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Time:
06:47 EST/11:47 GMT | News Source:
ComputerWorld |
Posted By: Kenneth van Surksum |
Microsoft Corp. yesterday said it would limit support for three versions of the Windows Vista operating system, including its most expensive, to five years rather than the usual 10 years.
The company defended the difference by noting that the clock just started ticking. "End of life-cycle support for Windows Vista is still five years out," a spokesperson said in an e-mail response.
However, the software maker left the door ajar. "As we've done in the past, Microsoft will continue to evaluate the support life cycle for Windows Vista and make decisions about extending support if and when it is necessary," the spokesperson added.
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#1 By
2960 (24.254.95.224)
at
3/1/2007 7:36:52 AM
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Bohica Ruta
TL
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#2 By
65179 (221.128.180.129)
at
3/1/2007 7:39:15 AM
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And someone was arguing that Ultimate is not a consumer edition.
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#3 By
8556 (12.207.97.148)
at
3/1/2007 8:22:56 AM
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This is a blatant effort to force consumers to move to newer OS's in 5 years. If the Linux camp keeps improving the OS and the open source camp keeps adding more consumer friendly software, consumers will consider Linux. Education and advertising would help. I have some customers that seem content with Ubuntu Linux and the bevy of available software offerings. Not everyone has a fat wallet that MS can vacuum money out of. Skyrocketing health care co-payments and increasing yearly deductibles are a major concern for many people that I know. The OS in their PC is not. The cost to update an older PC is about $250. Windows adds another $100+. Windows may be preferred as a familiar product, but it is not required for those that have to choose between doctor visits or paying for an OS.
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#4 By
61 (72.64.142.151)
at
3/1/2007 8:43:33 AM
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bob, that makes absolutely no sense.
Why would consumers switch to Linux because of support? First, consumers don't even know that they get 10 years of support to begin with, and they aren't going to know that it will be going down to 5.
AND on Linux unless you pay Windows prices, you aren't getting support... There is none, and when you do it's around 3 years of support.
Now, that being said, I think this is pretty outrageous.
All that people can really hope for is the fact that Microsoft always ends up extending support an extra 4 or 5 years on every OS version.
But who knows.
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#5 By
32810 (74.119.20.172)
at
3/1/2007 11:09:32 AM
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I haven't even purchased Vista yet. I really hope MS will extend support. It seems to me that Microsoft throws these things out to test the waters, then retracts after public out cry. However, $400 (theoretically) for Ultimate, is a lot to set your hopes on.
This post was edited by midfingr on Thursday, March 01, 2007 at 11:10.
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#6 By
415 (69.245.184.81)
at
3/1/2007 11:12:10 AM
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Just another article trying to make Microsoft look bad.
What the article fails to mention is that when Microsoft releases Vista SP1, that service pack will be supported for the standard five years also. You install the service pack, and your support is extended, and so on.
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#7 By
32313 (208.131.186.18)
at
3/1/2007 11:19:47 AM
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I think its kinda unfair, but at the same time, doesn't matter, never had to call MS Support. My brother is running Windows 98 with Office 97 and he's doing just fine. But, for an SKU that combines the features of both the business and consumer editions, I would at least expect it to get the same 7 to 8 year support.
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#8 By
1896 (68.153.171.248)
at
3/1/2007 11:55:39 AM
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This is really pathetic; "Ultimate" was supposed to add several bonus features but so far I am quite disappointed of what is available. And besides the fact that people could keep or not the OS for ten years the same idea that the support for the most expensive SKU is shorter than the one for other, cheaper SKUs is just stupid! The damge in the feeling people have toward MS is not worth the supposed savings.
Sooner Gates and Co will realize that a company cannot be run by bean counters only better will be for stockholders and customers.
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#9 By
16045 (208.250.9.25)
at
3/1/2007 12:43:01 PM
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Hey - Ultimate is great for those of us who have tablets that want to run Media Center!!! oh... wait a minute...
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#10 By
8556 (12.207.97.148)
at
3/1/2007 2:10:23 PM
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CPUguy: in #3 I only stated that consumers would consider Linux in the future, not that they would switch to it. That said, Ubuntu is currently viable for most consumers. With the partnership with Linspire, this alternative OS will only get better.
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#11 By
2960 (24.254.95.224)
at
3/2/2007 9:03:03 AM
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#6,
And this is written where?
TL
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#12 By
2960 (24.254.95.224)
at
3/2/2007 9:05:03 AM
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I'm with Fritzy...
Ultimates has been a ghost town, only intermittently disturbed by the occasional sagebrush blowing by.
And now we get 5 years less support for our extra $100.
What a scam.
TL
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#13 By
15406 (216.191.227.68)
at
3/2/2007 9:27:51 AM
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#12: Wow, I better hold off then before I rush out and buy Vista... *cough* OK I couldn't say that with a straight face. I predict my home lab will be a mix of XP and Ubuntu for quite some time.
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#14 By
23275 (24.179.4.158)
at
3/2/2007 2:15:46 PM
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Someone please help me out here... "has that which defines an enthusiast changed?"
I assess that an enthusiast, or small business owner who needs and wants all available Windows Vista features and extras - where such a person would at least be enthusiastic about their business, would consider and buy only one version of Windows Vista - namely, a fully boxed retail version of Windows Vista Ultimate.
I further assess that any computer enthusiast would already know and understand what differentiates Vista Ultimate from other versions of Vista - to these users and readers of Awin, let me apologize for taking up your time. For other users, please consider what an enthusiast has access to under Windows Vista Ultimate edition:
1. It is the most complete version and contains all features available to all other versions of Vista.
2. Unlike business editions, but like home premium, Ultimate has the new Windows Media Center - BUT, unlike home premium, Ultimate can cache credentials! (any enthusiast understands why this matters0.
3. Unlike business editions, but like home premium, Ultimate supports media center extenders, like the Xbox 360 and V2 MCX extenders, but as above, it can do this while it supports remote desktop sessions as a server - and as it supports the credential cache.
4. Not to be redundant, but it deserves its own line item, Ultimate supports the remote desktop protocol as a server/host
5. Ultimate supports both enhanced Bitlocker and EFS functions and ease of use/set up of each.
6. Ultimate supports the online safe storage of the keys associated with EFS/Bitlocker - very important to small business users.
7. Unlike home edition, Ultimate has a complete and automated backup and restore capability.
8. Ultimate can be joined to Windows Server Active Directory Domains
9. Unlike business editions, Ultimate has DVD Maker
10. Unlike business editions, Ultimate has HD support in Movie Maker
11. Unlike business editions, Ultimate has access to premium games
12. Ultimate has increased support for virtualization - even on a MAC
13. Ultimate edition, as defined here, includes both 32 and 64 bit installation media and support.
14. Ultimate edition has support for as many installations to as many different configurations as an enthusiast would want [again, boxed retail and on only one machine at any one time].
15. Ultimate edition provides access to two (2) additional Home Premium licenses for only 50 dollars each! [in USD].
16. Ultimate edition does have Windows Vista Ultimate Extras, and while presently limited, I am sure that over time, a great deal will be delivered to Vista Ultimate users - that said, Ultimate users already have access to features no other user has access to.
17. Windows Vista Ultimate edition - in retail form as I assess "enthusiasts" will buy, DOES HAVE direct support from Microsoft - NOT/NOT an OEM, or some other party.
From where I sit, as a technology enthusiast and technology business owner building some of our solutions using Microsoft software, I assess that Windows Vista Ultimate edition offers a great deal. I submit that enthusiasts will have explored each of its unique features and its completeness... unless of course... what defines an enthusiast is different from what I understand it to be. For the record, if what it is to be an enthusiast is now less than what it used to be - then count me out and at the same time grateful to be an old man nostalgic for a time that may have passed.
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#15 By
73040 (158.106.50.3)
at
3/2/2007 3:54:25 PM
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I wonder if there is MS Technology that #14 hasn't dove head first into? I myself is a young computer hobbiest whom gets these stats from YOU the technology enthusiast BUT there has too be a fine line here,I've read alot of #14 post and I have never heard him bash or degrade any MS Technology.
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#16 By
23275 (24.179.4.158)
at
3/2/2007 5:48:16 PM
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#15, Trust me... there is plenty in Windows and Vista that I do not like - if you'd read my posts when exposed to BETA2, you'd have thought Latch and I grew up drinking out of the same sippy cup.
Couple of points...
1) I am not going to be a man that lives according to what I don't like in something, someone, or anything, for that matter. I truly believe that if one focuses on that which is good, then one is more likely to get a good result - that goes for all things and it very basically is that one cannot allow anything or anyone that is "bad" to shape what they do - which as I see it, is what they are, or become.
2) There is not one thing at my post in #14 that is not true - not one. I am very careful about that sort of thing.
3) I am not going to be one that, for the purposes of some kind of "street cred" - is going to publicly crap on Microsoft, or anyone. It doesn't help and it's foolish - it makes one as bad or worse than that which they are crictical of.
4) Right now I have four BETA's running with MS - in that forum, and where it is most appropriate and helpful, I do point out that which I do not much care for, or would like to see changed. Doing so publicly won't result in much change. These are of course only the MS BETA's - we have dozens of our own innovations running - including a great many public service initiatives that are designed to provide young people real-world, hands on experience and education from experts, professors, and leaders of all types. We call it, "eXposure" - that is of course, only one initiative - we have some 30 others similar to it.
Finally, yes, I do get into all MS technologies and run most of their servers - we build solutions based upon them, which as a full service provider, is very helpful to our customers and my business. Much of what I drop here is derived from other messages, memos and mails I send out regarding that work - so it is very efficient and fast to paste some of that here. There are other reasons for sharing here, too - owing to some support I extend to Awin as a site - young men I admire and wanted to help [so some posts are simply to test the user experience].
If you find something that is not supportable in any of my posts, please let me know - I'll work to make them better and perhaps more helpful.
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