Print - Exclusive: Microsoft Overcomes Final Vista Hurdles, Heads to RTM

A week and a half ago, online reports about an internal countdown clock at Microsoft verified my early 2006 report that the software giant was pushing for an October 25 Windows Vista release to manufacturing (RTM) date. But last week, Jim Allchin, co-president of Microsoft's Platforms and Services Division, admitted that the company had run into a snag and that Microsoft wouldn't make its planned RTM date. As of today, however, Microsoft is back on track because it has a working Vista build in escrow.

In an interview with Mary Jo Foley at "ZDNet" last week, Allchin said that Microsoft wouldn't be able to release Vista to manufacturing by October 25. "We are in pretty good shape," Allchin told Foley. "And there are still months before (the January 2007) launch."

Allchin was alluding to an internal timetable that I previously reported on in WinInfo: He had told the Windows Division that Microsoft could afford to postpone Vista's RTM date to as late as November 8 and still meet its November and January launch dates. However, each delay comes with a price, Allchin said: For each day past October 25, Microsoft will ship one fewer localized, language-specific version of Vista in the January launch.

I've found out that the source of Allchin's concerns was an unexpectedly buggy pre-RTM build of Vista. The previous Friday, Microsoft pushed Vista build 5824 into escrow, hoping that the build could qualify as the final shipping version. But a catastrophic problem with the build destroyed any systems that upgraded from Windows XP, requiring complete reinstallations. After several frantic days of trying to find the bug, Microsoft finally fixed the problem last Friday and reset escrow. On Friday, Microsoft internally released build 5840, which didn't include the bug. Testing over the weekend produced positive feedback.

Vista build 5840 includes a surprising number of brand-new and final icons, and a new set of final wallpapers, including a default wallpaper that's a variation of the Aurora "swoosh" that Microsoft has been using as a Vista identifier since it announced the branding in July 2005. There aren't any major functional changes in this build.

Oh, and that internal countdown clock? Last week, it was reset to count down to November 8, not to October 25. It's not clear, however, whether Microsoft will release Vista to manufacturing before November 8, and which--if any--language-specific versions of Vista will be dropped.

Same old story. How many times has Vista been "on track" for a release date only to miss it? And if they think I'm paying $400 apiece for separate 32-bit and 64-bit versions of an "Ultimate" version, they're wrong.

@Preseton Don't you already have a copy of XP that you are booting into on your Mac via Bootcamp? You won't pay $400 if you use that to upgrade will you? Oh silly me of course, you've probably been using a pirated version haven't you - no? So you can't have it either way Preseton, either you can upgrade and not have to spend $400, or admit you've been using pirated software - which is it?

And Preseton, you've spent far in excess of $400 keeping your Mac OS X up to date through 4 "major" updates since its launch.

It's funny how Vista's RCs were able to upgrade from XP fine, and then a post-RC, pre-RTM build would be unable to do so, having "catastrophic" problems. How can such a catastrophic bug exist in a pre-RTM build when it wasn't there in the RCs that preceded it? Shouldn't the code with possible catastrophic outcomes have already been written at this point? Aren't they supposed to be working on fit & finish (i.e. write dialogs in plain english, get graphic artists working in final icons/pictures)? Get ready for the train wreck. I can already see the mammoth set of patches on Launch Day.

vandil-"How can such a catastrophic bug exist in a pre-RTM build when it wasn't there in the RCs that preceded it? " It's called software development. All it takes is one line of code and sometimes one character in the code to create a catastrophic failure. Developers will add something little and seeming harmless to the code and not test it. I've done it many times.

vandil, you've already mentioned that you work for a newspaper so we can fogive your ignarance. If you worked in the software industry, your paginatin' azz would know that it is entirely possible for something like what was mentioned above to happen at ANY time of the development process. Unfortunately, software development happens to follow Muphys Law: catastrophic bugs usually show their face a week before the release date.

@alanm999: "So you can't have it either way Preseton, either you can upgrade and not have to spend $400, or admit you've been using pirated software - which is it?" Is this really all you have to offer? I also own two PCs in addition to my Macs, one of them legacy and one of them brand new (won it in a contest, in fact). I never buy upgrade versions because the time always comes when you can't find the installation discs for the previous copy of Windows, and there's no guarantee you'll always have a previous version already installed (for instance, when you're doing the routine bi-annual Windows reinstall). "And Preseton, you've spent far in excess of $400 keeping your Mac OS X up to date through 4 "major" updates since its launch." No, I haven't. I've only spent $120 since I upgraded to Macs in early 2005, and I didn't have to buy any antivirus or security software, which was nice! Frankly, I don't mind spending $120 every couple of years to keep my system up-to-date rather than being stagnant for over half a decade only to be charged whopping prices of $200 or more to get essential functionality in a dressed-up XP. Using "major" in quotation marks is cute, implying the updates weren't major, but a simple readthrough of the Arstechnica reviews for each release written by John Siracusa would let you realize how much changes in each update. Tiger in particular had internal changes on the level of Vista, including an updated kernel. I get the sense that you guys are bitter and defensive over the Longhorn debacle of the last six years. I don't blame you, and the only reason I ***** about Microsoft so much is that they ****** me off with each announcement and subsequent cancellation of features and release dates until we've got the crippled Vista of today with its inconsistent interface (wait until you find the Windows 3.1 dialogs, like when installing a font) and annoying UAC prompt.

@vandil: "Get ready for the train wreck. I can already see the mammoth set of patches on Launch Day." Vista has already had security patches pushed out on Windows Update before its own release! Anyone remember Windows XP and its initial 20+MB of Windows Update downloads back in the day? I'll never forget it--I was on dial-up at the time.

@tom275 "And Preseton, you've spent far in excess of $400 keeping your Mac OS X up to date through 4 "major" updates since its launch." Poor ignorant Windows user. Let me explain. When Mac OS hit the v10 mark, they used X to symbolize both the number 10 and that the underlying OS is now based on uniX. Since then, all new releases of OSX are named with a subnumeral, 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, and so on. You can think of these as Mac OS 11, Mac OS 12, Mac OS 13, Mac OS 14, if it helps Windows zealots understand. And unlike a service pack for a Windows OS, each "point release" is an entirely full OS. In the Mac world, our "service packs" are sub-point releases. e.g. 10.3.9, 10.4.8. In Microsoft lingo that would be Mac OS 13.9 and Mac OS 14.8. Understand? So Mac owners have, in fact, had 4 new major releases of their client and server MacOS since 2001. Each one adding new system-wide features, new versions of bundled applications, and adding entire frameworks. In many cases re-architecting previous frameworks. Microsoft, on the other hand, have shipped only two service packs for XP and one new server OS, Windows Server 2003. SP2 for XP is not a new Windows client OS. Media Center Edition isn't a new Windows client OS. "R2" of Windows Server is not a new Windows server OS.

I don't think there is any way to reason with someone like vandil. On the subject: wonder what they were modding that caused the bump with upgrades.

"You can think of these as Mac OS 11, Mac OS 12, Mac OS 13, Mac OS 14, if it helps Windows zealots understand. And unlike a service pack for a Windows OS, each "point release" is an entirely full OS. In the Mac world, our "service packs" are sub-point releases. e.g. 10.3.9, 10.4.8. In Microsoft lingo that would be Mac OS 13.9 and Mac OS 14.8." You must be joking right? You can't serioulsy believe this... I don't even know why I'm replying to; You really do believe this. You should give up your job and go work for the Governments Spin Division.

@sticknick "You must be joking right? You can't serioulsy believe this... I don't even know why I'm replying to; You really do believe this." Of course I believe this. It's the truth. Just like it's the truth that none of those Mac OS X OSes are susceptible to viruses and malware and don't need a first-party subscription service to "protect" them. You're the one that's living in a false reality. But I'm sure you sleep happy that your MSDN binder is filled with tons of XP and Win2K3 re-hash edition CDs.

"SP2 for XP is not a new Windows client OS." Or IS it? :O! "Media Center Edition isn't a new Windows client OS." Or..... IS! it? :O!!! ""R2" of Windows Server is not a new Windows server OS." Or ... *gasp*... IS!! it??? :O!!:O I'm tired of treating people seriously who get their jollies off of trying to make others feel bad about what OS they run lol. Yep, I'm an ignorant windows user. I don't know that the grass is greener in Mac land b/c I'm just too darn happy with my grass over here. Vista will screw my pooch and assassinate the Pope. The world will implode and God will get a virus. Cheers and Good day!

"I'm tired of treating people seriously who get their jollies off of trying to make others feel bad about what OS they run lol." The typical Windows zealot response when their bubble is about to burst and their Microsoft(R) Reality(R) 2007 R2 is about to shatter. Go ahead and stick your head back into a hole in the ground. Vista's almost out the door.

Sneak peek videos of Leopard's advanced Quick View feature (sure wish Vista had this): http://www.musingsfrommars.org/

@will84: Um, no, SP2 and Media Center do not count as new versions of Windows. They're still plain old Windows XP. Plain old XP...for six freakin' years. It's interesting that the so-called #1 software developer in the world can't ship product, but what's more interesting is that you get them a complete pass for it. As for making others feel bad, you've been mocking Mac users since you first started posting here. It's common for Windows users to do this in defense of the obvious frailties of the aging Win32 codebase, their only defense being market share citations (right, and Britney Spears sells more CDs than Mozart). Enjoy the registry in Vista.

"It's common for Windows users to do this in defense of the obvious frailties of the aging Win32 codebase, their only defense being market share citations (right, and Britney Spears sells more CDs than Mozart). Enjoy the registry in Vista." That proves it (esp. the Britney bit). Preseton is the same idiotic bonch. I think it would be best to ignore him. No point in trying to reason with fools.

"That proves it (esp. the Britney bit). Preseton is the same idiotic bonch. I think it would be best to ignore him. No point in trying to reason with fools." Another Windows zealot response. They don't want to comment that we speak the truth and have poked holes into the MS Reality, so they attack the poster instead. Quick, bury your heads in the ground and wait for Vista to come out! You've been waiting for six years. Only another couple of months to go!

No exploits? No malware? You call the people that visit here for Windows news zealots? You're blinded by your love for Apple, vandil. So is Preseton or whatever he calls himself after he gets banned again. You'll likely not visit these sites, but here's a few retorts to your narrow vision: http://nwm.securitypipeline.com/shared/article/printableArticleSrc.jhtml?articleId=180206874 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186003,00.html Not that I'm happy about the fact that Apple has issues with their OS, but no-mind comments such as yours and Presetons are irresponsible and frankly, scary. I'm hoping they come out with a Media Center-like product soon that doesn't cost a fortune. I'd love to give it a try. However, I'm extremely happy with my XP based Media Center PC and attached Xbox 360. Keeps my wife happy, my kid happy, and therefore, me happy. Looking forward to your next posts, boys! (Ok, not really.)

"Go ahead and stick your head back into a hole in the ground." I like my hole, its warm and cozy, I never really leave. "Plain old XP...for six freakin' years." Now I wouldn't go as far as to call them 'freakin' years... sure they were good, but freakin'? That might be a bit overzealous of you. "Another Windows zealot response ... attack the poster instead ... Quick, bury your heads in the ground and wait for ... OS11 ... You've been waiting for six years. ... for ... OS11" This is fun :)

bonch/preseton/vandil/all-in-one-jack@$$ Again, I'll say...there are actually ZERO Macs running production applications in my datacenter. Its obviously not because they make superior software or even run superior software!!! What's the difference between a Mac and an Etch-A-Sketch? You don't have to shake the Mac to clear the screen. hey, will84, you are right...this is fun!!! --tayme

More shattering of the claim that OS X releases are minor updates: http://www.macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/apple_confirms_resolution_independence_and_more_coming_i n_mac_os_x_105_leop/

You know, I think the only person who accomplishes anything in this comment section is Bonch and his many aliases. By some power unknown to humanity, he forces otherwise intelligent 30, 40-somethings to virtually de-evolve into 12 year olds. Tayme: Although I have disagreed with you in the past, I respected the knowledge I thought you displayed. I will have to reconsider that opinion in light of your "jack---" comment and etch-a-sketch remark. Sdavis: You've referenced Fox News and a Security company. That's much like asking Hitler what he thought of World War II. It couldn't possibly be that Security "Advisors" working for security companies have a vested interest in making Mac users feel unsafe. It's almost like those people want us to buy something. Will84: I think freakin' is a good adjective to describe the years since Bush took office. At least there's only 2 more freakin' years to go. I'm sure other people said things I'd have a response to, but I'm not going to click on the other comment pages to read them for fear of losing my verification text.

@Tayme You are on a roll. @Bdkjones Get a sense of humour, I regard you and Lotsa as the sane(r) Mac users on this forum. Don't go an loose it because of a rather funny joke. Lighten up.

Hello all I am Dan, 30 years old network administrator, from Romania, in Eastern Europe. I have in the office both Macs and Windows. I know pretty well their strenghts and weaknesses. I've been around for months, reading all the "fights" between Windows vs OSx. You will ask undoubtedly, why i'm writing right now. Well.. I'm tired of all this "Mac is better" "Microsoft will die" I've seen all the OSX variants. There are so few changes between them that hardly one can call them to be "a different version of the OS". In fact if Apple would sell XP SP2 instead of Microsoft, it will be call it another OS. Frankly, there are so many changes in XP SP2 compared with original version that is almost another OS. The coomon sense of Microsoft prevent them to call it another windows version. And let's compare Tiger with Panther. For an ordinary user (not a fan of Apple) sitting at the keyboard of a Tiger Mac there are very few visible changes. Regards, Dan

bdkjones - all I am trying to do is to prove that I, too can reply with the same intelligence as bonch(and all of his alter egos). You need to take a look at what he is posting and comment on your respect of him. Such as, you chiding sdavis "You've referenced Fox News and a Security company." when earlier bonch(or one of his alter egos) is using Mac Daily News and Apple to "prove" his claims. I think that everybody here realizes that Macs are not Enterprise ready, especially in the datacenter...we have to get bonch(et al.) to quit posting the crap that they do, and if not...well, ignoring no longer works...we'll just be like them!!! --tayme

"I think freakin' is a good adjective to describe the years since Bush took office." I've always used scary as a good adjective, but whatever floats your boat. There is nothing left to discuss on the current topic and these threads can't be locked. If bonchinator is going to turn it into a fud lovefest then I say reply in kind =P

Check it out, videos of Steve Jobs unveiling OS X six years ago: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=steve+jobs+introduces+os+x&search=Search Pretty amusing to realize that Windows 98 and 2000 were all you guys had back then, and a year later you got that kiddy red-and-blue Luna theme in XP.

Preseton, buddy, I know Macs are great. But let's discuss them only when Paul or Waethorn or Tayme says something ignorant or inaccurate about them. In truth, we don't want the Tayme's, Waethorn's and assorted Windows people on our platform. They'll only make stupid requests like a second mouse button that will turn Apple into Microsoft. People who are used to working in a Windows world do not take the time to unlearn their bad habits and discover the faster ways to get things done in OS X. They give up in frustration because they expect OS X to act like Windows. They then go on to write stupid blog entries decrying the Mac as hard to learn and unusable. We don't want them! We don't need them! Let Apple capture the hearts and minds of younger people. People who are willing to explore the platform and discover non-Windows ways of doing things. Then, slowly but surely, the Waethorns and Taymes will simply fade out of existence as time marches on and the young become older. So, seriously, let's limit the Mac evangelism to correcting stupid mistakes. This means no more links to Steve introducing the first version of OS X. (Although i did enjoy the video.)

"faster ways to get things done"?? Sorry for your jealousy, but Core 2 Duo's have already been out for Windows systems long for a couple months now, and quad-core's are due in November. Plus, Windows users can choose AMD or lower power processors such as Transmeta or VIA chips and build a custom computer into whatever they like, such as their car, or what-have-you. "Think different"? Think again! "This means no more links to Steve introducing the first version of OS X" Yes, lets! How embarrassing was that one??! PHEW! What a stinker. Whoops, so was the sequel.... You're right tayme - this is fun! I wanna play!.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr-ku2R97hY

bdkjones, those were two links that took all of 30 seconds to find, copy and paste. There are others that higlight the issues with the OS. Once again, I don't love Microsoft, although Bill keeps me employed, and I don't hate Apple, although all these fanatics are tiresome at the best of times. I find it interesting that you chide me for the links I posted, but say nothing about the rest of my post where I question when Apple will come out with a Media Center-like machine. Anyway, congrats on first giving people hell then sinking down to the us vs them mentality.

That's a funny video. The Mac OSX Dock: Windows 95's taskbar with a few extra graphical effects, only 5 years later. Whoop dee sh@t Let's look at real innovation: task panes in Windows XP to get some real work done rather than some glassy buttons that look pretty. I like the video on YouTube that I saw once where Woz Jr. was talking about "Why Microsoft is bad", and the only comment he could come up with had to do with proportional fonts, like Apple invented that. Made me laugh so hard anyway... "Gentle migration"?? I was practically rolling on the floor. The transition from OS9 to OSX was the most brutal I've ever seen from a developer standpoint.

You know what Bonch? I take it back. Screw all of em'... post anything you want about Apple being great. They deserve it. Stupid IT people.