Remember the Tucker

Some decades ago there a new automobile was announced called the Tucker. It
was to be completely new and have a host of new features never before seen
in cars before.

The concept was sound and good. What happened is that schedule, dollars,
and other things entered into the development picture. What resulted
something like 50 prototypes that were nothing like the original concept
car. Basically a compromise to meet schedule and $. It never sold.

Now we have Vista. It's up to MS as to whether it will become the next
Tucker.

Ed

It's hard to say what will happen. I have bad feelings about some of the
things - I beta tested Windows XP (Whistler at the time) and even at Beta 1
it could almost be used as a production machine. At Beta 2, it was
excellent with very few bugs that effected daily use. Beta 2 was when they
introduced the new UI Luna, and it caught everyone by surprise. Most liked
it; some didn't. I was hoping to see something similar in Vista Beta 2, but
it hasn't changed much compared to the previous few builds testers had
access to. The empty splash screen with the grey worm gives it so much of
an "unfinished" look. They should stick a placeholder in there or
something.

Windows XP was a nice upgrade to Windows 2000. It had more eye candy, but
the developers really concentrated on performance. They tweaked the boot
process to make it start up even faster than Windows 2000, and the added UI
stuff performance hit was offset by tweaks in other areas.

It seems all of that has gone out the window with Vista. However, we are
used to being able to use 5 year old machine that get about the same work
done as current machines. Many offices have 3-4 year old machines and they
work perfectly fine in Windows XP. Windows Vista is 5 years newer, so we
can expect it to require current hardware.

Only time will tell how it takes off. I just hope they get much of the
application compatibility fixed soon - that is the main roadblock here. I
can get my work done on a slower system, but I can't on a system that
doesn't run my applications.

Jeff

"Ed Dixon" <eddixon@mtnsys.com> wrote in message
news:OTDQNEagGHA.356@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Some decades ago there a new automobile was announced called the Tucker.
> It was to be completely new and have a host of new features never before
> seen in cars before.
>
> The concept was sound and good. What happened is that schedule, dollars,
> and other things entered into the development picture. What resulted
> something like 50 prototypes that were nothing like the original concept
> car. Basically a compromise to meet schedule and $. It never sold.
>
> Now we have Vista. It's up to MS as to whether it will become the next
> Tucker.
>
> Ed
>
>
>

As was said by John Jay Smith in another post, MS has had many versions of
their OS. Some have clearly represented a real positive change and others
not.

DOS was probably first and it established a standard for years to come.
Win95 and Win98SE were next as clear improvements and additions. Win2000
was the first user version of the NT kernel approach. Initial XP versions
were weak, but by XP SP2, it really stood out. Win2003 was not a user
product, nor that amazing.

What we have now in Vista is what I would call an early alpha-level product.
Way too many warts to be called a beta level thing. It's clear that is
represents a giant compromise as compared to the initial plan. It's also
clear MS is in schedule slip mode, and that does not usually bring good
things to new features and tuning.

There is an old story that comes to mind, from the past days of the south.
A body of a man has been found and the police show up. The body is hand
cuffed, has a noose around the neck, multiple bullet wounds to the head and
torso, and many fatal level stab wounds. One cop looks to the other and
says "Worst case of suicide I've ever seen...".

Only the future will tend where Vista ends up. MS needs to take the
blinders off and look realistically at what they have.

Ed

--
Thanks... Ed Dixon
"Jeff Warren" <user@domain.com> wrote in message
news:uFBVeoagGHA.1272@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> It's hard to say what will happen. I have bad feelings about some of the
> things - I beta tested Windows XP (Whistler at the time) and even at Beta
> 1 it could almost be used as a production machine. At Beta 2, it was
> excellent with very few bugs that effected daily use. Beta 2 was when
> they introduced the new UI Luna, and it caught everyone by surprise. Most
> liked it; some didn't. I was hoping to see something similar in Vista
> Beta 2, but it hasn't changed much compared to the previous few builds
> testers had access to. The empty splash screen with the grey worm gives
> it so much of an "unfinished" look. They should stick a placeholder in
> there or something.
>
> Windows XP was a nice upgrade to Windows 2000. It had more eye candy, but
> the developers really concentrated on performance. They tweaked the boot
> process to make it start up even faster than Windows 2000, and the added
> UI stuff performance hit was offset by tweaks in other areas.
>
> It seems all of that has gone out the window with Vista. However, we are
> used to being able to use 5 year old machine that get about the same work
> done as current machines. Many offices have 3-4 year old machines and
> they work perfectly fine in Windows XP. Windows Vista is 5 years newer,
> so we can expect it to require current hardware.
>
> Only time will tell how it takes off. I just hope they get much of the
> application compatibility fixed soon - that is the main roadblock here. I
> can get my work done on a slower system, but I can't on a system that
> doesn't run my applications.
>
> Jeff
>
> "Ed Dixon" <eddixon@mtnsys.com> wrote in message
> news:OTDQNEagGHA.356@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> Some decades ago there a new automobile was announced called the Tucker.
>> It was to be completely new and have a host of new features never before
>> seen in cars before.
>>
>> The concept was sound and good. What happened is that schedule, dollars,
>> and other things entered into the development picture. What resulted
>> something like 50 prototypes that were nothing like the original concept
>> car. Basically a compromise to meet schedule and $. It never sold.
>>
>> Now we have Vista. It's up to MS as to whether it will become the next
>> Tucker.
>>
>> Ed
>>
>>
>>
>
>

"Ed Dixon" <eddixon@mtnsys.com> wrote in message
news:OTDQNEagGHA.356@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Some decades ago there a new automobile was announced called the Tucker.
It
> was to be completely new and have a host of new features never before seen
> in cars before.
>
> The concept was sound and good. What happened is that schedule, dollars,
> and other things entered into the development picture. What resulted
> something like 50 prototypes that were nothing like the original concept
> car. Basically a compromise to meet schedule and $. It never sold.
>
> Now we have Vista. It's up to MS as to whether it will become the next
> Tucker.
>
> Ed
>

The Tucker had to compete with GM, Ford, Chrysler, Hudson, Packard, Kaiser,
and Studebaker, and I think some more that I can't remember now.

Microsoft has to compete with who?

There are Linix and the Mac, which both have thier adherants, but most
people are not going to buy them. Most people are going to buy whatever
Microsoft delivers, and that's VISTA.

If Microsoft had better competitors, Microsoft would deliver better
operating systems. But they don't so they won't

It is what it is.

Todd

True.

My initial point was not so much about sales potential as seeing how
schedule, $, and other influences can ruin a product development approach.
That's what I see happening here.

The reason MS will sell Vista will be mostly with new PCs, who may have no
other Windows choice. I''m having a hard time seeing anyone going down the
upgrade path.

Ed

--
Thanks... Ed Dixon
"Todd" <Noname@NoSpam.invalid> wrote in message
news:e%23Thm4agGHA.4304@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>
> "Ed Dixon" <eddixon@mtnsys.com> wrote in message
> news:OTDQNEagGHA.356@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> Some decades ago there a new automobile was announced called the Tucker.
> It
>> was to be completely new and have a host of new features never before
>> seen
>> in cars before.
>>
>> The concept was sound and good. What happened is that schedule, dollars,
>> and other things entered into the development picture. What resulted
>> something like 50 prototypes that were nothing like the original concept
>> car. Basically a compromise to meet schedule and $. It never sold.
>>
>> Now we have Vista. It's up to MS as to whether it will become the next
>> Tucker.
>>
>> Ed
>>
>
> The Tucker had to compete with GM, Ford, Chrysler, Hudson, Packard,
> Kaiser,
> and Studebaker, and I think some more that I can't remember now.
>
> Microsoft has to compete with who?
>
> There are Linix and the Mac, which both have thier adherants, but most
> people are not going to buy them. Most people are going to buy whatever
> Microsoft delivers, and that's VISTA.
>
> If Microsoft had better competitors, Microsoft would deliver better
> operating systems. But they don't so they won't
>
> It is what it is.
>
> Todd
>
>

Take the meds. Vista will be great.

"Ed Dixon" <eddixon@mtnsys.com> wrote in message
news:eix88GcgGHA.1792@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> True.
>
> My initial point was not so much about sales potential as seeing how
> schedule, $, and other influences can ruin a product development approach.
> That's what I see happening here.
>
> The reason MS will sell Vista will be mostly with new PCs, who may have no
> other Windows choice. I''m having a hard time seeing anyone going down
> the upgrade path.
>
> Ed
>
> --
> Thanks... Ed Dixon
> "Todd" <Noname@NoSpam.invalid> wrote in message
> news:e%23Thm4agGHA.4304@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
>>
>> "Ed Dixon" <eddixon@mtnsys.com> wrote in message
>> news:OTDQNEagGHA.356@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>>> Some decades ago there a new automobile was announced called the Tucker.
>> It
>>> was to be completely new and have a host of new features never before
>>> seen
>>> in cars before.
>>>
>>> The concept was sound and good. What happened is that schedule,
>>> dollars,
>>> and other things entered into the development picture. What resulted
>>> something like 50 prototypes that were nothing like the original concept
>>> car. Basically a compromise to meet schedule and $. It never sold.
>>>
>>> Now we have Vista. It's up to MS as to whether it will become the next
>>> Tucker.
>>>
>>> Ed
>>>
>>
>> The Tucker had to compete with GM, Ford, Chrysler, Hudson, Packard,
>> Kaiser,
>> and Studebaker, and I think some more that I can't remember now.
>>
>> Microsoft has to compete with who?
>>
>> There are Linix and the Mac, which both have thier adherants, but most
>> people are not going to buy them. Most people are going to buy whatever
>> Microsoft delivers, and that's VISTA.
>>
>> If Microsoft had better competitors, Microsoft would deliver better
>> operating systems. But they don't so they won't
>>
>> It is what it is.
>>
>> Todd
>>
>>
>
>