Too Great Expectations for Windows Vista?

Are the expectations for Windows Vista too great? This is the question asked by David Mitchell Smith, Gartner VP. The answer provided is that Windows Vista will be successful... ultimately. As we have already reported, Windows Vista failed to gather crowds of customers at the retail hotspots.

David Mitchell Smith compares the crowds attracted by the release of Windows 95 to Vista's. And the conclusion is that, on a comparison that Microsoft itself has applauded since in 1995 it was releasing the revolutionary Windows 95 and Office 95 in tandem, the Vista and Office 2007 combined launch failed to deliver a similar impact among consumers.

"One of the biggest areas that could be an issue is the crowds (or lack thereof) at the special retail events at 10 p.m. or midnight. Although retailers are leading this effort, the combination of the mostly happy XP users and the fact that this is the middle of winter, not the summertime launch of Win95, means we didn't see anywhere near the crowds that the introduction of Win95 brought. So, even if Vista ultimately is successful, which it eventually will be, it will have to overcome some expectations this week," predicted Smith.

And indeed Microsoft has spared little in promoting the launch of Windows Vista and the 2007 office System. From the $1.6 billion deferral that went to support the upgrade program for the operating system to Bill Gates' appearance on the Daily Show, the Redmond Company has not been shy about digging in its pockets. And yet, Vista and Office 2007 have not come even close to generating the same excitement as Windows 95 and Office 95.

The fact of the matter is that users now have a whole infrastructure at their disposal to buy Windows Vista, from downloading it from Microsoft to purchasing it via OEM or ordering it online. There is no longer the need to queue at retail locations. Additionally, although Windows Vista will make a dent into XP's supremacy on the operating system's market, it will take a few years at least before Vista will become the dominant OS.