Comments on: Product Delays: Who Cares? http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20070417/a-leopard-in-october/ Occasional musings from Walt, in text and video. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:40:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Neil Anderson http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20070417/a-leopard-in-october/comment-page-1/#comment-148 Neil Anderson Sun, 05 Aug 2007 16:05:44 +0000 http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20070424/a-leopard-in-october/#comment-148 Apple's software and products are usually worth the wait. Apple’s software and products are usually worth the wait.

]]> By: Don McCaskill http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20070417/a-leopard-in-october/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Don McCaskill Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:15:25 +0000 http://mossblog.allthingsd.com/20070424/a-leopard-in-october/#comment-5 I think the more interesting situation is how the companies dealt with their delays. Some of this may be PR spin, but some of it reflects the culuture of the companies and resulting products, too. Microsoft: Pre-announced amazing features (New DB-based filesystem!) years before the OS was to ship. Announced delays. Announced that the amazing features would be pruned in order to not delay anymore. Announced more delays. Ships late. Apple: Kept the top-secret features secret. May or may not drop features to not delay - we don't know because we weren't teased. Announced delay, but was able to blame delay on hot new product, so everyone forgives them. Ships late. Given the two approaches, Apple seems vastly superior. Not only does the final result (presumably) perform at or above the early demos, but they're giving us a great product (iPhone) to tide us over while we wait. I'm in total agreement that most people don't care, though. But for those who do (and Apple accels at keeping people breathless for no real good reason), the differences are extreme. I think the more interesting situation is how the companies dealt with their delays. Some of this may be PR spin, but some of it reflects the culuture of the companies and resulting products, too.

Microsoft: Pre-announced amazing features (New DB-based filesystem!) years before the OS was to ship. Announced delays. Announced that the amazing features would be pruned in order to not delay anymore. Announced more delays. Ships late.

Apple: Kept the top-secret features secret. May or may not drop features to not delay – we don’t know because we weren’t teased. Announced delay, but was able to blame delay on hot new product, so everyone forgives them. Ships late.

Given the two approaches, Apple seems vastly superior. Not only does the final result (presumably) perform at or above the early demos, but they’re giving us a great product (iPhone) to tide us over while we wait.

I’m in total agreement that most people don’t care, though. But for those who do (and Apple accels at keeping people breathless for no real good reason), the differences are extreme.

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