Print - A Longhorn Delay? Not Quite

   News about a potential delay for Windows Longhorn, the next major update to Windows XP, has quickly evolved from pointless analyst predictions to so-called fact, and several major tech news outlets have reported Microsoft's supposed setbacks. But Microsoft has never announced a precise Longhorn release date, opting instead to refer to indistinct dates that are a few years away because of the complexity of what the company hopes to achieve with the Longhorn release. But that fact doesn't stop half the tech industry from reporting delays, and if the next 2 years follow this trend, those 2 years are going to feel like an eternity.
   The delay stories arose from comments various Microsoft executives made during recent interviews. But none of those executives described a delay. In fact, Redmond's tune hasn't changed; each executive has highlighted the fact that Longhorn is a major release wave that will encompass several products and numerous technologies and that the company will release such a complex product only when it's ready. "We do not yet know the timeframe for Longhorn, but it will involve a lot of innovative and exciting work," Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates said recently.
   When asked about Longhorn during a "Computerworld" interview last week, Microsoft Group Vice President Jim Allchin was similarly vague. "It's all a question of probabilities," he said. "[2005 is] our target. But there's a probability it may make it, it may not ... The truth is, these are targets ... We'll know so much more when we hit Beta 1. And we're not going to be at Beta 1 at the PDC [Professional Developers Conference in late October]. Once we hit Beta 1, we'll be able to get customer feedback. You can't predict when a product is going to ship until you get some customer feedback."
   In the absence of any real news, and with a 2-year window in which to manufacture spin, many tech outlets have taken the initiative in an effort to supply eager readers with Longhorn information. A tech industry analyst recently predicted that Longhorn's release will slip to 2006, a prediction that's so obvious, given the 2005 target date and Microsoft's historic inability to meet time tables for major products, that it shouldn't have even merited discussion. But in the rumor-happy tech industry, that prediction was widely reported and is suddenly a solid piece of evidence that Microsoft is stumbling. This situation is a sad state of affairs.
   Allchin's take on the release-date frenzy is, perhaps, the most definitive. "The press made an issue out of [the release date] for Windows 2000, made an issue out of the date versus an issue out of quality," he said. "Every [press] meeting was about, 'What's the date, and how far are you behind?' And my response is, I don't care. I only care about the quality. This was a monster release beyond anything we had tried to do. You should be asking me about [the quality]. Forget the date. So that's still my mindset as the engineer here ... No one should be locking on to this right now. Let's see how the developers like it. Let's see how Beta 1 goes. I don't know the date. Is it early [2005]? Is it late [2005]? Do I have an issue [if it's 2006]? I don't know ... We'll do right by our customers."

Microsoft should just set 2050 as the release date. Then everybody will be astounded that they were able to finish the product so early. Enough time wasted on this subject already.

Paul: You forgot to put "Opinion:" in front of the headline for this story. Witness: "...if this is how the next two years are going to go, it's going to feel like an eternity." "...a prediction that's so obvious...that it shouldn't have even merited discussion." "It's a sad state of affairs." Do you ever wonder why people complain that your site is an opinion page and not a "news" site? You really blurred the lines with this one. Editor's note: Many people read WinInfo specifically because it comes from the standpoint of one person. That's always been the point. If you're complaining about that, I apologize, but that's the way I've always done it. --Paul

Why not take the time to get it right? We're barely able to digest all of the good stuff in 2000, let alone 2003.

I wonder if this topic is relevant because you already said it SEVERAL hundred times. (Okay, I'm exaggerating.) The 90s were about Microsoft Windows. I think the 2000s will be about Linux. Not that Linux will overpass Windows anytime soon, but it has more potential. The Linux potential is a more interesting story. I think Windows is a dull story that reached its peak when XP came out. Microsoft continues to disappoint in many areas. While Windows is certainly capable as a Operating System, it continues to lack consumer excitement. Its reputation as a innovator is lacking. And certainly, Apple continues to steal the spotlight with its flash and style. Okay, Longhorn's delay (or whatever it is) is not a concern.

Tim Shealfy- Lack of consumer excitment over XP? I can bearly contain my disappointment over the bloated, slow UIs that the It's not Unix crowd offers. These guys could learn a few things from Apple. They put together something that works great, looks beautiful and runs on top of a 'BSD in less time than anything the anarchists from Open Source could put together.

I'm happy to wait, however it will take a change in user attitudes (especially home users) to get into the groove of things not coming out every year, or two years...that there will be more time between releases. The problem this will create for M$ is that it gives restless people more opportnity to play with things like Linux. Windows is a good product, and it is exciting to know that they are taking time to get it right, however it will make it 3-4 years between releases and I am not sure they can hold off Linux that long.

Is the delay Microsoft or Intel? Intel is the likely bottleneck in the great Longhorn delay - http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=11405

Mr. Thurrott must make a fortune off being MS's PR person. I have not seen such blatant disregard of facts since the 1st Twin Tower bombings in 93, where the Clinton Admin had plenty of chance to act, but didn't. I would love to sit down with Gates and Co. and ask them what on God's great green earth they actually *do* with 6 billion dollars of R&D??? I'm sorry, but until MS can demonstrate that it has designed software that actually takes advantage of multi-gigahertz cpu's, so that when for example, I insert a CD into my CDROM drive I dont have to deal with lag or slow downs in the UI and operability of Windows; that promissed features such as Fast User Switching actually work as indicated without hick-ups (they could perhaps take note of OS X's Panther in this regard, or for that matter any UNIX dist. so as to not be called an Apple zealot); etc., etc. the list goes on! Best Wishes to the poor souls (ie. low level employees) who are clicking away at MS under the dictator of a crumbling empire.

I havent followed much the Longhorn, the first news were quite disappointing but I'd say 3-4 years is TOO MUCH time specially if its true there wont be any more updates to IE as a standalone product and IE7 or whatever # would be released as part of a future OS. In 3-4 years Mozilla hackers may have time to impose her WWC standards politics and MS would have released at least 6 Service Pack to fix all IE bugs...

I could only find one reason for a delay in the release of Windows® 6 / VI (aka "Longhorn"), Microsoft's Licensing System, and hardcore hardware requirements!

Hello Paul, When can an MSDN subscriber be able to see an Alpha code for Longhorn? - Abe Editor's note: December is what I've heard, but I believe it's MSDN Universal only. --Paul