"Mike Hall - MVP" <mikehall@remove_mvps.com> wrote in message
news:OpeRDj%23wIHA.4772@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> Mind you, Vista is a bad batch of soup, the best place is the garborator.
>
> You people don't give up easily, do you. This argument has been raging for
> years, but only at user level mainly because users don't understand the
> whole picture.

Most people who spend $1000 for a nice system for home don't know how to
replace or dual boot and install another OS. They just assume the OS is a
native part of the computer. WinMe, I gave it about the same amount of time.
I gave OS2 about the same too. Loved OS2, but the driver support was just
too bad for it to be useful. And I get calls from non-tech friends and
relatives, unanimous, Vista is not the best.

Users (technical or not) understand the _full_ picture absolutely. For
without users, there would be absolutely no need for Microsoft. Microsoft
is in a false sense of security because of the monopoly position with PC
vendors, but with Eee PC (Linux) and a hoard of new systems like it the base
is crumbling.

Problem is Redmond wants to lead myopically and push customers, not service
their needs. They want to pump profits in a commodity market by fast
regurgitation of old tech making it unstable. And are now failing. It will
be slow to start, like the mainframe. But Microsoft zenith has passed if
they don't change course fast.

People are tired of the crash learn of big changes. If they have to, it had
better be cheap.

Businesses are balking at the fast expensive refresh cycle. They expect a
2-3 year old device to work with a PC today. This is NOT unreasonable.
Would you buy a car you couldn't get tires or spare parts for in as little
as 3 years? Or a car that needed a major over haul every 3 years? This is
why many businesses still run W2000.

Software, including the OS needs to be a series of smaller, more planned and
evolutionary steps. Vista is a complete failure in this regard. Thus,
continuous improvement of unfinished Vista is improbable. Just minimal
patchwork. It is in "maintenance" mode while everyone runs off to Win 7.

A few suggestions to Microsoft:

We know you know your software market has hits it's elasticity of growth in
dollars and cents. Software, including the OS is now going to follow
hardware as a commodity item. Microsoft aught to gear for this now, and not
wait for 4 quarters of declining revenue to hear the wake up call.

Evolve the OS with compatibility in mind, perhaps on a subscription basis.
But don't expect $300/3 years for Vista. It needs to be like $20/year tops.
When you buy a PC it is prepaid for 3 years, like a car warranty. Ditto
MS-Office. Only rich fools go out and buy the full MS-Office ultimate.

Let the user chose, loose the WeSaySo corporation attitude. Users know what
they want. This means XP will not die until the users don't want it any
more. Even Ford still makes a Taurus. And due to it's popularity and
longevity, I can still get parts for it 12 years later.

Simplify licensing. Your own people don't understand it very well. Quit
packaging a product like Vista 17 different ways confusing everyone. An OS
isn't a Lamborghini. And it will never sell like it either.