Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 23rd Jul 2007 12:54 UTC
Windows Six months ago, after a long gestation period, Microsoft finally released Windows Vista. Vista is a huge release; not only because of the long list of new features, but also because of its sheer size, and number of bugs and other oddities and downsides. The development process that lead to Vista has left many with a very bitter aftertaste; features were cut, codebases were scrapped, release dates postponed. A few days ago, Microsoft released some sparse details on Vista's successor, internally dubbed 'Windows 7', and in order to prevent another Vista-like development cycle, here is what I would advise Microsoft to do. Update: APCMag reports that Julie Larson-Green, who was the driving force behind Office 2007's new Ribbon user interface, has been transferred to the Windows 7 GUI team.
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RE: The bitter aftertaste of Vista
by Flatline on Mon 23rd Jul 2007 13:46 UTC in reply to "The bitter aftertaste of Vista"
Flatline
Member since:
2006-03-06

Overpriced, maybe, but hardly vaporware. Vista was released over 6 months ago...released software is by definition not vaporware.

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 5

Milo_Hoffman Member since:
2005-07-06

>not vaportware...


Ummm... I think he was talking about the fact that 99% of the "promised" and "hyped" features that were supposed to be in Visia never materialized, aka WINFS etc.

aka... its a vaporware relase through and through.

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 5

Soulbender Member since:
2005-08-18

"its a vaporware relase through and through."

Uh no, it may be a dissapointment but it is not vaporware. Vaporware is overhyped software that has not yet been released.

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 4

orestes Member since:
2005-07-06

WINFS has been vaporware since the "Cairo" days. Aside from that, what was Vista missing that was promised?

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 4

MollyC Member since:
2006-07-04

"Ummm... I think he was talking about the fact that 99% of the "promised" and "hyped" features that were supposed to be in Visia never materialized, aka WINFS etc.

aka... its a vaporware relase through and through."



If you would, could you please expand on the "WINFS etc"? I've notice that lots of people say that Vista was stripped of a huge number of features, then to support that assertion they give "WINFS etc" as their examples. Can you or somebody else provide a complete list of cut features besides WINFS (so we can see just how many features were cut and judge how important those features were)?

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 2

twickline Member since:
2005-12-31

Vaporware is a software or hardware product which is announced by a developer well in advance of release, but which then fails to emerge, either with or without a protracted development cycle. The term implies unwarranted optimism, or sometimes even deception; that is, it may imply that the announcer knows that product development is in too early a stage to support responsible statements about its completion date, feature set, or even feasibility.

The development process that lead to Vista has left many with a very bitter aftertaste; features were cut, codebases were scrapped, release dates postponed.

OK....... it's only 98% Vaporware the one thing they did do was release it. ;)

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 1

sappyvcv Member since:
2005-07-06

va·por·ware (vā'pər-wâr')
n.

New software that has been announced or marketed but has not been produced.

--

Software that is not yet in production, but the announced delivery date has long since passed.

--

If you want to define vaporware simply as software being announced way in advanced, KDE4 might even fall under that. Heck, it fits the definition on some sites:
Products announced far in advance of any release (which may or may not actually take place).

The most common definition of vaporware is software that is announced but never comes. You knew Vista was coming, one way or another.

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 2

chemical_scum Member since:
2005-11-02

Maybe we could say Longhorn was Vaporware and Vista is Evaporated ware.

Reply Parent Bookmark Score: 5