The Vista debacle continues: The New York Times trashes Microsoft, and even worse, Microsoft’s employees want Ballmer out

Published on March 28th, 2006

Posted by SN in General

Last week Forbes ripped into Microsoft for the delay of Vista, now the New York Times is taking its turn…

The company’s marathon effort to come up with the a new version of its desktop operating system, called Windows Vista, has repeatedly stalled.

In those five years, Apple Computer has turned out four new versions of its Macintosh operating system, beating Microsoft to market with features that will be in Vista, like desktop search, advanced 3-D graphics and “widgets,” an array of small, single-purpose programs like news tickers, traffic reports and weather maps.

And things are so bad at Microsoft that even employees are calling for Ballmer to be fired.

Microsoft employees are arguing among themselves over who is to blame for the delay in the launch of Windows Vista. One disgruntled insider named Who da’Punk voiced his feelings in a blog posting under the heading ‘Vista 2007. Fire the leadership now!’.

The diatribe set off a lot of feeling amongst Microsoft employees with several demanding that Ballmer should head the list of people who should be fired from the company. One remarked: ‘Being a 10+ year vet I feel ashamed and sad. This company is a mess on so many levels’.

32 users responded in " The Vista debacle continues: The New York Times trashes Microsoft, and even worse, Microsoft’s employees want Ballmer out "

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# 1 gquaglia said, on March 28th, 2006 at 11:55 am

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. M$ is simply too big for its own good, and off in 6 different directions instead of concentrating on its bread and button products Windows and Office. Ballmer is a bafoon, plain and simple and I would to see nothing more then this blow hard to be kicked out on his ass. Unfortunatly, he probably owns enough of the company stock so as that would never happen.

# 2 ECA said, on March 28th, 2006 at 11:55 am

Iv pointed to a few failings in groups, about the structure of Windows for along time.
1. ALL the hardware Inf, and drivers loaded AFTER windows is up, should be saved someplace ELSE then the win DIR.
2. ALL the software drivers should be loaded from another DIR, other then win DIR.
3. LOCK the OS dir’s…

This alone would make it EASIER to backup your hardware drivers, and software drivers, because you dont have 80+ megs of drivers to sort.
I like saving BACKUPS as, OS, HARDWARE, Progs and DATA… Why should I NEED to backup 90% of ALL my HD to get it ALL, in 1 shot. Backing up your progs, WONT backup the drivers(now) installed in the Win dir..That are needed to run the progs.

You can FIND the dir, that has whats needed to be FIXED, without going threw 80megs of 32k files. They ONLy have the drivers and INFs from Hardware and software THAt you have loaded.

LOCKING the OS, would keep the Virus. bots, and such to a VERY low number, and they can be removed, very easily, WITHOUT going to the WIN DIR or the REG..

# 3 jasontheodd said, on March 28th, 2006 at 12:07 pm

I said that Microsoft would fall apart due to its own bloat about six years ago. It’s gratifying to be right, but sad. Microsoft is not all bad, there are good things that have come out of the company, but little that is innovative has happened since Windows 98 and only sheer wealth can keep a tech. company afloat after it looses all desire to innovate. Every cool feature they described for Vista (yes all of them) exist elseware and have for a long time. Only the Direct X division at Microsoft seems to want to be in business, break them off and set them free.

# 4 RTaylor said, on March 28th, 2006 at 12:09 pm

MS has dominated for too many years, it’s time they take a tumble. I own both Mac and Windows computers. It’s not that I think one is particularly superior, but Apple is more apt to innovate by dumping legacy hardware and software. Yes it can be a pain to upgrade software and hardware, but at least you move forward with newer technology. I realize that Apple doesn’t deal as heavily in the Enterprise markets, but MS has failed to lead the industry forward.

# 5 Stephan Sokolow said, on March 28th, 2006 at 12:50 pm

My opinion has long been that Microsoft games and possibly Microsoft Hardware are the only good divisions of the company.

# 6 NWLB said, on March 28th, 2006 at 1:28 pm

All empires fall.

# 7 Alex said, on March 28th, 2006 at 2:10 pm

If Microsoft falls it will be because it failed itself. Of all the ideas Microsoft stole from Apple they should have also stolen the idea of leaving legacy apps and computers behind. Someone who is still running Windows 98 ain’t going to buy Vista much less run it on the old PC that came with Windows 98. You cannot innovate, if you insist on supporting hardware and software from 10 years ago. If those apps have not been updated for XP forget them! If anything create an emulator for old versions of DOS/Windows.

And Ballmer has got to go. What is he good for besides running around screaming like a sweaty madman on stage?

# 8 Kim Helliwell said, on March 28th, 2006 at 2:30 pm

So: the judge who a few years ago was trying to split M$ up was actually trying to do them a favor, and they didn’t have the wit to see that, and fought tooth and nail to prevent it. And won.

Moral of the story: beware of the victories you win.

# 9 ewills said, on March 28th, 2006 at 3:06 pm

Funny that many of the comments here bash MS for failing to dump ‘legacy’ hardware. I have just the opposite gripe with MS…

When I ‘upgraded’ my computer from 98 to XPHome, suddenly my printer and scanner stopped working. I googled the bejeezus out of my printer name and finally found a driver, but the scanner is now nothing more than a paperweight and is on its way to GoodWill

To hedge against this ever happening to me again, I installed dual-boot Linux/Debian on this computer so that I know my peripherals will always work in the future.

# 10 ECA said, on March 28th, 2006 at 3:14 pm

I wish, DX would go AWAY…LONG AWAY…
The Card makers KNOW what their cards can DO, but have to restrict them to what DX can do.
Once I put a card in a computer, 99% of customers DONT understrand that the hardware and DX need to be updated, once in awhile…
They REALLy made DX so they could Kill games that could be ported from Linux, and they havnt updated the Linux-DX-Win engine to DX9..And they WONT do it…
So, many NICe CLEAN games were made under linux, to be ported to Windows, and it cant be done NOW.

# 11 V said, on March 28th, 2006 at 3:19 pm

Why does every newspaper have to bring Apple’s progress into this? Yes, Apple releases new versions of OSX every time I blink, but there’s NEVER ANYTHING DRASTIC, and rarely did anything that wasn’t already available in Windows. (Widgets, desktop search, et cetera). Please, until you can convince the very vast majority of home users and businesses running Windows to do a complete overhaul that comes with a huge price tag, Windows will remain dominant.

Having said that, it’d be nice if MS could figure out how to write leaner code. Just because most of us aren’t looking to jump off the boat doesn’t mean we can’t see all those little leaks.

# 12 Bruce IV said, on March 28th, 2006 at 3:21 pm

Umm … since when does MS release an OS on time? Why is everyone complaining? You knew it was going to be late, no matter what Gates & Co. said. I personally was hoping it would be ready for the new school year … (back in the early announcements) … oh well – I guess xp pro sp2 will have to do for now

# 13 Andrew said, on March 28th, 2006 at 4:10 pm

I can’t believe what I am hearing. “OMFG WINDOWZZZ IS DELAYED—– People Say Ballmer Suxors!@!! The comppany is going down BIATCHES!!! Ballmer YELLS At CONFERENCES!!! I

# 14 Wanderley said, on March 28th, 2006 at 4:49 pm

It’s amazing how much latitude is given Microsoft.

Seriously, who chooses to say “They did the right thing in deciding that the Longhorn code was a tangled, hopeless mess, and starting over” instead of something like: “They screwed up big time and it took them two years to accept that Longhorn was Longgone”?

The difference between the crazy and the eccentric is the same that exists between being late and “doing the right thing”: a big pile of money.

Like Joel Spolsky says: “Microsoft makes their own gravity.”. I hope Steve Jobs can tip that scale this time, because some real competition would be good for Microsoft and its customers.

# 15 SN said, on March 28th, 2006 at 4:53 pm

“Umm … since when does MS release an OS on time? “

The problem is much more than just being late. Not only is it late by years, nearly all of its innovative features will be no-shows. Microsoft makes nearly all of its money on its Windows and Office. So don’t you think it’s strange that MS is unable to deliver a new version of Windows or Office?!

As the article states, during the time MS was attempting to build a modern OS, Apple has released FOUR versions of OSX! And I wouldn’t even bother installing a version of Linux from 2001! It’d be so out of date as to be laughable. But that’s what we’re stuck with from Microsoft. A laughably out of date OS!

Update: I just did some checking on Wikipedia. The longest gaps between consumer OSes for Microsoft were three years. There were about three years between Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. And then three more years until Win98. However, the gap between XP and Vista will be a whopping 6 years!

# 16 Shannon Freeman said, on March 28th, 2006 at 5:50 pm

You mean Microsoft has done things right? Naw, look at the Xbox 360. The manufacturing snafu that is Xbox 360 may last until November 2006, and that doesn’t look good for Microsoft. And now the bloatware that is Vista will gobble up every pixel of your 3d card, cpu and motherboard memory, so if you can run a PC game, you will be one of the fortunate ones.

Microsoft, stop trying to copy Apple and Sega. We all know what happened to the Sega Dreamcast (doesn’t the Xbox 360 look like a jazzed up Dreamcast?), and as for Apple, if Microsoft isn’t careful, they will drive their fans over to Apple.

# 17 andrewj said, on March 28th, 2006 at 5:50 pm

…but the scanner is now nothing more than a paperweight………
————————————-
You get compatibility or stability but not both. Had XP been compatible with your old printer it would just mean more blue screens for the rest of us.

# 18 Mike Drips said, on March 28th, 2006 at 5:54 pm

I understand the Microsoft employees name for Longhorn was Longwind.
I’ve blogged this dead horse several times. Six years for an OS upgrade and four years for most of the server upgrades. That just doesn’t cut it in today’s market, and frankly due to Microsoft’s near total monopoly it has serious economic and productivity impacts.
Their new ad campaign about people-ready software is a total joke, especially combined with their announcement of product delays this week. Just exactly WHO do they think their software is people-ready for?

# 19 ECA said, on March 28th, 2006 at 5:58 pm

I just want a decent OS, that I can KEEP..

# 20 Milo said, on March 28th, 2006 at 6:21 pm

The problem I think is that MS is doing most of this on the cheap and actually has very few people who know the coding well doing it any more. John has mentioned this too. That and I think that all their best talent is working on DRM code instead of better running code. XBox was MS’ signal that they’ve given up on the consumer market anyway. They’re going to try and coerce buyers at major corporations from now on. No doubt some fool in marketing thinks because that worked for XP pro it can work again. It won’t.

# 21 Jamie Miller said, on March 28th, 2006 at 7:01 pm

Looks like there is hope for Linux on the Desktop after all.

At my house we spend more time using Ubuntu 5.10 than we do Win98 on my 7 year old Dell. As much as I like games, I don’t want to buy a new PC every 2 years. But so far I have been able to give my old computer a GUI facelift 4 times since I bought it. The new software update feature works just as well as Windows Update does for my company laptop.

Maybe Linspire or Ubuntu will pick up the slack for Microsoft until they go through a transformation like Apple had to. Interesting times ahead …

# 22 AB CD said, on March 28th, 2006 at 7:20 pm

First you complain about Microsoft’s plans for their new OS, and how bad it will be, then you complain when this poor software gets delayed.
My guess is when it finally ships you’ll be first in line to get it, perhaps with those illegal downloads you’re always promoting.

# 23 Monty said, on March 28th, 2006 at 7:29 pm

Is Vista being delayed a bad thing? Those of us that have to manage hundreds of Windows installations are THANKING Microsoft.

We can sit around for hours talking about how Apple innovates and Microsoft never releases anything. What does it matter when Microsoft is the only one with tools that business users need? (Group Policy, IntelliMirror, AD, etc..) Until Apple has an alternative to these BUSINESS needs, the whole discussion is moot. When it comes to business needs, Mac OS X is ten years behind Microsoft.

–Monty

# 24 Mr. Fusion said, on March 28th, 2006 at 7:55 pm

At one time, M$ had two separate OS. Remember Windows and NT? Because people wanted compatibility with programs they ended up mixed.

I see the only savior for MS is to come out with some killer applications that will totally blow the others away. An example would be Movie Maker that could render a movie into DVD format in a fraction the time required by other Video Authoring programs. A Photo Editor that a grade three student as well as his 50 year old grandfather can excel at. A music playback which is more interested in playing the music then in searching out digital rights.

# 25 Mr. Fusion said, on March 28th, 2006 at 7:58 pm

I think the delay has more to do with all those Indian computer experts Gates said he needed. First they are showing how good they are and second they all have to be brought up to speed for the call centers in India.

# 26 ECA said, on March 28th, 2006 at 8:58 pm

Im old enough to remember when an OS fit on a 32k Chip.
Old enough when Progs didnt have to be over 2k.
the drivers were sent by the makers of the product and FIT.
windows is trying to DO to much…LET the makers make the drivers.
LET the makers ADD the bells and whistles… But Ms wants ALL the control over the product, and how it works… CUt the extra “STUFF”..
Start over and make a SOLID OS, ONLY. Let us ADD the bells and whistles….

# 27 Awake said, on March 28th, 2006 at 9:05 pm

Who cares?
Vista ends up being nothing more than eye-candy, since they have removed everything of real value. The only things that I was looking for were the new file system and real color management… the file system is a non starter, and color management is still a question mark.
So it has a ‘pretty desktop’ with some neato widgets. Who cares???? I don’t spend any time using the desktop, I use the ‘Start’ button and real applications. If I need to switch to a different app, just alt-tab till you get to it.
There is NO compelling reason to move from XP to Vista. None. Zero. Nothing. Voila! Nada!
To any thinking person it seems that Vista will be one of those ’skip-it’ OS generations, where you get it only if it is included with your new computer, but you don’t intentionally upgrade. And unless you are a one of those nut-job gamers, upgrading any hardware made within the last 3 years is getting to be pretty darn silly also, specially just to get ‘pretty transparent windows’.
Vista will sell, but mainly to those same fools that spend money buying ring-tones for their phones because they are cool. But actually those silly people will probably use a Mac real soon anyway, to make it easier to sync their iPods so they can watch King-Kong on a 2 inch screen.

# 28 BOB G said, on March 29th, 2006 at 12:09 am

Last time I looked MS had about 90% of market share with apple and linex dragin way behind. I donot know many companys that whould not like to fall and or fail this way. Money talks and BS walks

# 29 jasontheodd said, on March 29th, 2006 at 3:31 am

ECA ,

was reffering to the Direct X departments “X Box” role as innovative. The 360 is a nicely done interface and decent hardware for the price.

# 30 david said, on March 29th, 2006 at 8:09 am

Is it possible that the operating system has reached its zenith.

# 31 ECA said, on March 29th, 2006 at 11:05 am

WHAT market??
BEFORE, win 95, and NT (?) whatever…servers were running about 6 other OS’s, that were STABLE…
Unix and Linux have held on, and STILL take about 20-30% of THAT market.
I think 6 COUNTRIES, have DROPPED Windows, Germany, india, among them, becuase it keeps COSTING more and more and more, to keep it SAFE and updated.
Compare FREe with $10,000 corp rate…
As a GAme machine, Windows has DUMPED making a port so that Linux based games can run under DX sence version 8.1..
As an Office machine, there are BETTER, was BETTER, and will ALWAYS be better software out on the market for OTHER OS’s.. And most groups dont need anything better then a C64 to write letters or make spread sheets(mutiplan was great)..
Why do we or companies need MORE then we use on a system.. Most home systems are used for gaming and the internet, and business systems have LITTLE need for high res graphics for GAMES. typing, spreadsheets, a calendar, and few other programs are really needed and maybe a small presentation software..

PS, you REALLy like games? Go to Europe or Japan, with their 10 times more releases in those areas.

# 32 Tetsuo said, on March 29th, 2006 at 11:03 pm

ECA – first, learn to type. Please. Second, learn to think – Europe does NOT have 10x more releases game-wise, and that’s common knowledge. Third, writing words ALL IN CAPS for NO apparent REASON other than TO be a TWAT is ANnoyING sO pLeAsE STOP doing IT.

Basically, to sum up:

Stop.

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