02.18.10
Please Don’t Compare Microsoft Vapourware to Today’s GNU/Linux
Summary: Improper comparisons even from Linux-branded Web sites are only helping Microsoft sell fantasy
WE were rather upset to see Vista 8 vapourware being directly compared to a release of GNU/Linux which is just 2 months ago. These are precisely the type of comparisons Microsoft wants people to see because it deceives and thus it “freezes the market”. See proof below. █
“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]
“The purpose of announcing early like this is to freeze the market at the OEM and ISV level. In this respect it is JUST like the original Windows announcement…
“One might worry that this will help Sun because we will just have vaporware, that people will stop buying 486 machines, that we will have endorsed RISC but not delivered… So, Scott, do you really think you can fight that avalanche?”
dyfet said,
February 18, 2010 at 5:59 am
I found that article to be both extremely idiotic and rather dishonest as well. Now if one wants to speculate what GNU/Linux might look like by 2012, and compare that to speculating what Vista 8 “might” look like, that could still be stupid, but at least more honest.
Needs Sunlight said,
February 18, 2010 at 6:22 am
@dyfet : AFAIK, Microsoft has always used vaporware as part of its marketing campaign. I can’t think of very many, if any, occasions where Microsofters have ever compared the current version in useof their product to the current version of the established products.
As far as selling goes, Microsoft doesn’t sell software, it sells phantasies.
Vaporware was one of the factors that blocked OS/2. However, the main factors were Microsoft executives reneging on their contract to provide applications and that Microsoft owned much of the OS/2. The former enabled the marketeers to claim a shortage of apps. The latter enabled the company to hinder future development and even block it from being sold or open sourced.
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
February 18th, 2010 at 6:43 am
Here is a video where DRI’s CEO explains how Microsoft used vapourware against him.