Woowar

Category microsoft
ComputerWorld reports that the Vista farce just seems to go from bad to worse, with TechNet subscribers up in arms over Microsoft's decision to NOT allow them early access to the Vista SP1 release, despite the fact that it supposedly has been RTM'd (released to manufacturing):

Virtually none of the 131 comments posted thus far defended Microsoft's decision, and many were extremely blunt. "[Microsoft] has done some really boneheaded stuff, but this ranks right up at the top," said Pete Mitchell in a comment added to the blog Monday.

Another user identified as "PopePeter" put it differently: "Microsoft in its infinite wisdom has chosen to kick its core user base right where it hurts."

One wag, identified as Jim, even took a humorous route: "This is the lamest decision since Microsoft Bob. I get this the same time as my mom?"

Although the comments at times wandered off topic, they generally fell into several distinct threads, among them threats to ditch TechNet and MSDN, accounts of downloading pirated code to start testing, and warnings to Microsoft that this move will force some organizations to delay deploying Vista and continue using Windows XP instead. Despite that angst, earlier this week, the delay was seen as potentially a good thing for some companies waiting to adopt Vista.

"The whole point of TechNet is for IT pros to get access to Microsoft software to test and evaluate before deploying it into a production environment," said a subscriber pegged as "solema." "It's why I bought TechNet, and why most others did as well. If we can't get access to SP1 very soon, then I have to agree with everyone else that my subscription has just been severely devalued, and I will seriously reconsider my renewal."

I particularly love the pay-off line from ITWire's coverage of this story ...

I just hope that when SP1 is finally loaded onto my computer, it’ll be Superfast Pack 1, and not Sloth Pack 1, although with all the conflicting reports I’ve read so far, to date the whole thing has been a very Sorry Pack 1 state of affairs.

Herewith links to the ComputerWorld article and the TechNet post and discussion. Read 'em and weep.