Windows Vista has been the tech industry's whipping boy ever since it was first released to the public in January 2007. From poor driver support at launch to incompatibilities with some software applications, Vista was destined for a troubled life. Apple also cashed in with a number of "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads which poured more salt into the Vista wounds.
Now as we edge closer to the release of Windows 7, at least one analyst is suggesting that a specific group of Vista users get a little something in return for added expense. Michael Cherry, an analyst for Directions on Microsoft, suggests that Windows Vista Ultimate users should be given free upgrades to Windows 7 according to Reuters.
Surprisingly, it's not driver issues, poor media sharing performance, slow file transfers, or software application incompatibilities that Cherry suggests as the reason for the free software; it's the fact that Microsoft made a poor effort in delivering on its promises of Vista Ultimate Extras. Although Microsoft did deliver a few "extras" including a Hold 'em Poker Game, some new sound schemes, and BitLocker enhancements, most people felt that they were lead astray by Microsoft with the promise of exclusive content.
"I'd like to see a free upgrade [to Windows 7] for Vista Ultimate users," said Cherry, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft. "It would buy them a lot of good will, and I don't think it would cost them much."
Although Microsoft is not likely to take such advice seriously, at least one thing is certain -- Microsoft will not be providing "Extras" for Windows 7.
"Our new approach to planning and building Windows doesn't have the capacity to continue to deliver features outside the regular release cycle," Microsoft announced earlier this year. "While our core development team is focused on building the next release, our sustained engineering team is focused on updates to existing features. As a result we don't plan to create Ultimate Extras."
Source: DailyTech
