10 Reasons Why Vista Missed the Mark
The VAR Guy knows Windows Vista will eventually run on most corporate desktops. But early sales in the consumer market have been softer than some analysts expected. For those of us who covered Windows 95’s launch more than a decade ago, Windows Vista has been a yawn. These 10 questions—and their answers—reveal why Vista isn’t the hit some pundits expected.
1. Where do you spend your time? A decade ago, most of us lived in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. We cheered when Windows 95 and its Office 95 counterpart arrived with 32-bit preemptive multitasking. They were huge improvements over the 16-bit Windows 3.x alternatives. Today, The VAR Guy spends the bulk of his time in email, online blogging software, Skype or Firefox. Vista does little, if anything, to help his experience in those applications.
2. How do you get information? In 1995, The VAR Guy and other trade reporters wrote weekly stories for InformationWeek, InfoWorld and PC Week. Microsoft worked overtime to influence how the news was covered, offering beta testers as potential sources for our stories. From around mid-1993 to August 1995, each trade reporter covering Microsoft had about 100 total chances (one per week) to describe the highs and lows of Windows 95. Today, bloggers covering Microsoft pump out 10 to 25 online posts per week, working around the clock, testing software on their own and sharing concerns on the Web faster than Microsoft can effectively react. As a result, the Vista press coverage has been more independent and more balanced compared to the Windows 95 love fest from a decade ago.
3. How do you acquire software? Some of us actually purchased Windows 95 on disk. Others preferred it on CD-ROM. Today, more of us prefer online applications. For those who move to Vista, the vast majority will do so through PC hardware purchases. The days of multi-hour manual software upgrades are over.
4. Who controls the desktop? A decade ago, Microsoft’s grip on the market was so firm that PC makers didn’t dare to change a single icon on the desktop. PC vendors that attempted to remove the Internet Explorer icon from PC desktops risked losing access to Windows. Today, the open source movement and innovations from Apple and Google have restored competition on the desktop. PC vendors are now willing to take a few risks in the software sector if leads to new sales.
5. How’s your memory? During Windows 95’s early design stage, Microsoft promised that the operating system would run in 4MB of memory. In stunning contrast, Windows Vista requires about 1GB of memory for full performance. Does Vista deliver 250 times the power for 250 times the memory requirements of Windows 95? Doubtful. Users want fast, responsive software. They want frequent, tightly written enhancements delivered over the Web—not annoying bug fixes or service packs , and not big upgrades delivered every five years.
6. Who’s the competition? In 1995, OS/2 was on its last legs because ISVs, PC makers, customers and even IBM CEO Lou Gertsner didn’t want it. And Apple nearly closed up shop amid repeated delays of its next operating system, code-named Copland. Although Microsoft still dominates today’s desktops, there are now real alternatives in the market. The VAR Guy is writing this blog using Mac OS X. And about 10 percent of you are reading this blog using a non-Windows desktop, mobile or handheld device.
7. What are the killer features? Windows 95 was miles ahead of Windows 3x. Built-in networking, preemptive multitasking, a new user interface, loads of new applications, and plug-and-play software drivers (heck, sometimes PnP actually worked). There were dozens of reasons to jump from Windows 3.x to Windows 95. Today, Microsoft is evangelizing Vista’s improved security, desktop search and 3-D user interface in the consumer market. Ho hum.
8. Where are the profits for VARs? Windows 95, when compared to Windows 3.x, certainly lowered the total cost of managing PCs. That made the upgrade a compelling sell for VARs. Windows Vista may be a worthy upgrade to Windows XP—but can VARs really explain why customers will benefit from the upgrade?
9. Where’s Compaq, Dell, Digital Equipment, the IBM PC Company and Packard Bell? Many PC companies from the Windows 95 era either shut down or got acquired. Those that survive (particularly Dell) are struggling to grow their profits. In the consolidated PC industry, vendors are more likely to try non-Microsoft approaches if the risk can generate rewarding profits.
10. Where is the industry going? Smaller, cheaper, lighter. Just about every IT vendor is moving in that direction, designing tiny smart phones, introducing free (but advertising-based) online services and delivering software that runs easily on numerous devices. With Windows Vista, Microsoft ultimately delivered a much larger operating system with several higher-cost versions and more demanding hardware requirements. While Microsoft spent 5 years designing—and redesigning—Vista, many observers (including The VAR Guy) grew skeptical and moved on.
Still, Vista will gain strength thanks to Microsoft’s own server software developers. As Microsoft introduces upgrades to Dynamics, Exchange Server, Share Point and SQL Server, the upgrades will surely integrate tightly with Vista. At that point, Vista will become part of a larger solution sale for VARs—assuming they haven’t already jumped to LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) and other market alternatives.
Vista won’t live up to the hype but every software company in the world would welcome a “failure” that generates millions of dollars in new revenue right out of the gate.
Yes, very much food for thought.
AND I did read in some Microsoft sales lit that the next MS OS is 2 years away-2009.
Obviously MS never thought Vista was going to take off and yet they don’t support XP with a SP (SP3?). I think they’re back peddaling very quickly and hiding the grand plan. (2009?)
Thanks for checking in, Jimmy. I think it’s unfair to say Microsoft never thought Vista was going to take off. Microsoft has a habit of quietly discussing “future” upgrades even when the company rolls out a new operating system. And as we all know, the future release usually gets delayed multiple times.
Best,
-Joe Panettieri, editor in chief, TechIQ
I am using Vista with O12 now at my work. I don’t see a compelling reason for the upgrade, other than it was forced on us by the IT department. The OS is still an OS, although the User Account Control feature is a miserable experience until you turn it off, but then you are “at risk.” Fancy icons, animated folders, some security features, really it seems like new lipstick and paint to make an old gal seem like what she ain’t. IE seems like the same old IE. I guess I have to ask why it took 5 years for this and, by the way, there are no games included with Vista – not even solitaire.
Thanks for keeping the discussion going, Housedog. There was a post today on digg.com mentioning that the vast majority of Vista news stories also mention Mac OS X. That type of balanced coverage — and focus on Apple — just didn’t happen a decade ago when Windows 95 arrived. The market truly is interested in Vista — as well as Vista alternatives.
-JP, editor in chief, TechIQ
When it’s time to upgrade my computer to Vista, I’m dumping my Dell and shifting to Apple. We just bought an Apple for our home this weekend and the support, service, attention and care from Apple was fantastic — we actually felt taken care of, quite a difference from the world of Windows. The other thing Apple does is provide training virtually free — $99 a year, which includes other services — so it will make customers for life. In the world of VARs, where hardware is taking a backseat to support and services, being Apple-friendly can only be a good thing.
AJDoctor: Thanks for keeping the dialog going. I just spoke with a few Apple VARs who say business is good this year. Some even report that they have Windows customers who are running only Windows (no Mac OS X) on their Mac hardware because they prefer Windows apps without the PC hardware headaches. Interesting stuff.
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I bought my wife a laptop this year that came, willy nilly, with Vista basic. I can see no advantage at all over XP. It has been nothing but dissapointing, even with 1Gb of ram.
I have been using suse, and later Mandriva, linux at home, and am planning to buy a laptop for myself. I am waiting until Dell include a 17″ widescreen model in the Ubuntu range, then I will spend my money on that.
Some of the UK vendors are now selling laptops with no OS at all, such is the “success” of Vista!
Windows Vista? What’s that? The VAR Guy has selective memory and has tried his best to distance himself from Vista.
http://www.wservernews.com/
Check out the Vista implementation poll results from Sunbelt…interesting that is for sure!
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Except for the word, unVARnished on this blog, what is the meaning of “VAR” ?
I have been using Ubuntu since version 6.nn. I had a few complaints when I couldn’t see printers on my wireless network and switched back to Windows XP and kept up with Ubuntu’s progress, which later 7.04 solved that for me. I’m happy for now. I do miss having full iPod integration but I opted for a COWON iAudio 7 (60 hrs factory-tested battery life, plays many formats amp; Linux/Windows/Mac compatible), which supports drag/drop of music files and does a whole lot more than the iPod nano, at ~$50 cheaper. Depending on the State you live in, COWON can only be bought online and it’s a South Korean product.
a reply to Daniel (#15): VAR = Value Added Reseller, a decades-old term that shows The VAR Guy’s age, and his ability to charge a premium for his IT services.
[…] Admittedly, many businesses have avoided Vista because of the operating system#8217;s massive memory requirements, application compatibility issues and hardware compatibility concerns. The VAR Guy, our sister Web site, has identified 10 reasons why Vista initially missed the mark with customers. […]