From: mike 


http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199201492

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In the latest sign that Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system may be
destined for less than overwhelming commercial success, a new
InformationWeek survey has found that nearly one third of businesses do not
plan on upgrading their computers to the much-hyped software.

Tech professionals at the businesses surveyed were asked the following
question: "When, if ever, does your company plan to purchase and
install Windows Vista?"

One quarter of the 612 survey respondents said they were already using the
new OS; 13% said they would do so in the next 12 months, while 27% said
their companies would adopt Windows Vista more than one year from now.

But in what will surely be viewed as disappointing news at Microsoft
headquarters in Redmond, WA, a full 30% of those surveyed said they had no
plans to upgrade their systems to Windows Vista -- not ever.

"While security enhancements remain the primary reason for companies
to adopt Windows Vista, concerns about compatibility and cost are still out
there," wrote survey author Lisa Smith, InformationWeek's managing
editor for research.

Indeed, Windows Vista compatibility issues are causing numerous headaches
for Microsoft and its tech industry partners.

A number of major federal agencies, including NASA, the U.S. Department of
Transportation, and the Federal Aviation Administration, have all decided
to forego -- at least for now -- moving their desktop systems from Windows
XP to Windows Vista, in part because some of their current business
applications won't function properly on the OS.

Some prestigious universities, such as MIT and Stanford, have also shelved
Windows Vista upgrades until compatibility issues can be resolved.

Meanwhile, consumer demand for Windows XP -- Windows Vista's predecessor
-- recently forced computer maker Dell to reintroduce the older
Microsoft operating system as an option on its home systems.

Dell provided few details about the move, but many PC buyers have reported
serious compatibility issues between Windows Vista and their favorite
applications and hardware products.

One disgruntled tech enthusiast recently established a Web site with an eye
to garnering support for a class action suit against graphics card
manufacturer Nvidia. The consumer, Dan Goldman of New York City, charges
that Nvidia's claim that its products are Windows Vista compatible are
false.

What's behind Vista's compatibility gap? Microsoft has acknowledged that
rewriting Windows XP applications for Windows Vista is a more difficult
task than what faced independent software developers when they had to port
their products to Windows XP from Windows 2000 and Windows ME in 2001.

The trouble is in part due to advanced Windows Vista security features like
BitLocker and the User Account Control -- designed to prevent users from
changing their desktop footprint without approval from an IT administrator.
Coding applications to work with those features can be tricky, Microsoft
has said.

Heavy system requirements may also be causing business and consumers to shy
away from Windows Vista, at least for now. To experience all of Vista's
features, PC users need a computer with at least a 1-GHz processor, 1 Gbyte
of memory, and a 40-Gbyte hard drive. That's far beyond what's required for
routine business computing tasks like word processing, running a
spreadsheet, or sending e-mails.

By contrast, Windows XP Professional requires only a 300-MHz processor, 128
Mbytes of RAM, and a 1.5-Gbyte disk.

Businesses may thus see little reason to buy expensive new computers just
to run Windows Vista, when their current systems are fully capable of
getting the job done.

Windows Vista held a 2.04% share of the operating system market as of the
end of March -- two months after the software was released for sale to the
general public. Windows XP held an 83.57% share as of March 30, according
to Net Applications.

Despite the ominous signs, Microsoft insists that Windows Vista is selling
well. It recently stated that it sold 20 million Windows Vista licenses in
the product's first month of availability, compared to 17 million Windows
XP sales in that OS's first two months on the market.

More insight into Windows Vista's early sales performance could be revealed
when Microsoft reports third quarter earnings on Thursday. The full version
of InformationWeek's Windows Vista survey is slated for release in early
May.
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  /m

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