Despite announcing that it would not release Vista before December 2006, it seems that Microsoft planned to launch this operating system as early as August.
The release date of the new Windows operating system is one of the most closely guarded secrets within the Microsoft empire. Officials at the company are notoriously reluctant to set deadlines unless they inadvertently slip up. Analysts have been left to speculate about the shipping date for Windows Vista, probably around Christmas 2006.
However, it turns out that the software giant intends to launch Vista much earlier. According to Chris Jones, one of the top Microsoft officials responsible for Windows, the target deadline is August 31, 2006.
More specifically, this is not the date Vista will land on store shelves or users’ computers. It is merely the point at which the software code will be completed and sent to computer manufacturers.
If Microsoft sticks to the schedule as Jones mentioned, Vista could be ready for release as early as October (the Windows XP code was also completed on August 24, 2001, and launched on the market on October 25 of the same year).
Chris Jones inadvertently revealed the “date” while responding to a deeply dissatisfied employee’s question. Recently, many employees at the company have been quite frustrated and demoralized, feeling that Microsoft has been too lenient in punishing leadership when mistakes occur, with the delays of Vista being one of the most significant errors.
The gap between Windows XP and Vista has extended to 5 years, the longest in the software giant’s operating system release history. To ensure Vista’s timely launch, Microsoft has been forced to limit and cut many interesting supporting features, such as the new file system designed to make information storage and retrieval easier.
Returning to Chris Jones’s account, in response to the employee’s inquiry, Jones stated that he too would lose his entire bonus if Vista does not launch on August 31, 2006, with high quality and final polish. This internal information made its way to BusinessWeek, and immediately, an intriguing story was published.
According to BW’s analysis, it is clear that Microsoft is eager to release the new operating system before the Christmas season, the busiest shopping time of the year. However, how many people will rush out to buy Vista and place it under their Christmas trees remains a mystery.
Translated by Cầm Thi
