Ballmer: Windows Vista a “work in progress”

by Stevie Smith - Apr 21 2008, 14:11

Most adopters of the Windows Vista operating system would like to believe that their purchase -- periodic updates notwithstanding -- is a finished product. However, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the American software giant views it more like an ongoing project.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sees Windows Vista as a work in progress. Credit: Gabofr/Flickr.

Windows Vista is “a work in progress,” said Ballmer while addressing a gathering of Microsoft’s ‘Most Valuable Professionals’ (MVPs) in Seattle. “[It’s] a very important piece of work, and I think we did a lot of things right, and I think we have a lot of things we need to learn from.”“Certainly, you never want to let five years go between releases. Can we just sort of kiss that stone and move on?” Ballmer added in reference to the unusually lengthy stopgap period separating Windows XP and Windows Vista. “It turns out many things become problematic when you have those long release cycles. The design point, what you should be targeting. We can’t ever let that happen again.”Ballmer’s comments follow the February unveiling of the eagerly awaited patch and fix-based Windows Vista SP1 (Service Pack 1) update, which addressed many of the persistent and troublesome issues piling up against Vista’s somewhat fragile reputation since its January 2007 release.In offering a measured response to the gathering weight of consumer opinion seeking to pressure Microsoft into extending the retail life of its stalwart XP operating system, which will be officially pulled this coming June, Ballmer would only acknowledge that Microsoft had indeed received such communications from XP supporters.However, he was also keen to point out that, contrary to popular opinion, Windows Vista has more than its fair share of thoroughly satisfied users.In terms of prolonging retail and technical support for XP, Microsoft has thus-far refused to offer any sort of conventional desktop and laptop extension beyond introducing the operating system for inclusion on ultra low-cost computer solutions such as the ASUStek Eee PC 900 series until June of 2010.

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Dick KolklayshrApr 21st, 2008 - 20:43:51

I can offer no polls, trends, reviews. I can offer this tidbit of information 'I want nothing to do with Windows Vista so to replace my broken Laptop I went to Best Buy and bought a MacBook'. It probably cost a $500 dollar premium over a Windows Vista laptop but it is turning out to be a bargin. Some of my old software even works. (The Windows application install CD's had a Mac OS X version included.)

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