hilarious!
DJ
“The hunger for Vista is only a little bit less than the anticipation for Wal-Mart’s annual snow tire display.”
Perhaps MDN has never been to the slopes of Colorado before….hey, you talkin’ about a line for snow tires! Sheesh…I thought I was in Henrico.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?c=MGArticle&cid=1031784465530&pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle
“which part of ‘beta’ is not clearly understood??”
Because we all know that the final release of a Microsoft product is rock solid and bug free.
Honestly, some of you people are like Charlie Brown thinking Lucy is going to let you kick the football this time.
Well no matter how much bad press Vista gets (and no matter how bad it actually is) it will be installed at my work within a year of it coming out.
I say bring on Vista. I can’t use Mac at work so I m ay as well have the best Windows system available.
Stuck: The latest version does not always equal “the best”, esepcially when it comes to MS bloatware.
I could have found and posted a lot more. Point being, OSX was far from perfect when it came out.Vista is in 6-10 months away from being releases, depending on who you believe.
http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-1768.html
This is a VERY small sampling of other negative posts I found about OSX using google.
Can we get a ruling from Tom Cruise on this?
You don’t know the history of snow tires–I do.
I predict the lines to buy Vista, whenever it comes out, will NOT resemble Henrico. When’s the last time you read about old ladies getting knocked out of wheelchairs by people rushing to buy Doze?
Koolaid, you are comparing the first release of OS X with the latest and greatest release of Windows. To say that the transition from OS 9 to OS X would be rough is obvious, because the two had virtually no code in common. We’re talking different codebases. Hello, idiot! Vista is supposed to be a refinement, not an entirely new codebase. Now if it is an entirely new codebase, then that tells you something, or at least it should.
Technically speaking, I suppose that the Earth is still in beta development.
I also heard that the Vista beta gives you warts. Swear.
OS X was a major OS switch for Apple. Vista is not for M$, and there is no excuse for what is becoming no more than an XP upgrade being so buggy after 5 years of developement. Combine that with the continued stripping of features, the latest occuring as late as last week, simply says Vista is a disaster in the making.
And to use the excuse, as so many have, that the development team was pulled for a year or more to work on security, only makes my point better I than I could have. Vista is simply not working or on schedule, according to, not Apple fan boys, but a number of knowledgeble, experienced Doze writers and developers. I defer to their judgment.
Vista is in 6-10 months away from being releases
– or 12months, or 18, or 24……