From: furballs@sequent.com (Paul Penrod)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy
Subject: Re: NT delayed again??? (PC Week Nov 2)
Date: 5 Nov 92 23:44:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: sequent.1992Nov5.234443.5121
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.

In article <hatton.720949698@cgl.ucsf.edu> hatton@socrates.ucsf.edu (Tom Hatton) writes:
>pathak@mitre.org (Heeren Pathak) writes:
>>For those who are interested:
>>Page 3 in the Nov. 2nd issue of PC week has a story about how Microsoft is
>>now shipping the NT beta.  About half way down the quote Bill Gates stating
>>that NT would ship "in the first half" of 1993.
>
>Not having a subscription, perhaps someone else can confirm this (probably
>not Brian, of course, since he seems loathe to post articles that might
>be interpreted as anti-MS, to date) - I thought I saw, passing by an
>issue of PC Week on a display, the words "Fear and Loathing" and 
>"Windows for Workgroups" or whatever the package is called.
> 
>Has PC Week "turned" on MS? Or are they trying to "balance" their
>coverage?
>


From PC-WEEK Nov 2, 1992 (page 3)

Microsoft Ships Windows NT Beta copies to users

Microsoft last week rooled out the first beta copies of Windows NT
to users, delivering a release that will run all DOS and Windows
3.X applications that are not dependent on hardware specific device
drivers.

E-mail and scheduling capabilities now part of the newly release
Windows for Workgroups are slated to be added in a subsequent
Windows NT Beta release within the next 60 days, Microsoft
officials confirmed.

Meanwhile, Microsoft appears to be backing off it's revised first
quarter 1993 ship date for the 32-bit operating system. At a
conference for financial-services customers in New York last week,
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said NT would be shipped "in the
first half" of 1993.

Gates also used the conference to announce the Open EIS Pak, a $99
package due for release later this month that will help users build
enterprise wide information systems.

In other news, officials said Microsoft plans to debut its Access
Windows database at Comdex/Fall later this month at an introductory
price of $99. The retail price of Microsoft Access will $695; the
$99 offer will expire on Jan 31.

---------

Now for the commentary.

1. To Brian Sturgill: I reporduced the whole column to remove the
complaint of Anti_NT or Anti-Microsoft bias. As a developer with
one foot in each camp, it is in by best interest to find the truth,
and ignore religious opinion.

2. PC-WEEK in not a technical rag. It's is a glorified advertising
and rumour rag that many companies use as a vehicle to promote
their interests. It appeals to many IS and MIS people,plus
developers like myself, because companies of all sizes can announce
their products in a single forum that is updated weekly and
accepted by the computing community at large.

3. I find nothing unusual or sinister about Microsoft slipping ship
dates. This is consistent with every large project they have
undertaken, and considering the complexity of the task; it is
understandable this would occur. IBM had many of the same things
happen to them with OS/2.

4. To the comment about PC-WEEK "turning on" Microsoft, or
balancing their coverage:

PC-WEEK takes submissions by companies annoucing their products,
and requests to look at certain types of products. The amount of
coverage is generally based upon the amount of interest generated
for the product through advertising. The bigger the advertising
budget, the more people know about the product, hence the more
interest. Also, having a large budget, a well known image, a large
market, and sending product for review to the magazine will also
get you increased coverage. This boils down to a business decision,
not necessarily a moralistic one. Those kind are usually reserved
for the editorial columnists and industry pundits.


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