A couple of days ago, a Reuters article on the PC Magazine website quoted the soon-to-leave chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates, as being so excited about the next revision of Windows he was about to wet himself (my words). In this age of so much FUD from the Redmond giant, and the ‘definite uncertainty’ we see in their press releases everyday, should we really give any credence to this ultimate salesman? After all, for all the mis-credit he gets for his apocryphal genius, it is in fact his consummate skill as a salesman and shill that should be celebrated.

For all the gushing about the next revision of Windows, should we not see some of this as simply entrepreneurial bravado and posturing? After all, if he waxes on about the forthcoming greatness of a piece of vaporware, we are misdirected from our current doubts and beliefs about the state of things in Redmond, the general imperfection that is Vista, and the lack of speed this lumbering giant shows on delivery of simple repairs, much less any ‘ultimate extras’.

Mr. Gates speaks of a new version of Windows in a year or so. Although I wasn’t there to hear the emphasis on the words, I would hope that lots of force was put on the last two words. Remember that Vista was charted as coming our way in 2005, complete with a plethora of new features? Instead it came to us in 2007, with the most vaunted features quietly swept under the carpet, perhaps never to be spoken of again.

Another story concerning the interview in Florida, on itwire.com, tells of how it might be releasing a subtly patched version of Server 2008 he is talking about - but that would be a rehash of Vista, one of the biggest disappointments the company has ever produced. Is this how he wants to go out? I wouldn’t think that, inside himself, Bill can be very happy with the way things are going. After all, he has more money than he can ever hope to realistically spend, and the coffers get larger each day - so the motivation at this point should be his legacy. Does he want to be known as the micromanager who kept things going while there, but was unable to put competent people in place as he left?  

July has not rolled around yet - perhaps that early retirement will be postponed, and more work on a legacy, and the business of being Microsoft will be contemplated.

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Tags: microsoft vista successor, windows 7, bill gates, interviews, vaporware, fud, shill