Mood:
smellyNow Playing: 'Eeeek' Mice swarm farmhouse and eat through wallpaper revealing a fortune stashed in the walls.
Topic: Microsoft and VCSY
Looks to me, boys and girls, as if the Monster is in the throes of some sort of fitfulness. Indecision, confusion, obfuscation, wandering, waffling, waking, worrying... What the heck is going on in that upside down bucket?
From Microsoft Watch:
April 26, 2007 12:09 PM
Microsoft's 'Big Bang' Is When?
Last night's release of Windows Server Longhorn Beta 3 is a monumental event for Microsoft, much bigger than the launch of Windows Vista. How big may depend on when Microsoft releases Vista Service Pack 1.
Windows Server is the nucleus of Microsoft's enterprise strategy, around which all other products—even Windows client—revolve. Longhorn's eventual release, which Microsoft claims will be later this year, will likely set off major software upgrades, including Office 2007 and Windows Vista.
.... (SEGMENT - see full article at URL)
When isn't When
But there is a wrinkle—uncertainty which Microsoft has created. Back in November, Bob Muglia, Microsoft's senior vice president for server and tools, told eWeek that Windows Server Longhorn and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 would ship "simultaneously." Such a plan would be quite sensible, as, according to Muglia, "it is one source code base" for both products. Since then, Microsoft has backed away from this coordinated release commitment.
Yesterday afternoon, I asked Helene Love Snell, Windows Server product manager, about whether Microsoft still plans to ship Windows Vista SP1 with Longhorn Server. She told me it was too early to give a date. Huh? How can it be too early if Microsoft already gave a date? It's either, yes, the commitment remains or, no, the plan has changed.
Love Snell gracefully backed out of the corner by saying she couldn't speak for Windows Client. I couldn't argue with that position. Later, I chatted with a Microsoft spokesperson for Windows Client.
"It is too early to talk about SP1's delivery, including whether it will be released at the same time as Windows Server codename Longhorn," she said.
Again, I rebutted that it can't be too early if a major Microsoft executive already committed to a time frame. The spokesperson would only say further that there was "no firm date range for SP1."
Whether or not there is a Big Bang of upgrades—or at least when—hinges as much on Vista SP1's release as Longhorn Server. Already, a number of high-profile Microsoft customers, including Intel, have indicated they would hold back major Vista deployments until release of the first service pack.
.... (SEGMENT - see full article at URL)
Muglia's November commitment is consistent with Microsoft's desktop and server development pattern. So the question: Who's not telling the truth? If Windows Longhorn Server releases ahead of Vista SP1, the Big Bang—assuming it's real—would likely be delayed. If SP1's release is uncertain but aligned with Longhorn Server's release to manufacturing, both products could ship later than expected. Either way, there is potential impact on enterprise deployments of multiple Microsoft desktop and server products.
.... (SEGMENT - see full article at URL)
When is When?
Right now, Microsoft is keeping to the story that Longhorn Server will be released by end of year. But "release" in Microsoft parlance means release to manufacturing, which isn't the same as customer availability. However, Microsoft is taking the position that Longhorn Server Beta 3 is ready enough for some customers.
"We have close to 1,000 servers in the world already using [Longhorn Server Beta 3]," Love Snell said. Microsoft also already has licensed Internet Information Server 7, which is part of Longhorn Server, to "about 50 hosters."
The production use of a testing product is a sign of stability and customer interest. Touting product use also could be a distraction tactic, regarding when the software really will be available.
Microsoft's reluctance to keep its Vista SP1 commitment isn't the only thing missing.
"We will announce the official name when we release Beta 3, which is on track for the first half of 2007," Muglia told eWeek last November. He was right about the Beta 3 release, but why not the name?
Late last night, a Microsoft spokesperson told me that the naming announcement is "imminent." Does that mean a few days, weeks or months? Product naming yesterday or very soon would be consistent with Longhorn Server tracking for release as previously stated.
The release date of either or both products is important to Microsoft and its customers. There is a huge opportunity for Microsoft if the Big Bang theory proves to be true. If there is a delay in the offing, Microsoft wouldn't want to say. Businesses testing for Vista deployments might forestall the process.
Then there is the enormous impact on other products. Many IT organizations will choose to take one bitter pill—coordinated Exchange Server 2007, Longhorn Server, Office 2007 and Vista deployments around the same time—rather than many pills over time. Hence, the Big Bang, and all contingent on answering the question "When?"
Related:
- Microsoft Releases First Public Beta for 'Longhorn', eWeek, April 25, 2007
- Viridian Delay Foreshadows What About Longhorn Server, Microsoft Watch, April 12, 007
- Longhorn Server Approaches Beta 3, Microsoft Watch, April 5, 2007
- Windows Server 2003 SP2 Goes Thump In the Night, Microsoft Watch, March 13, 2007
- What's Your Exchange?, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 8, 2006
- CIOs: Vista Will Need Heftier Hardware, Microsoft Watch, Dec. 6, 2006
- Windows Server Takes the Lead, Microsoft Watch, Nov. 16, 2006
- Longhorn Server and Vista SP1 to Ship Together, eWeek, Nov. 16, 2006
Now, given what Microsoft was working on as 'Longhorn' et al was scrapped in '2004' I think it behooves us to look at what happened in the barnyard in 2004 and specifically around the time when the SiteFlash patent was issued and that was November 2004.
To Wit:
Ah the ebullent mood the entire dotNet development community was in when MSFT announced the 2004 rewrite. Given our discussion in the VCSY community, we wonders what they rewrote as it certainly did appear VCSY was not going to survive that year.
the real world
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
"Never rewrite", applied to APIs
Interesting article. However, I have the impression that it's basically making the same point than the one Joel wrote years ago about "never rewriting your apps from scratch", only applied this time to APIs.
The truly ironic thing is that people have trashed Microsoft during years for being technically inferior, and now that they are actually trying to innovate and come up with something exciting (like them or not, .NET and XAML do sound very interesting from a technical POV), they are going to lose the war and leave the market open to web-based apps with crappy UIs. Truly another example of "Worse Is Better".
PaulJ
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
OK, I admit it -- .NET violated the Never Rewrite From Scratch rule. Microsoft got away with it because they had two things. First, they had the world's best language designer, the man who was responsible for 90% of the productivity gains in software ...
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/Our.NetStrategy.html
........
Dennis Forbes
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Oh, and ".NET the MS version of Java"? You could even go further and say that .NET is the MS version of the Lisp Machine. Philip Greenspun wrote once "the Lisp Machine was something truly remarkable; it did things in 1978 that, if we are lucky, will be announced by MS as innovations in 2005". Well, guess what, he was off only by one year or so.
PaulJ
Thursday, June 17, 2004
MORE at URL
Having been a Lisperator back in the day, I find it very odd they should talk of this 'Lisp Machine' when three years later the central core of MSFT is working on just such a magical machine to do this sort of thing...Still? I thought they had it in the bag. Did the bag have a hole and did the donuts fell out? Or was that the bag with the eggs?
...........And, then, later that year...
from the we-guarantee-this-avacado-won't-eat-your-baby dept.
............
But, a bit before that could happen:
This is an interesting exercise yard for those interested hunting and pecking and scratching and eating. This following selection of niblets is from Enterprise System Spectator - Frank Scavo (excellent information blog).
September 2004 Microsoft-Longhorn-Cutbacks-Threaten-Project-green
