vista
(^) revisited
Microsoft Concedes Vista Launch Problems
Abandoning the pretense that Vista is the perfect OS, Microsoft reps sat down with us
to discuss the OS’s problems in a (kind of) frank conversation
W
e were surprised when Micro-
soft reps agreed to discuss Vista’s
launch problems and what the
company has done to fix them. We were
surprised not only that they agreed to
answer our questions with candor, but that
they were speaking to us at all. Our initial
conversation occurred in June and set the
stage for the article you’re reading. This
dialogue also marked the first time in eight
years that we had a private conversation
with any Microsoft employee without a
PR manager present. The answers we got
during this mid-June background conver-
sation were brutally honest: Our source, a
high-ranking Windows product manager,
conceded that Microsoft botched the Vista
launch. He added that the company’s
biggest concern wasn’t the OS but rather
the eroded faith in Microsoft’s flagship
product among users of all types and
experience levels.
Our conversation was refreshingly
frank, and no topic appeared off limits.
To wit:
Our Microsoft source blamed bad drivers
from GPU companies and printer com-
panies for the majority of Vista’s early
stability problems.
He described User Account Control as
poorly implemented but defended it as
necessary for the continued health of the
Windows platform.
He admitted that spending the money to
port DirectX 10 to Windows XP would
have been worth the expense.
He assailed OEM system builders for in-
cluding bad, buggy, or just plain useless
apps on their machines in exchange for
a few bucks on the back end.
He described the Games for Windows
initiative as a disaster, with nothing more
than 64-bit compatibility for games to
show for years of effort.
He conceded that Apple appeals to more
and more consumers because the hard-
ware is slick, the price is OK, and Apple
doesn’t annoy its customers (or allow
third parties to).
Yes, the June conversation was
dazzlingly candid, and we were looking
forward to an equally blunt follow-up
meeting—a scheduled late-July on-the-
record interview with Erik Lustig, a senior
product manager responsible for Windows
Fundamentals. But then the universe as we
know it returned to normal, and Microsoft
became Microsoft again. Our interview
with Lustig was overseen by a PR represen-
tative and was filled with the type of care-
fully measured language that we’ve come
to expect from Microsoft when discussing
“challenges.” A “challenge” is Microsoftese
for anything that isn’t going according to
the company’s carefully choreographed
plans. In the text that follows, we’ve com-
bined the information conveyed during the
mid-June background conversation with
decoded translations of the “on the record”
conversation we had in July. The contrast
between the two interviews is stunning.
We herewith give you a snapshot of
Microsoft’s take on Vista launch problems.
34 | MAXIMUMPC | oct 08 | http://www.maximumpc.com
Microsoft’s to-Do list
Admitting to Unfinished Business
Microsoft has acknowledged—and addressed—several of Vista’s short-
comings over the last 18 months. However, the company willingly con-
cedes there are a few key areas that still need attention:
› User AccoUnt control “UAc was a version-one technology in Vis-
ta, and it was made for some very good reasons,” said lustig. “of course,
we know that [it causes some of] the compatibility issues and frustration
issues [in Vista]. there are opportunities to continue [to improve how UAc
interacts with the user].”
› ActivAtion Activation annoys us. it punishes paying customers by
forcing them to phone-activate their machines, yet pirates avoid the an-
noyance entirely. Microsoft acknowledged this irony but still stands behind
activation. “Just because a particular technology has a loophole that some
dishonest folks have figured out doesn’t mean we shouldn’t invest in an
activation technology to bring value to the platform for consumers,” lustig
said. “if we can provide additional value [to paying customers] now and in
the future, that’s really what the advantage is.”
› version overloAd Users who want to purchase Vista are still faced
with a paralyzing set of choices. With no fewer than four editions of Vista
on retail shelves, it’s difficult for a normal consumer to know what they
actually need. from conversations we’ve had with Microsoft insiders, we
know they’re aware of the problem and are addressing it with Windows 7.
Whether that’s by reducing the number of versions or adding functionality
to further differentiate Windows flavors, we don’t know.