Microsoft Not Ditching Vista Until At Least 2011 297
CWmike writes "Microsoft will not dump Vista when Windows 7 launches, and plans to keep selling it to computer makers, system builders, volume licensees and consumers at retail until at least January 2011, a Microsoft spokesman said, citing long-running policy. Earlier today, a Microsoft general manager hinted that the company might ditch Vista as soon as Windows 7 ships. He also said that support for all versions of Vista will end in April 2012. Neither is true, according to the company. Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft, said, 'to try to stop Vista or make it unavailable, that would just draw attention... The truth is, few people will be likely to order it once Windows 7 is available.'"
Makes sense (Score:5, Interesting)
They may drop the support for consumer versions and keep the business ones available. Sounds logical to me, for consumers there is very little reason to stick to Windows Vista for new systems. Those companies that did switch (the sorry sods) however will need new systems with the same OS.
My guess, XP will outlast Vista (Score:1, Interesting)
Meanwhile, Open Source And Linux Fumbles (Score:1, Interesting)
Although the situation at Microsoft is a complete mess right now, the folks in Redmond have to be breathing a sigh of relief that Win7 is almost here and the open source world did absolutely nothing to take advantage of Microsoft in its most weakened state in the company's history.
You had the perfect alignment of events for Linux to seize the moment:
* The Vista fiasco
* The biggest financial crisis in most people's lifetime
* A decade worth of development on the Linux desktop and applications
Consumers and businesses were in the perfect situation to make the easy switch to something that is cheaper(actually free) and already runs on their existing hardware. And it didn't happen.
Multiple competing distros - each having pointless differences between them to real world day to day usage
Multiple competing desktops - each having pointless differences between them to real world day to day usage
Multiple competing apps - each having pointless differences between them to real world day to day usage. No polished set of iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, Mail apps that hit the sweet spot for the giant mass of consumers who use their computers to web browse, email, and take pictures and movies.
Re:Why? (Score:3, Interesting)
Wait let me get this straight?
You take a very low bandwidth, plain text protocol and then you use it over Remote Desktop which sends images flying around the network?
You flipping idiot. :P
WTF is happening to Slashdot? (Score:0, Interesting)
I loved Slashdot for many years. Even with all its faults, including, but not limited to: three-day-old "news that matters," Goatse links, geeks who know nothing blathering on like they are all-knowing, and the outdated design that would have made 1997 blush. It just felt like home.
But rather than keeping these faults, which we have come to know and love, Slashdot has been trying to "improve." First it came with asinine decision to switch to a sans-serif font across the site. Hello, body copy should be in a sans-serif font. No, you didn't have to stick with Times, but Arial/Helvetica was not the answer either!
Then came the incredibly awful new discussion system. It just makes no sense and is one of the worst AJAX-y implementations on the web. "Click here to see 108 more comments." Click. "Click here to see 154 more comments." Click. "Click here to see 19 more comments." What is the mathematical formula used here to divide up the comments? Just totally random? And that's just the tip of the usability iceberg.
At least we can switch back to the old discussion system. And at least we had metamods to help keep the system in check. But now we have the new metamod, which is not a metamod at all. Apparently we are supposed to re-rate the comments, instead of rating how well the mod did in rating the comment in the first place. Isn't this a remod instead of a metamod. I have decided to stop metamod'ing when offered in protest. Yeah, I don't get mod points anymore, but who cares? The system is broken. If I feel like doling out a point, I'll go over to Digg.
Speaking of Digg, have you read the outdated Slashdot FAQ, where CmdrTaco states several times that he doesn't think it's a good idea to let people vote for the stories that make the front page? Well apparently he has changed his mind, and we have the incredibly lame Firehose and Idle sections. We've got stupid +/- buttons everywhere. Listen, Taco, when I want to go to Digg, I'll go there. I want my Slashdot back.
Yet still, I keep coming, hoping that some of these ridiculous decisions will be reversed. But it looks like they are just going to run in one of the formerly great websites further in to the ground.
Re:Why? (Score:2, Interesting)
Yes, it is awesome... I agree... I routinely login from my Linux machine to a Windows machine offering RDP. However, is it enabled in Windows XP Home? It is a great system, but do home users use it? The closest I've seem was "Remote Assistance", which is in Home.... Alas, I only had the experience of this over a 56K modem, and that was far from fun.
I control my Linux machines over ssh with the command line and that works fine over a 56K modem... Just saying...
Buying a new computer? (Score:3, Interesting)
I've been considering buying a new computer lately. But now that I hear Win7 is coming in about 6 months or so, that pretty much ensures I won't be buying anything with Vista on it.
I don't really care to use windows myself, but it's handy to have some exposure to whatever OS the majority of people use. If I'm going to pay the windows tax, I'd like to try to get something that has a better chance at success, and is more likely to get long term support.
Nothing exclusive to Linux (Score:3, Interesting)
The problem here is that the successful Linux app is ported to Windows or begins as a native Windows app.
There is no compelling reason to migrate.
Re:Why? (Score:3, Interesting)
>>>It pisses me off that I won't get the Vista Service Pack (Windows 7) for free.
What a stupid comment. I bought Win98 and nobody gave me a free upgrade to XP (Windows 5). Later I bought to an XP-PC and nobody offered me a free upgrade to Vista (Windows 6). Why do you think you're entitled to get a free upgrade to a totally new OS (Win7), if Microsoft never gave free upgrades for previous OSes?
Wow. Talk about "entitlement generation" - you fit the profile perfectly. Sorry but you're going to just have to pay, same as I paid for my previous OS upgrades. The real world doesn't hand-out free lunches.
Re:Why? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Millenium 2 (Score:3, Interesting)
"Are their any Millenium Editon computers on the network?" Yes? "Unplug them." Problems solved.
That'll be $100
Re:Why? (Score:5, Interesting)
What you say:
Wow. Talk about "entitlement generation" - you fit the profile perfectly. Sorry but you're going to just have to pay, same as I paid for my previous OS upgrades. The real world doesn't hand-out free lunches.
What your sig says:
My $7 per month dialup connection can download TORCHWOOD in just three hours! Who needs broadband internet? (wink)
Re:-1 Troll (Score:3, Interesting)
Vista 64 is a very stable operating system when your computer is fast enough to support it and the drivers are good. I have been running Windows Vista 64 on a Dell XPS 210 I bought in December 2006. Dell has good drivers for all the components, and I bought a printer and wireless card that had well-supported drivers. I plugged in 4 GBs of RAM that I bought for $40 on sale at Frys. It is one of the most stable operating systems I have ever used. Ubuntu 8.04 freezes my Dell Mini 9 when connecting to a wireless network while booting Firefox.
Software compatibility is very good. I have Norton Internet Security 2009, and it keeps the OS safe. Office 2007 is very stable. Games are good but not my focus.
I have read that the implementation of the no execute bit in Vista 64 is much better in protecting you from malware than any other OS. If that's true, add it to the list of pluses with Vista.
I think Vista suffered from growing pains. But once the driver support was there, and the service pack came out, everything fell into place for it to be a great operating system.