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Microsoft CEO Admits That Vista 7 is Just Vapourware, Opera Complaints About It

Vista 7



"In the face of strong competition, Evangelism's focus may shift immediately to the next version of the same technology, however. Indeed, Phase 1 (Evangelism Starts) for version x+1 may start as soon as this Final Release of version X."

--Microsoft, internal document [PDF]



Summary: More bad news for Vista 7, whose prospects as of late have come under heavy scrutiny

SJVN has just published this article about Vista 7. The headline says it all and it relates to Microsoft's very own definition of "vaporware" (leaked by antitrust action). As the quote at the top shows, it is no surprise that Microsoft never talks about Vista anymore; instead it talks about a product that cannot be properly judged because it does not exist yet. In the mean time, all that Vista 7 is gets monitored by "perception management" methods [1, 2]. Punishments and awards are being used to police coverage.

Ballmer says Windows 7 is vaporware



[...]

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, shocked attendees at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner conference in New Orleans yesterday when he announced that while Windows 7 is certainly interesting since it won't ship until late this year it's little more than vaporware.

Ballmer continued, to the stunned audience of Microsoft programmers' amazement, to say that "I don't know if we can't make up our mind or what our problem is over here, but the last time I checked, you don't need two client operating systems. It's good to have one."

[...]

Wait. What's this? Oh, I see! Ballmer was actually talking about Google's just announced Linux-based Chrome operating system. and Android. Funny that. You see, everything he said about Google and its plans actually applies far more to Microsoft and its way of doing business than it does Google. Interesting isn't it?


In other interesting news (which mostly repeats what was known), Opera is still dennouncing Vista 7 RC for being anti-competitive by design.

WEB BROWSER outfit Opera, which sparked an EU antitrust investigation into Microsoft's business practices in Europe, remains dissatisfied with its rival's move to unbundle Internet Exploder 8 from Windows 7.


Contrary to Microsoft spin from the BBC, it was neither the desire of Opera nor the European Commission to have IE8 stripped from Vista 7. It was Microsoft's decision, which Opera immediately called "a game". Here is another report.

Opera Software, the Norwegian browser maker that sparked an antitrust investigation into Microsoft business practices in Europe, remains dissatisfied with its rival's move to dump IE8 from Windows 7.


It should be clear that Microsoft wants to give the illusion that people actually choose IE (even if OEMs make the choice), that Opera is nasty and whiny, and that the European Commission ruined Vista 7. Microsoft obeyed no demands from Opera or the European Commission. Microsoft used antitrust scrutiny to its advantage by pulling yet another stunt. Then, Microsoft used its front groups (e.g. CompTIA) to spin it in the press. Will Microsoft get away with it again?

“Microsoft is, I think, fundamentally an evil company.”

--Former Netscape Chairman James H. Clark



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