Vista Delivery Date to PC Manufacturers Slips

[rkr1958]

PC manufacturers that expected to get their hands on the final version of Microsoft's Windows Vista OS on Nov. 1 may have to wait several weeks for the OS, according to sources familiar with the company's plans.

Microsoft originally targeted next Wednesday for Vista's release to manufacturing, but a last-minute bug that "took most of the Vista team by surprise," caused an unexpected delay, said Ethan Allen, a quality assurance lead at a Seattle high-tech company that tests its products for Vista. Allen also oversees the Web site TheHotfix.net.

Allen said that the Vista team discovered the bug, which "would totally crash the system, requiring a complete reinstall," in Vista Build 5824 on Friday, October 13. The team fixed the bug a week later in Vista Build 5840, he said, but work on the correction has delayed delivery of the operating system to PC makers.

Full story at http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,127663/article.html

[TwistedLincoln]

This is good news for those of us who don't like Vista -- PCs pre-loaded with Vista will never ship in time for the Christmas sales.

I do give Microsoft credit for actually catching this early, rather than waiting and releasing a patch or other fix later on.

[InXess]

That tells a lot about the quality of Vista and its stability. A "bug" suggests that it wasn't a virus but rather a part of its original code. I won't be lining up for Vista, that's for sure.

[JohnnyMalaria]

That tells a lot about the quality of Vista and its stability. A "bug" suggests that it wasn't a virus but rather a part of its original code. I won't be lining up for Vista, that's for sure.

Not necessarily. It's possible that changes made to Build 5824 introduced the bug rather than the bug has been there all along.

Also says something about working on Friday the 13th....

[SCDVD]

I can tell you this - for sure. When Vista is released, there will be some major bugs show up. You can be sure that the internal pressure within Microsoft is enormous to "ship it". Those who impede this objective will pay a price, no matter how noble their objective is of getting it right first. Those who are considering using Vista should wait for Vista SP1. Consider this: How would you like to be someone responsible for testing some portion of Vista in Microsoft with the objective of making sure that it is bug free and suddenly you look up from your desk and see the CFO or some other high level executive glaring at you. The thought races through your mind – Do you want to look out for your own interest and next promotion so you can take care of your family better or do you want to be a hero and take on the “system” to do the right thing. The same goes for the software engineer who is assigned the task of fixing a bug. He know that the correct fix requires a complete redo of the buggy module but that will take too long with the hot breath of management breathing down his neck. So he takes the prudent course and slaps in some ugly patch so the mantra – “Ship it!” can be served.

[Snakebyte1]

Just think of the intense scrutiny VISTA will have when it comes out. Everybody and their Aunt Tilly will be eagerly looking for flaws and vulnerabilities, if for no other reason than to stick it to Microsoft.

[jagabo]

I bet the real reason is this:

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35343

Microsoft is furious after a security outfit Authentium worked out a way of disabling one of the security features on Vista.... Authentium has managed to switch off Vole's PatchGuard software so that it could install its own security systems

[Marvingj]

Vista will bigtime flaws, we all know this!

[rkr1958]

I bet the real reason is this:

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=35343

Microsoft is furious after a security outfit Authentium worked out a way of disabling one of the security features on Vista.... Authentium has managed to switch off Vole's PatchGuard software so that it could install its own security systems

Very interesting. It'll be "fun" to see how all this plays out. MS shutting out legitimate software vendors in favor of their own and the resultant anti-trust implications.

[oldandinthe way]

Apple's fifth columnist - Walter Mossberg today advised in the Wall Streeet Journal that PC buyers should defer their purchases of new machines until after they ship with Vista.

This must be in the hope that:

1. Apple will gain market share by default since no one will buy PCs for Christmas

2. He is certain that Vista will be catastrophicly bad. He says it should be more secure and reliable.

3. They are hoping that Steve Jobs will not be held accountable for his options pre-dating - because of the heavy bad press the PC vendors will be subjected to.

I am strongly considering the purchase of a spare XP system.

In the meantime, my local newspaper included a Bestbuy ad for Vista-Ready and Vista-Premium-Ready PCs. Nowhere do they explain the difference (primarily memory).

[rkr1958]

http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/003020.html

Hidden Costs of Vista Upgrade Coupon

Microsoft today announced its Express Upgrade to Windows Vista program. It provides a coupon--if you buy a PC from a participating vendor from October 26, 2006 through March 15, 2007--that will allow a buyer to upgrade a Windows XP PC to Windows Vista when it becomes available next year.

...

But we here at PC World have reservations. As a guy who has upgraded a few operating systems over the years, I'm pretty skeptical about that "easily upgrade" comment.

...

First, looking at the various prices of the four different editions of Vista that will be available at retail gives me a headache

...

Upgrading an operating system is not a trivial process

....

[InXess]

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. posted an 11 percent rise in quarterly net profit on Thursday, boosted by a strong performance at its database division and shrinking losses from its Xbox 360 video game console.
...
Microsoft shares have risen about 25 percent since June, hitting a near-two-year high on investor optimism that the much-anticipated Windows and Office upgrades will pay off.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=OBR&Date=20061026&ID=6141959

Shareholder value is the primary concern. They hope Vista will move Microsoft stock frozen for more then 5 years.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Shareholder value is the primary concern.

Mais naturellement! The shareholders do own the company, after all.

[Tom Saurus]

If Microsoft's Windows Vista is shipping soon, will this mean that Windows XP Discs will soon be taken out of the marketplace? I am planning on having a new computer built and I definetly want to put Windows XP Pro on it, and so I will need to buy a new Windows XP Pro Disc. Should I be buying my disc now, or would you think that they will available to buy for quite awhile longer? I definetly don't want anything to do with Windows Vista.

On a final note why do Pc Manufactures want to put Windows Vista on their computers, can't they just say we want to stick with Windows XP, until Microsoft demostates an more secure and stable Operating System than what they currently have?