Microsoft Figured We'd All Be on Vista by Now

Find out how many HP (HPQ) AMD (AMD)-based XP PCs there are in the world, multiply by $100 and deduct the result from Microsoft (MSFT) profits over the next four quarters. It's probably peanuts but the rollout of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) is another black eye for Microsoft quality control and all-around poor planning for customer service and support.

It's probably not as bad as the "Vista-enabled PC" upgrade program in 2007. That Microsoft effort lead to everyone wanting to go back to XP because Vista's performance was so bad, even on so-called Vista-enabled PCs, after waiting months for their promised Vista upgrades. During the Vista-enabled scenario, luckily, my 6-year-old grandson Owen immediately complained that there was no Pinball on Vista. So I quickly returned to XP. No harm/no foul for me but I think there are even lawsuits ongoing on that issue.

So this year it's a poor release of XP SP3. The Microsoft master plan probably said that we all had Vista by now. Actually when I read Greg Keizer's article in PCWorld on May 9 I was happy in two ways.

-- First I thought I had screwed up the SP3 download/upgrade somehow only to find that it affected at least all HP AMD-based PCs like mine. And maybe any AMD-based PC.
-- Second, I was happy that I had turned off Windows Automatic Update when I bought the PC (I don't like being that connected with anyone, not just Redmond).

Again, I was able to restore to SP2 pretty easily. But I don't know if the average home PC user would have figured it out. Especially if they had no idea the download had happened overnight because of Windows Automatic Update. Many users of my type PC found their home PC endlessly trying to reboot with probably no idea that Microsoft had automatically updated them to SP3 overnight, putting them in the repetitive loop.

I just left a message on the Microsoft support line, which is promising free SP3 support until April of 2009 (although it takes a little work to find this page so Microsoft may save a few dollars in support costs). I expected that they would inform me when a new version of the upgrade was available to download (although there was no apparent way to let Windows Update know that I had removed SP3 from my system). Instead Microsoft sent me the same steps that Jesper Johansson had posted to his blog on Thursday May 8. I don't see a lot of home PC users easily working their way through this set of instructions (especially since Microsoft's version was missing a few steps).

So see you this weekend Owen. Pinball is up and running again.

Comments

[steveballmer:]

We had no idea that people were soooo picky!

2008 May 12 01:23 AM

[User 192104:]

Makes one wonder is this just incompetence or is it another attempt to get rid of AMD? And who's to benefit if that were to happen?

Certainly not the consumer.

2008 May 12 09:12 AM

[Texrat:]

I would find it hard to believe MS had not tested AMD CPUs in general, much less AMD-equipped systems from HP. Sheesh. That *does* sound suspicious. I build with AMD due to price/performance and the desire to support competition. If AMD were to disappear, it would NOT be good-- even for the Intel fanatics!

As for Vista, MS reached a point of near-diminishing returns with XP. That OS was finally what most of us had been wanting. It was like reaching the peak of Everest after traipsing across sand dunes. From this point on, barring any revolutionary advances, every OS will simply be the result of tweaking. The only real advantage Vista has provided me is in the area of security, and they actually went too far in some respects (when is it going to learn to shut up when it comes to trusted actions and sources???).

2008 May 12 09:50 AM

[Tom B:]

"Actually when I read Greg Keizer's article in PCWorld on May 9 I was happy in two ways.

-- First I thought I had screwed up the SP3 download/upgrade somehow only to find that it affected at least all HP AMD-based PCs like mine. And maybe any AMD-based PC. "


Man, it's tragic what low expectations people have on the PC side.

2008 May 12 10:16 AM

[electric car:]

I seem to be the exception. I love Microsoft Vista on my Sony Vaio digital media center laptop. It is seamless and fast. My office laptop is XP based and slower and needs more work to install hardware than Vista. All I did was buy a new printer as the 13 year old brother could not be adapted.

2008 May 12 11:03 AM

[bill d:]

I have a loaner HP laptop (500 mb) with Vista while the HD is being replaced on mine ( 2 GB) that has XP.
Vista definitely faster and so far (10 days) seems OK.
Not running any significant data processing apps however but no hangs or freezes.

2008 May 12 11:42 AM

[deaverb:]

Bring back old Coke--XP. Our 98 still runs best....

2008 May 12 04:19 PM

[TA:]

I have the pleasure of running Server 2008 and it definitely feels like a have your cake and eat it too. I set the desktop to a Vista feel but even though Vista ran fine on this higher end PC, Server 2008 feels like XP with the nice Vista look - in fact it actually has a slimmer, faster core than Server 2003.

Enterprise acceptance problems with Vista are mostly hardware fresh problems. No one is going to replace every PC and go to large laptops(small ones are far too slow) to implement it. The other being activation but there are ways around that(or use a multi-activation key if that works for your budget).

2008 May 12 05:58 PM

[melante:]

Wow, downgrading to XP because a 6 y.o. kid din't find pinball... that's surely a big fault by MS: shame on Bill!! Come on, get a life (plus some freeware pinball games) and don't waste our time with such pointless articles.

2008 May 12 09:45 PM

[Dennis Byron:]

Melante-

Do you have your Google alerts set up for all instances of the word "Pinball?" This is an investment research site, not a "videogamer" site.

The point is that Microsoft's bottom line is being affected by poor coordination of an operating software release with the hardware needed to run that OS (the lawsuit over Vista-enabled PCs) and poor QA/support planning (the SP3/Windows Automatic Upgrade debacle).

In case there others who take my post literally, my grandson's issue with Pinball is simply a metaphor for these investment issues. Please do not email any suggestions on where to get free copies of Pinball. Or tell me there are better games than Pinball. Video games are designed for boys my grandsons' age aren't they?

Dennis

2008 May 14 06:12 PM

[Chubbs:]

Mac OS 10 is so fantastic that anyone staying with any operating system from Microsoft is a masochist. Or really uninformed.

2008 May 19 12:57 PM