Why Vista might be the last of its kind

Vikingod · Dec 4, 2006, 07:48 PM

Source: The Seattle Times
___________
Imagine this. One of the world's most powerful monopolies puts 10,000 people to work for five years to create one new product. And nobody is really sure if anyone wants it. How's that for a gamble?

That's what we have with Windows Vista, the new computer-operating system from Microsoft that debuted last week for businesses and, next month, for consumers. There has been so much buildup for this moment that you would expect Vista to cure cancer.

It's been so long in coming that I'll just be happy if it does the job and doesn't present me with a daily dose of the Blue Screen of Death. Already experts are predicting Vista may be the last of its kind. Obsolete before it's out the door? Geez, we haven't even had a chance to open our wallets yet.

BlueMak · Dec 4, 2006, 08:48 PM

So he assumes there are 10000 people working on Vista at any one point and that each of them is paid $200,000.

The guy is full of shit. One of the reasons that there might not be future OSes from MS is that of ad supported software by companies such as Google? He kinda forgets that for the software to work in the first place you have to have an OS.

His points are not very good.

IMO, if there is going to be one reason for change away from Windows, that is going to be the games.

Vikingod · Dec 4, 2006, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueMak

So he assumes there are 10000 people working on Vista at any one point and that each of them is paid $200,000.

No, he assumes that after salaries, insurance, taxes, unemployment, SSI, health coverage, and training, etc. each employee cost 200k, which is probably a fair estimate. Employees cost much much more than their salaries. Depending on their health coverage and degree of training, he might be underestimating it, as many people MS employs are most likely professional level.

BlueMak · Dec 5, 2006, 12:29 AM

Even so, he then proceeds saying that MS will propably make the money in a year anyhow...so why bitching in the first place?

Zeph · Dec 5, 2006, 12:40 AM

Doesn't this guy know that this is typical? You didn't see all the businesses flocking to XP within a year of its release.

Quote:

That said, it doesn't feel like a product that is the fruit of 10,000 brilliant minds and $10 billion in resources.

:\, doesn't seem like he understands the real differences between XP and Vista.

Vikingod · Dec 5, 2006, 01:03 AM

Again, I'll play devil's advocate. I think what he is refering too are all the features that have been cut out of Vista. While I think Vista is a step forward, it is a far cry from what it could have been. I happen to like it, and so far as the security improvements pan out, I have no trouble with it. However, for 'x' billion dollars and many years dev time, it does seem like a lot of money went into reinventing the wheel. Will the lost features be added with a service pack, i hope so, but at launch they won't be there as was promised three years ago.

Dec 4, 2006, 07:48 PM	#1
Vikingod Int'l Fish Liaison Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: By the light of lamp I sit and type... Posts: 16,197 Rep Power: 112 System Specs	Why Vista might be the last of its kind Source: The Seattle Times ___________ Imagine this. One of the world's most powerful monopolies puts 10,000 people to work for five years to create one new product. And nobody is really sure if anyone wants it. How's that for a gamble? That's what we have with Windows Vista, the new computer-operating system from Microsoft that debuted last week for businesses and, next month, for consumers. There has been so much buildup for this moment that you would expect Vista to cure cancer. It's been so long in coming that I'll just be happy if it does the job and doesn't present me with a daily dose of the Blue Screen of Death. Already experts are predicting Vista may be the last of its kind. Obsolete before it's out the door? Geez, we haven't even had a chance to open our wallets yet.

Dec 4, 2006, 08:48 PM	#2
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,478 Rep Power: 349 System Specs	So he assumes there are 10000 people working on Vista at any one point and that each of them is paid $200,000. The guy is full of shit. One of the reasons that there might not be future OSes from MS is that of ad supported software by companies such as Google? He kinda forgets that for the software to work in the first place you have to have an OS. His points are not very good. IMO, if there is going to be one reason for change away from Windows, that is going to be the games. __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Dec 5, 2006, 12:29 AM	#4
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,478 Rep Power: 349 System Specs	Even so, he then proceeds saying that MS will propably make the money in a year anyhow...so why bitching in the first place? __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Dec 5, 2006, 01:03 AM	Thread Starter #6
Vikingod Int'l Fish Liaison Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: By the light of lamp I sit and type... Posts: 16,197 Rep Power: 112 System Specs	Again, I'll play devil's advocate. I think what he is refering too are all the features that have been cut out of Vista. While I think Vista is a step forward, it is a far cry from what it could have been. I happen to like it, and so far as the security improvements pan out, I have no trouble with it. However, for 'x' billion dollars and many years dev time, it does seem like a lot of money went into reinventing the wheel. Will the lost features be added with a service pack, i hope so, but at launch they won't be there as was promised three years ago.