“Last week, I had no doubts that Microsoft easily would manage
to get its long-awaited Windows 2000 product out the door
before the end of calendar 1999. But now, based on a
number of emerging data points, that date’s looking more and more
wishy-washy.
Microsoft did not get Release Candidate 2 of Beta 3 out the door
this week, as it originally expected. Now, it will be lucky to do
so by Sept… RC3 is now looking like it won’t hit testers by
October 6, the date Microsoft had been counting on releasing the
product to manufacturing. Betanews is predicting the product won’t
go gold until fall Comdex, i.e., mid-November, at best.
More evidence of problems: Microsoft had slated a major
invite-only Windows 2000 Marketing Day for its hardware and
software partners next week. Now, that event’s been pushed off
until mid-October…
What’s going on? Microsoft’s mum, but one of its strongest
Windows 2000 backers, IBM, isn’t. At a two-day press event at its
Research Triangle Park facility, IBM …reiterated the company’s
commitment to Windows 2000. But… also acknowledged its concerns
regarding Windows 2000…”