The Great Question of Vista SP1’s Ship Date

I ask this question because whenever I speak about or present a class about Vista, someone always chimes in with, “Do you think WP1 will ship on time?” My usual response is to look confused, cock my head, and ask my interlocutor, “Why would you want that?” The questioner usually responds, “Well, there’s so much in the press about it, and Microsoft is being so secretive...” Perhaps I missed a memo.

Let’s take a moment to consider the matter.

I can’t speak for Vista SP1’s supposed lateness, but I’d argue that Microsoft shipped Vista too early. In March 2006, Microsoft determined that it would be unable to get Vista out the door in time for hardware vendors to have Vista-equipped systems for sale in the Christmas 2006 shopping season. That announcement made hardware vendors unhappy, and their stocks dropped. Everyone was mad at Microsoft. That’s understandable. What I don’t understand is why Microsoft then buckled down and did everything in its power to ship Vista a mere month after its target ship date. I mean, the company had already missed the big Christmas date; what was the big rush to get Vista on the shelves in January? Those popular Martin Luther King Birthday PC sales? . . .