“What began for Microsoft as an elegant blueprint for migrating
to a unified NT platform has become a muddled strategy marked by
product delays, internal pressures and legal attacks.”
“The pressure to get Windows 2000 out the door is causing
Microsoft to make compromises, despite the company’s ongoing mantra
that the upgrade will ship only when it’s ready.”
“So Ballmer and his troops continue to face a balancing act: At
what point is quality high enough to fend off more delays? That
question is more critical now than ever. Not long ago, Microsoft
could comfortably ship bug-infested products and follow them with a
stream of fixes. Now, the company is being held to a higher
standard, both internally and externally.”