| For the first time in five years, Microsoft | | | | operating system, Windows XP, works just fine |
| Corp. is finally unveiling a new system for | | | | for most companies -- especially with a |
| operating personal computers. Now the company | | | | security-enhancing patch known as Service |
| must persuade PC buyers that the launch | | | | Pack 2 that Microsoft released in 2004. |
| really matters to them. Beginning Thursday, | | | | |
| businesses that buy Windows licenses in bulk | | | | But many buyers want more dramatic reasons to |
| have first crack at the new operating system, | | | | change their PCs. |
| called Vista. Consumers can get Vista on home | | | | |
| PCs beginning Jan. 30. | | | | Kamal Anand, chief technology officer for |
| | | | TradeStone Software Inc., a Gloucester, |
| Microsoft and computer vendors contend that | | | | Mass.-based provider of supply-chain |
| Vista will make Windows machines more secure, | | | | software, examined test versions of Vista and |
| powerful and graphically dynamic, especially | | | | Office and found "no compelling need" to |
| when combined with other products Microsoft | | | | upgrade his company's 100 PCs and laptops |
| is releasing simultaneously. Those include | | | | anytime soon. Instead, Anand expects Vista |
| new back-end server software for businesses, | | | | and Office to slowly permeate TradeStone as |
| as well as Office 2007, which brings sweeping | | | | it buys new PCs for employees in coming |
| changes to widely used programs such as Word, | | | | years. |
| Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint. | | | | |
| | | | "Nobody wants to go through the extra time |
| Much is at stake for Microsoft. Most of its | | | | and effort and money to upgrade an existing, |
| revenue and almost all of its profit comes | | | | well-working system," he said. The programs |
| from Windows and Office, funding the | | | | in Office 2007 have been overhauled in many |
| company's sexier ventures in video games and | | | | ways. Generally they can make it easier for |
| music players. But even with all the touted | | | | people to collaborate on documents and to |
| improvements, analysts expect Vista to only | | | | manage information from multiple sources. |
| gradually emerge, especially in big | | | | Excel in particular packs a wallop, with |
| organizations where upgrading can be a | | | | vastly increased number-crunching abilities. |
| costly, complicated affair. Gartner Dataquest | | | | The Outlook e-mail program performs |
| predicts that it will be 2010 before Vista | | | | noticeably faster searches for tidbits buried |
| outnumbers the previous operating system, | | | | in messages. |
| Windows XP, on business computers. | | | | |
| | | | Some Office programs also have scrapped their |
| PC makers say Vista will enable computers to | | | | familiar menu structure in favor of a |
| do things that previously were difficult or | | | | "ribbon" atop the screen that reorders how |
| costly. For example, Lenovo Group Ltd., the | | | | command choices are presented to the user. |
| world's No. 3 PC maker, says Vista greatly | | | | While that new interface unlocks many |
| enhances data-backup tools it builds into its | | | | features that were hard to find in previous |
| machines. | | | | generations of Office software, it will |
| | | | require some time to get used to, which might |
| "All those capabilities are going to be one | | | | give tech buyers pause. |
| step better with Vista," said Clain Anderson, | | | | |
| Lenovo's director of software peripherals. | | | | Another potential drag for Office is that the |
| | | | world has changed considerably since the last |
| A company with 10,000 employees, for example, | | | | major release in 2003. Inexpensive, |
| likely has 1,000 business applications, many | | | | open-source alternatives to Office have |
| of which need to be tested on Vista before a | | | | gained traction. And rivals such as Google |
| company can switch its PCs to the new | | | | Inc. are increasingly delivering |
| operating system, said Gartner analyst | | | | spreadsheets, word processing and other tools |
| Michael Silver. That process often takes 12 | | | | for free over the Internet, an attractive |
| to 18 months and lots of labor by the | | | | choice for smaller companies. |
| technology staff. In the meantime, the last | | | | |