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