Windows Vista Delayed Indefinitely

April 1, 2006 — by Per Christensson

A few weeks ago, Microsoft announced the company would not be shipping the next version of Windows, called Windows Vista, until January, 2007. This announcement followed an already long string of delays dating back to the original "release date" of 2005.

But today, Microsoft trumped all previous delays when it announced that the Windows Vista operating system would be delayed indefinitely. The release date is now officially "TBA" according to the press release. Some company insiders have also been heard referring to the release date as "sometime" or "whenever." Microsoft programmers joked that the release date is "null," implying it is undefined.

When a Microsoft representative was asked about indefinite delay, she said, "We sincerely apologize about the delay. To be honest, our programmers haven't even started on it yet. We keep almost working on [Windows Vista], but then something comes up and we put it off."

While dozens of computer manufacturers and millions of customers become increasingly impatient, Microsoft plans to temper their agitation by releasing several more Windows XP Service Packs. "New service packs consistently provide new bugs and security holes, which allow us to release more patches," said a senior engineer from the company. "This makes it seem like we are actually accomplishing something."

Meanwhile, Apple Computer has commercially released Mac OS X 10.2, 10.3, and 10.4 since Windows XP was introduced. Apple plans to release Mac OS X versions 10.5 through 11.2 and 73 new types of iPods by the time Windows Vista is finished.