October 25, 2006
There are various reports resurfacing again that Microsoft's Vista Operating System will miss yet another
critical deadline. Another such mistake could potentially make the operating system delay miss its scheduled launch
date, one more time!
Microsoft, Taiwan PC makers and technology journalist Paul Thurrott all have noted that the October 25
date for Vista's RTM (release to manufacturing) has been reset by Microsoft one more time, to Nov. 8, 2006.
Thurrott, who has written more than a dozen books on Windows and related topics, pointed out that in a recent
interview, Jim Allchin, copresident of Microsoft's Platforms and Services Division, admitted that the company
wouldn't make its planned RTM date. However, Allchin didn't say whether the final release date would be affected.
Allchin has noted in the past that Microsoft could afford to postpone the RTM date to the second week of November
and still meet its January launch schedule for consumer editions of Windows Vista.
Whether or not Vista meets its January ship target, Microsoft still will be following through with a plan to
offer consumers a price break on upgrades to Vista and Office 2007 if they purchase Vista-capable PCs prior to
the release of the OS.
From Oct. 26, 2006 to Mar. 15, 2007 consumers and small businesses that buy computers with Windows XP or
Office 2003 software can get a coupon for an "express upgrade" that will be honored when the operating system
is officially released.
Major manufacturers are participating in the deal, including Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Sony, although offers
might vary, depending on the vendor.
Despite Microsoft's claim that a new PC will "easily upgrade to the Windows Vista edition of your choice,"
consumers should be aware that upgrade costs, even with the coupon, could differ depending on the type of
PC purchased, and whether it is bought online or in a retail store.
When Vista's schedule first slipped earlier in 2006, some analysts predicted that Microsoft would do
precisely what it is doing now -- offer coupons for a Vista upgrade as a way to keep PC and device sales
from suffering.
"No one really expected that Vista itself would be under the Christmas tree," said Jim Murphy, an analyst at
AMR Research. "The issue that impacts Microsoft would be more about laptops, PCs and other devices that presumably
could have shipped with Vista if it was available in advance of the holidays."
However, the chances of that occurring, even if Microsoft had tried to keep to its original plan to launch
Vista earlier this year were fairly slim, Murphy said.
Source: CNN Money
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