Do these People Listen to What Escapes from Their Mouths?

I don’t think so.

Perhaps the message is not clearly spread across the company, or maybe they all need to ‘huddle’ before the quarterback (Steve Ballmer) calls break, and they all go forth to spread the Microsoft gospel.

“If you are running XP today, my best advice is to move to Vista today,” Curran said. “Most businesses will wait for the first service pack for Windows 7 [before deploying it], but some will test Vista and [realize] they can get benefits [over XP] here today.” Curran’s words echoed those of Ballmer in October, when the Microsoft chief said he accepted that some companies would skip Vista, but recommended that they try Vista anyway due to the compatibility between Vista and Windows 7.

Curran refused to say whether Windows 7 would launch with the same level of marketing campaign that went into the release of Vista. He also said Microsoft had not yet decided on the minimum hardware specification for Windows 7, nor the number of versions in which it would be made available. He did, however, insist that Microsoft was “committed to an enterprise edition” of the operating system.

Now, I realize that business pays less per copy that you and I do, but it seems to me, that after the announcement of the July 1 date of guaranteed upgrades to Windows 7 to those buying Vista on a new machine, it would be much smarter to wait, order on July 1, and get used to using Vista, while knowing that your machines have that upgrade ‘locked in’ with no price worries. (unless Microsoft is committing to a decrease in pricing, where businesses will be guaranteed to pay less than 50% for each upgrade – this certainly does not sound like Microsoft behavior, using the past as a guide)

This also allows a longer period of acclimation while waiting for Service Pack 1, which is, as most know, is what business has learned to do over the years. (and again, avoiding any spikes that might occur in pricing, when the Service Pack arrives – not that it will, but it is the bird in the hand…)

Surely what is happening here is that this is being encouraged for a short term infusion of cash into the Microsoft coffers, but Ballmer, Curran and company should realize that business will not suddenly fall in line because they are so wowed by the glittering lights of CES.

As Mr. Curran had said earlier in his speech

Asked whether businesses should ignore Vista in favor of the upcoming Windows 7, Curran claimed that “the road to Windows 7 is through Vista”.

To take that a bit further, applying logic to the sentence – The road to (a free) Windows 7 should be through Vista (bought on July 1 or later).

-