Longhorn: 2006
p2pnet.net News:- By the time Microsoft finally un-corrals Longhorn, a significant portion of its potential customer base will be long gone.
The forecast for Bill Gates’ new Windows is the year after next – 2006. But, “to do so it will drop a redesign of the operating system’s structure dubbed WinFS, which could have made it much easier for users to find information,” says a BBC story here, going on:
“If Longhorn now sticks to the schedule, five years will have passed since the current version – Windows XP – went on sale.
“Despite its forays into multiple technology markets and its huge war-chest of cash, the company relies on massive margins on sales of Windows and its Office suite of programmes for most of its profits. Further delays to Longhorn could antagonise vendors keen to use it as an opportunity to sell new PCs.”
Cairo, too, was to have been a jewel in Gates’ crown. But it turned out to be a five-year-and-then-some non-event.
XP SP2 has been a long time coming as well but now it’s finally arrived, there are reports that it comes with not merely a security hole, but a possible ‘crater‘. What else will turn up? Literally millions of people are wondering.
Put off by Microsoft’s avidity, its on-again-off-again delivery problems, its never-ending security vulnerabilities and a growing disenchantment with Bill Gates himself, more and more people are turning away.
It could be that, when Longhorn finally hoofs it into the arena as Shorthorn, it’ll find the stands half empty.
August 28th, 2004 at 5:36 am
August 28th, 2004 at 5:41 am
If M$ was really smart, they would have wrapped SP2 into an “all new” operating system and sold it as an “upgrade” for $100. This is basically what they did a few years ago with their Win95/98/98SE/ME upgrades. Call it a different name, and make the customers pay for each and every upgrade
September 1st, 2004 at 12:39 pm
Who knows where the world will be two or three years from now? All I know is that it definitely won’t look the same as good old ‘04. MS ain’t gonna go out of business, but who really knows? Either stick with the cratered XPSP2, or limp with XPSP1, or find something else. Those are pretty well the options, as it’s pretty obvious that MS has absolutely NO clue as to how to fix all the holes in Windows without breaking the whole damn kernel in the process. All that secrecy is working against them. Do all roads lead to 1 MS Way? It is time for you to leave, Kwai Chang.