4 replies to this topic

[Neon]

Microsoft has a code name for the next version of Windows. But what is the planned delivery date for the product, as well as its successor, 'Vienna'? No one's talking, but plenty are speculating.

Will the delay in Microsoft's Windows Vista have a domino effect on other planned releases of Windows?
Partner sources close to the company said that Microsoft has sketched out plans for Windows "Fiji" (also referred to by some Microsoft watchers as Vista R2) – the version of Windows set to follow Vista -- as for Windows "Vienna," the successor to Fiji, partner sources close to the company said.

Microsoft has not shared broadly its working feature set for Fiji, according to partners contacted by Microsoft Watch. Nor have company executives talked about what's on tap for Vienna, the version of Windows formerly code-named "Blackcomb." And exactly when either Fiji or Vienna will hit is anyone's guess.

Since Microsoft announced at the end of March that Vista was running behind schedule and would not be ready to launch in time for the 2006 holiday season, Microsoft brass have gone mum about its future plans for its desktop and server Windows releases. When asked about the Windows rollout schedule, Microsoft officials decline to comment, insisting that all hands are working on fixing Vista bugs to get that product to manufacturing in the latter half of 2006.

Before Microsoft officials made the decision to delay Vista's launch until January 2007, Microsoft was shooting to roll out a new version of Windows desktop and Windows server every two years. Until recently, that made Fiji's target delivery date 2008 and Vienna's 2010. Longhorn Server, meanwhile, was (and still is, according to Microsoft's last official word on the subject) slated for release in 2007. Longhorn Server R2 was targeted for 2009 and Vienna Server for 2011.

Will pushing back Vista's release-to-manufacturing date by a few weeks or months play havoc with these already tentative schedules?

"I really don't see any evidence that the Windows team can work on two releases such as a client and a server release, or even a release and a service pack such as Vista and XP SP3 in parallel," said Michael Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft in Kirkland, Wash. "Yes some work can occur in parallel but for the most part, historical evidence is that Windows development is serialized, so that a delay in one product ripples into every other product.

"Although Microsoft claims it has made process improvements there is no evidence these changes have made substantial improvements, but rather, with increasing feature dependencies and complexities the improvements are letting them hold their own," Cherry continued.

"While some feature groups likely don't overlap or create dependencies, for example changes to Media Player, Movie Maker, and Media Center probably do not create dependencies between the client and server editions, other features, such as the core operating system (OS), networking and security likely do create dependencies between client and server. So based on previous history, it is reasonable so assume that any delay in Vista pushes the next server release out by an equal or greater delay," Cherry said.

[ShadowFox]

I think that if they want to get it out by 2011 thye need ot get to work on it maybe a year after the relase of vista get some of the core done then work their way towards the final product taking in the constructive critisism from all the users, fixing the problems we are going to inevitably run into in Vista... I don't think it'll hurt Vienna too much if they push Vista back a couple of months... however.... look at Sony and the PS3 it might not be too good of an Idea to wait to put Vista out... they need to get this stuff done!

[stevenaxe]

Shouldn't someone add a fiji subforum?

Edited by stevenaxe, 16 April 2006 - 08:51 PM.

[Neon]

All deprends

Shadowfox may be a bit upset about this, he is all for vienna

[ShadowFox]

HAHA ROFL "More Work, Less Money"
NO FIJI ONLY VIENNA and the more and more MS falls behind just gives me more ane mmore room to come in and steal the MS users XD