Joe Wilcox at Microsoft-Watch has been doing more truth-saying about Microsofts various latest deliveries in the PC marketplace than any other IT Trade Press pundit. He has been correct to not be kind to Redmond on Vista, aspects of Live Mesh, and the process of doing the Yahoo-Buy. But on Windows XP, Joe unexpectedly loses his truth-speak – see here.
I am reminded of the assessment of Fake Steve Jobs and what he had to say about former PC-Mag editor Jim Louderback upon his quiting PC Mag to take another post and finally saying that Vista sucked:
“Really? You think? Translation: Now that Im no longer working at PC Mag, I can finally tell you the truth. Vista blows. Vista is a boat anchor. Vista paid my salary for the past few years, but now that Im no longer sucking on the Redmond teat Im going to play hero and tell you what I didnt dare tell you before”.Unfortunately I am getting the same feel for Joe Wilcox and his comments on not extending Windows XP sales beyond June 30th while Windows Vista, XPs replacement, continues to be unacceptable to so many users. Instead of demanding like others that Redmond should make Windows Vista as compatible as XP and as resource effieient – Joe caves into the Redmond mantra that we have to move on no matter how bad Vista is relative to Windows XP.
Joe appears to agree with Redmond – far be it that Microsoft should spend some of those 85-90cent profit per dollar of revenue on allowing Windows XP to exist until Microsoft gets a non-bloated, non-software and hardware incompatible, less security obnoxious, more performant version of Windows Vista out the door. And the cost is neglible if not revenue positive because as Microsoft works to get Vista right Windows XP brings in even more revenue because 1)it has an even higher profit margins than Vista and 2) it helps stem defections to a)Apple, b)Linux and Asus, c)Web 2.0, and d)mobile devices like iPhone, Blackberry, etc.
Joe appears to agree with Redmond that Microsoft should be allowed to shaft end-users who have not been able to buy a PC loaded with Windows XP from any major PC vendor for months while small to large businesses have been able to stall all Vista well into next two years if they so choose. Come on Joe, show some support for the little guy.
Joe appears to agree with Redmond that Infoworld got it wrong and there is no performance advantage of Windows XP over Vista and so why allow XP to exist – just get on with the forced upgrade to Vista.
And finally, Joe appears to be excusing Redmond from finding a way to make XP available after June 30, 2008 on Asus Eee and other Minibook laptops. Hey Joe, can you get the story right on the rumor that this exonerated Minibook version of Windows XP is crippled such that it can only run 2-4 independent applications ??
Really, Joe do you think a)the option of downgrades from Vista to XP is good (Steve Ballmer saying you still have a choice and there is no work involved at all) and b)”Until the Windows ecosystem moves[to devoted Vista only support], customers wont get the best Vista experience” will make a whit of difference? Vista support is as good as Windows support- like the German use of the Umlaut “sometimes, sometimes, always, never.” Really, Joe, do you think this is all Microsoft owes to the Windows brand and long customer loyalty? Come on Joe – you and the IT trade press in general should be demanding a lot more of Microsoft in their “service” to the Windows community. It sounds like we should have somebody watching the so-called Microsoft-Watcher.
Joe Wilcox, truth-speaker on Microsoft, appears to have lost his voice.
PS: Joe, comments are open any time, any day, any minute.