What's the chance that we'll see an on-time Vista release with shiny retail boxes this coming January? According to Bill Gates himself, a paltry 80%. Now while 80% makes it seem fairly likely, it's not the kind of number that inspires hope in system integrators and retailers wanting to make sure they are ready for it. While a failure to launch in January may be disappointing the some, the honesty in Mr. Gates statement is probably a good thing. With a significant number of bugs still left to be squashed in the beta and the rep that MS already has for security issue plagues, delays aren't always a bad thing:
"We got to get this absolutely right," Gates told the Associated Press in Cape Town. "If the feedback from the beta tests shows it is not ready for prime time, I'd be glad to delay it."
That's the most encouraging news from Microsoft in in a long time, in my eyes. The last thing we need is more insecure software hitting the streets. Personally, I'd rather see a longer delay followed up by a stabler operating system, especially with the number of people that will ultimately be using it.