Clouded Vista
Maybe they?ve waited too long after all.
When Microsoft finally released the consumer versions of Windows Vista and its companion Office 2007 in late January after a five-year wait, the PC software and hardware industry breathed a sigh of relief that the packages were finally ready, along with a feeling of ?Is that all there is??
In that long time, the landscape has changed dramatically for Microsoft. Not only does it face competition from old software rivals, but newer entrants like Google have begun providing a word processor and spreadsheet program for free over the Internet.
Linux has become more common, especially on servers, but even on the desktop it has been making some gains in Europe and the developing world. Microsoft wants Windows and Office users to upgrade, but if they have to wait years for the next update to come along, more people might decide to go open source.
